2026 Employee of the Year and Manager of the Year SNA Award Recipients

In celebration of School Lunch Hero Day (Friday, May 1, 2026), the national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) recognizes the tireless efforts of school nutrition professionals who ensure students across the country can benefit from healthy meals each school day. 

School Lunch Hero Day (SLHD) celebrates school nutrition professionals for the many positive impacts they make in their communities through the year. From creating welcoming environments and serving culturally relevant meals to ensuring meal access for students in need and providing engaging nutrition education, their efforts are felt by students nationwide. Established in 2013, SLHD is a collaborative effort between SNA and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the popular Lunch Lady graphic novel series. 

“School nutrition professionals show a steadfast commitment to their students, finding ways to make their school meal programs thrive with tenacity and grace, despite the challenges they encounter,” said Stephanie Dillard, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “Often working with limited resources, these unsung heroes use their creativity and compassion to plan, prepare and serve healthy meals to nourish students’ school days.” 

School nutrition employees, managers and directors were nominated for awards at the state level, and those winners were considered for awards within seven regions across the country. Of those regional winners, the following were selected as SNA’s 2026 national award recipients:   

Jennifer Holbert, Nutrition Administrative Assistant for Lee’s Summit R7 School District, MO, has earned the national Employee of the Year award. 

A compassionate and dedicated member of her district’s nutrition team, Jennifer Holbert’s efforts have boosted employee support and morale and strengthened parent and community relations. As leader of the district’s monthly cooking club, Holbert also supports students by teaching essential kitchen and safety skills with hands-on lessons. She encourages teamwork, problem-solving and vocabulary development while exploring new foods and recipes to boost confidence, collaboration skills and pride in their shared accomplishments. 

Holbert utilizes her business degree and extensive experience conducting focus groups to identify opportunities for team improvement. Through the department’s Facebook page, Holbert also improved community support and generated positive feedback about the nutrition program, posting photos to highlight menu items and special events and increasing parent involvement through her Question of the Day prompts.  

Jennifer was also selected as the Missouri SNA 2026 State Employee of the Year and SNA Mountain Plains Regional 2026 Employee of the Year!

Barbie Doyle, Nutrition Manager at Pleasant Lea Elementary in Lee’s Summit R7 District, MO, has earned the national Manager of the Year award. 

Through Barbie Doyle’s innovation and commitment to healthy eating, Pleasant Lea menus feature many fresh, local foods in recipes, including spaghetti squash, purple sweet potatoes, green beans and zucchini. Doyle goes above and beyond to make the cafeteria welcoming and enjoyable, creating catchy signage and displays for the garden bar and spotlighting local farmers for students to learn more about the foods they’re eating. 

Understanding the importance of connecting with families, Doyle implements several special events to welcome the community, including a Thanksgiving candlelight luncheon. She also voluntarily launched the Tiger Cafe Club as an option for students interested in cooking to learn fun nutrition facts, create simple recipes and participate in events. 

Doyle is a hands-on manager and works side-by-side with staff to train them, instilling a sense of caring and pride. When faced with challenges, she remains calm, focused and positive. Her resilience and problem-solving skills keep staff motivated and on track.  

Barbie was also selected as the Missouri SNA 2026 State Manager of the Year and SNA Mountain Plains Regional 2026 Manager of the Year!