GSNA Georgia Gems Fall 2023

FALL 2023

Georgia

Gems

INSIDE: President’s Message National School Lunch Week Elevating the Dining Experience

2023-2024 GSNA Executive Committee President Cathy Johnson - Richmond County

Chair of District Presidents Dr. Dana Bing - Columbia County School Level Section Chair Amber Martin - Butts County

President-Elect Kimberly Kiker - Calhoun City

System Level Section Chair April Cox - Hall County

Secretary Dee Mathis - Hall County

Advisor to the President Cheryl Jones - Hall County

Treasurer Sandra Thrift - Ware County

State Staff Advisor Dr. Linette Dodson - GADOE

Georgia School Nutrition Association GSNA Office 2372 Main Street Tucker, Georgia 30084 Phone: 770-934-8890 or 1-877-221-8733 Fax: 770-934-8917 www.georgiaschoolnutrition.com

Executive Director Laura Lynn Exhibits/Marketing & Communications Coordinator Patrice Cayce Financial/Membership & Meetings Coordinator Daphne Webb GSNA Instagram @georgiasna

GSNA Facebook www.facebook.com/GeorgiaSNA

GSNA YouTube GeorgiaSNA

GSNA Twitter @GA_SNA -2-

Inside This Issue From the President

4-5

Calendar & Important Dates

6

From the President-Elect

9

From the Chair of District Presidents

11

Award Deadlines

12

From the School Level Chair

13

Leadership Training

14

From the System Level Chair

17

Culinary Arts Competition

18

From the State Staff Advisor

19

Celebrate National School Lunch Week

20

From the Member Services Committee Chair

21

From the Industry Representative

22-23

Committee Day

24

Elevating the Dining Experience

27

Nutrition Education: What’s On Your Tray

28

Pickles!

28

Kick Off Luncheon

29-31

Cafeteria Award of Excellence

31

In Our Districts

32-37

Around the State

37-39

Industry Advisory Board

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From the President “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do make a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Jane Goodall resources that breaks it down into easy to understand language about how the system works, what changes we have accomplished as an association, what changes we hope to accomplish, how it affects the members, and why it’s important to get involved.

Two years ago, when I was seeking nomination for President-Elect, I was asked to submit my goals for my term as President and this is what I shared with the nominating committee: 1. Promote my idea of “Service Beyond the Line” as we highlight ways we can provide service to our local schools, the students, the parents, the community, and the association.

Not only is this an opportunity to find new ways we can serve but it’s a chance to highlight to the community and state ways that our members already serve their local communities. We are more than just nutrition, we are advocates for education and our communities.

2. Advocacy and our legislative goals are sometimes lost on members who don’t realize that we have the opportunity to make a change. I would like to provide a class and/or -4-

3. I would like to push membership at the school level for the state association.

Sometimes it’s overwhelming or a financial hardship for a nutrition assistant to get involved at the national and state level. If we can get them involved in the state level to start with, they are more likely to join at the national level going forward.

4. I would like to encourage school level employees to move beyond thinking of school nutrition as a job and view it as a profession. They should be proud of the role they play in the educational process of children.

5. I would like to work towards finding out what our younger generation of leaders is looking for in an association and see how we can make the changes needed to encourage them to get involved.

It was from these goals that I developed my theme: “Mission Minded, Vision Focused”. To (continued on page 5)

(continued from page 4) advance the availability, quality and acceptance of school nutrition programs as an integral part of education” is more than just GSNA’s mission statement, it is our guiding principle.

We are an integral part of a child’s education and through GSNA we continue to share our knowledge and passion for what we do with our parents, students, district leaders, and community members. We are active members of our communities – volunteering our time, resources, and expertise to improve the lives of those around us. We are advocates for our members and every employee that works in school nutrition in the state of Georgia.

We are consistently striving to enhance meal accessibility and quality for our students while also actively pursuing the betterment of the future of our retirees. We are professionals.

We seek information on current trends that excite our customers while adhering to USDA regulations. We attend conferences, trainings, and workshops that provide us with the newest insight in areas of culinary skills, sanitation, nutrition, personnel management, and financial accounting.

We celebrate our accomplishments with recognition of outstanding program practices. We explore ways to grow as individuals and an association, by seeking out new talent and developing the leaders of tomorrow. We are school nutrition and I invite you to join me this year as we continue forging a path of success with GSNA.

Cathy Johnson 2023-2024 GSNA President JohnsCa@BOE.Richmond.K12.GA.US

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2023-2024 Calendar & Important Dates October 9-13, 2023 National School Lunch Week “LEVEL UP with School Lunch”

October 12-13, 2023 GSNA Manager’s Retreat & Training Summit Epworth by the Sea, 100 Arthur J. Moore Drive, St. Simons Island, Georgia

October 16, 2023 Fall Expo The Classic Center- Athens, GA

January 10 - 12, 2024 Equipment Academy Georgia National Fairgrounds, 401 Larry Walker Parkway, Perry, Georgia

February 20-21, 2024 GSNA Legislative Advocacy Conference Atlanta, Georgia

March 4 - 8, 2024 National School Breakfast Week Surf’s Up with School Breakfast

Spring 2024 School Nutrition Assistants’ Program

April 18 - 20, 2024 Annual Conference Augusta Convention Center, 901 Reynolds Street, Augusta, GA

GSNA 2023 Fall Expo October 16th 1:00 - 4:00 PM The Classic Center - Athens, GA

Registration Form For more information https://www.georgiaschoolnutrition.com/gsna-expos -6-

From the President-Elect Greetings from Northwest Georgia!

I am so honored to be serving as your PresidentElect this year. I am introducing myself with a few facts about me! I grew up in Dalton, where I still live with my two amazing children, Caroline and Harrison, and our dog Kirby! I attended the University of Georgia and obtained my bachelor's degree in Dietetics. I started my career in food service at our local hospital when I was in college, working every other weekend as a diet technician. I spent 15 years in hospital food service, serving many roles throughout that time. In 2007, I was offered the job as School Nutrition Director for Calhoun City Schools, which is 20 minutes south of my home. I knew I had found my passion from the moment I started there.

My staff, students, and system make coming to work daily a gift I do not take for granted.

Whenever I find my passion wavering, I know it is time to get out of my office and spend time with the ones who energize me. These days, I love to get into the schools, work elbow to elbow with my staff, and spend time with the students we serve. These days inspire me to do my best to provide our students and staff with the best meals possible.

As we leave summer feeding and move into School Year 23-24, I challenge you all to find the passion inside of you. Find the desire that keeps you going each day! One of the ways you can do this is by following our President Cathy Johnson's theme for this year, "Mission Minded, Vision Focused.” Remember that we all have a daily mission to feed Georgia students, but what is your vision for how you will do that? Remember that vision as you plan for the remainder of this year and into the future. Whatever your program's mission is, always have a vision that guides you and keeps you on track to succeed.

Best of luck for a wonderful school year and know that I am always here to support you.

Reach out to me at any time. We are all Georgia School Nutrition, and we are all in this together.

Kimberly Kiker 2023-2024 GSNA President-Elect kikerk@calhounschools.org

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Standing Committee Chairs Conference Steering Committee Amber Martin - Butts County Conference Co-Chair TBD Education Committee Kelli McKenzie - Muscogee County Member Services Ashley Whitener - Richmond County Nominating Alyssia Wright - Fulton County Nutrition Standards Emily Hanlin - Cobb County

Public Policy & Legislation Dee Mathis - Hall County Public Policy & Legislation Co-Chair TBD Resolutions & By-laws Valerie Bowers - GADOE Industry Representative Tina Palumbo - Pace Reps Parliamentarian Cheryl Jones - Hall County

District Presidents District One Alecia “Red” Barrett - Treutlen County District Two Monica Mays - Dougherty County District Three Marian Clark - Muscogee County District Four TBD District Five TBD

District Six Sondra Chancellor - Crawford County District Seven Angie Kelley - Cherokee County District Eight Margaret Rentz - Jeff Davis County District Nine Michelle Ruis - Jackson County District Ten Sharon Stroman - Richmond County

Sub Committees Affiliations and Goals Shantal Strozier - Dougherty County Awards Adina Tyre - Wayne County Conference Exhibits Dawn Lewis - Coffee County Conference Hospitality Tessany Lockhart - Houston County Patricia Fisher - Richmond County

Culinary Arts Nicole James - Butts County Memorial/Historian/Recorder Alyssia Wright - Fulton County Nutrition Advisory Council Martha Rusk - Hall County Sandy Entrekin - Hall County

AD HOC Committees Equipment Academy Emily Hanlin - Cobb County Bruce Marlette - Master Marketing Leadership Academy Dr. Debra Morris Ashley Whitener - Richmond County Dawn Garrett-Martin - Forsyth County -10-

Social Media Chair Kelly Fox - Richmond County Silent Auction Chair Nancy Bourke - Gwinnett County

From the Chair of District Presidents Greetings GSNA Family, I hope the start of this year has been wonderful for everyone! I am thrilled to have the honor of serving as the GSNA Chair of District Presidents for the 2023-24 school year. I have been a long-standing member of the association and held various elected positions at the local and district level. I see this as an excellent opportunity to continue to foster growth in an already thriving organization.

GSNA is a cornerstone for school nutrition advocacy, regional networking and social engagement. For this reason, I am passionately motivated to do anything possible to promote its success. I am looking forward to this year being one of the best ever under the leadership of our GSNA President, Mrs. Cathy Johnson.

One of my goals as the Chair of District Presidents is to strengthen communication throughout the association in attempts to engage, enrich and inspire its constituents.

Innovation and creativity will help members embrace the excellent opportunities which GSNA provides. This year I plan to work hard in silence, and let the success of GSNA be my noise. Please join me in being “mission minded, vision focused” toward the goal of building healthy children, ready to learn!

Sincerely,

Dr. Dana Bing Chair of District Presidents, 2023-2024 dana.bing@ccboe.net

National School Breakfast Week

March 4-8, 2024 -11-

2023-2024 Award Deadlines AWARD

SEND TO

DUE DATE

GSNA AWARDS FORMS: https://www.georgiaschoolnutrition.com/awards -12-

From the School Level Chair Welcome back, GSNA and school nutrition friends!!

I hope everyone is settling in and getting back into their routine of things. I am marking my 10th year in school nutrition, and I am absolutely honored to be serving as your school level chair! I look back on the past 10 years and am blown away by the growth and opportunities that I have been blessed with. It has been an amazing road, one that I really never thought I would be on. People have believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and that is what makes GSNA an amazing association. I hope to take that same mindset and return it back as school level chair to help pull the best out of all of YOU. We are all on this MISSION to feed kids and to show the great things about school nutrition.

Every one of you has the VISION to make that happen, no matter what position you hold in the kitchen. I look forward to seeing all of the greatness that is going to happen this year!

Amber Martin 2023-2024 School Level Section Chair amber.martin@bcssk12.org

Order your official

2023-2024 GSNA T-Shirt Today!!

T Shirt Order Form

$15 AS - AXL $17 2XL - 4XL

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LEADERSHIP TRAINING June 15 - 16, 2023 Augusta, Georgia The 2023-24 Leadership Training event was a tremendous success. The focus on honing in on the basics and establishing a solid foundation with local chapters was emphasized throughout the training. Many expert speakers provided valuable insights, which were greatly appreciated by State, District and Local Officers.

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From the System Level Chair Greetings!!

It is a complete pleasure to serve our great membership as System Level Chair.

I began my career 18 years ago as a food service assistant.

Thankfully, I was introduced to GSNA that very first year.

The association has continually blessed me both personally and professionally. I have benefited from receiving four educational scholarships and attending Leadership Academy. I have served in numerous offices to include Local President, District LLC Chair and GSNA Secretary. I have made many friends across the state, some of which I consider family. I mention all of this to say, our association is vital to the personal lives and professional growth of our members!

As System Level Chair, I am honored to sit on the Executive Board and serve on the Education Committee. I am passionate about helping others to grow, learn and become the member they desire to be. I look forward to serving with Cathy’s rock-solid team this year!

See you all soon!

April Cox 2023-2024 System Level Chair april.cox@hallco.org

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GSNA District/State Culinary Arts Competition Mission Possible: Are You Ready to Complete Your Mission?

The competition aims to acknowledge the culinary talents of school nutrition professionals in Georgia, improve the quality of school food, provide standardized recipes, and promote Georgia Grown commodities.

To ensure variety, it's recommended to include at least one Georgia Grown product and/or commodity in each category while up to three can be used. Consider incorporating options such as poultry, beef, pork, peanuts, pecans, blueberries, peaches, soybean, Vidalia/sweet onion, sweet corn, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, or eggs to name a few.

The deadline to submit Local Winners to the District Chairman is January 13, 2024.

WG Dessert Create and prepare a delicious and nutritionist WG Dessert using the following letters in the ingredient list: Advocacy, Conference, Passion. WG Dessert must credit for 1 grain in the meal pattern.

To learn more about the contest, please visit the GSNA website where you can access forms, guidelines, and deadlines.

GSNA Website

The categories this year are: Lunch: (Entrée) Create and prepare a delicious and nutritionist Lunch Entrée using the following letters in the ingredient list: Mission, Teamwork, Service.

Lunch Entrée must credit for a 2 M/MA and 2 Grain Equivalent.

The deadline to submit District Winners to GSNA Headquarters is March 1, 2023.

Lunch: (Side Dish) Create and prepare a delicious and nutritionist Lunch Side Dish using the following letters in the ingredient list: Nutrition, Membership, Leadership. Lunch Side Dish must credit for a ½ cup Fruit or ½ Vegetable.

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

Cinnamon Apple Cookie

Spicy Soft Taco

Mint Melon Salad

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From the State Staff Advisor

Georgia School Nutrition Professionals, A new year is in full swing, and I want to extend my gratitude to each of you for your contributions to a successful start of the 2024 school year.

As I begin my fifth year as the State Director for the Georgia Department of Education, I continue to be proud of the dedicated work of our school nutrition professionals. I extend my gratitude for your commitment to craft and deliver quality school meals in every school for every student in Georgia. It has been rewarding to see so many examples of these quality school meals being served through various district’s social media channels and through the Georgia Tray of the Week campaign.

Observing local Georgia programs focus on serving quality school meals and incorporating our vision of establishing a “Culinary Culture” has been exciting. In October, we will meet with local school nutrition leadership at our annual Director’s Conference to continue the conversation around building this culture. I look forward to seeing many of you in Athens, and I can’t wait for the dynamic opportunities that will be part of this conference.

As the school year unfolds, I want to encourage you to channel your energies toward continued growth and enhancement of your school meal program. Remain committed to meeting and surpassing the expectations of our students. We possess a unique opportunity to contribute to a child’s education through the provision of high-quality school meals which ultimately fuel academic achievement.

Have a great school year and thank you for the outstanding work you do!

Dr. Linette Dodson State School Nutrition Director Georgia Department of Education

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Celebrate National School Lunch Week October 9 - 13, 2023 School Lunch: Level Up for a Real Time Adventure Facts are facts - kids these days love video games, and #NSLW23’s theme takes full advantage of that. While it might seem at first glance that video games run contradictory to the goal of getting students more active, that’s not necessarily the case now. Think about how many active video games are available, from Pokémon Go, which emphasizes a ton of walking, to the upbeat, motion-heavy Just Dance.

It’s easy to make a link between nutritious foods and videos games, too! In so many video games, when a character is low on energy or health, what do they do? They power up by finding food items (Remember, it’s the mushrooms that make Mario grow big and strong!) School nutrition makes sure that our students don’t “crash” or “lag” and that their gaming platform is steady and secure!

Learning is tough work—and kids need fuel if they’re going to learn! That’s why a healthy midday meal is crucial to the growing children who go to school. Since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW), this annual observance has promoted the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has both in and out of the classroom. During the weeklong celebration, held annually during the second full week of October, SNA members and their students will celebrate with special menus, events, activities, and much more, all with the goal of…

Increasing student participation.

Spreading the message to parents that you’re serving healthy, delicious lunch at school.

Earning media coverage from local papers, TV stations and bloggers.

Connecting with teachers and administrators at your school or in your district to spread the word that school meals are healthy and delicious.

The NSLP ensures the health and well-being of all public-school students, boosts academic performance by giving students the fuel they need to succeed, and closes the opportunity gap for children across the country. Today, the National School Lunch Program serves nearly 30 million children every school day. As the 5th largest school nutrition program in the nation, Georgia serves over 1 million lunches daily! Not only does our efforts reduce childhood hunger, but it also supports American agriculture.

Our CPU’s (central processing unit) are equipped to provide excitement as we “Level Up with School Lunch”. Get your “avatars” ready to reach their highest achievement and not fall to “spam” or any unexpected “bugs”. Your players will then be on a quest to gain lots of healthy and delicious “loot” as they “raid” our cafeteria’s each day!

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From the Member Services Committee Chair Hello GSNA friends!

I hope that the summer was restful and rewarding for each of you, and that you have had an excellent beginning to the 2023-2024 school year!

Thanks to our President, Cathy Johnson, for appointing me, it is an honor to be “Mission Minded and Vision Focused” as I serve you in the position of GSNA Member Services Committee Chair. I was first introduced to GSNA when I began my school nutrition journey as a nutrition sub in 2009, and it has been my pleasure to serve in positions for my local association as well as GSNA District 10 ever since. I have a deep respect and passion for this association and the immensely valuable work done by school nutrition professionals on a daily basis.

I am eager to work toward enhancing our membership and serving our existing members. By means of outreach, fostering community, and through the many amazing professional development opportunities GSNA provides, my aspiration is to ignite the enthusiasm of new GSNA members, further empower our current ones, and harness the strength of our established membership to nurture and support incoming members and chapters.

I’m looking forward to celebrating everyone’s successes this year!

Ashley Whitener 2023-2024 Member Services Committee Chair WhiteAs@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us

Annual Conference April 18 - 20, 2024 Augusta Convention Center 901 Reynolds Street Augusta, GA -21-

From the Industry Representative Where did our summer go?

School year 2023-2024 is off to a quick start! In case you haven’t noticed, the month of August is almost behind us. Hold on tight the rest of the school year is certain to follow ...

Your Industry Advisory Board is thrilled to join each of you as we are MISSION Minded, VISION Focused with our President Cathy Johnson. Our goal is to help facilitate an easy communication path between all the moving parts that make up the best school nutrition association around – Georgia School Nutrition Association. Together we can reach new goals and continue to find new and better ways to accomplish these goals. However, we cannot do this without YOU! Each one of you has a “WHY.” Why do you get up and do what you do every day? Why do you work in your current position? Why are you motivated to get out of bed each morning? We all can bring a different experience, talent and positive attitude to the workplace. With your feedback and input, our goal is to bring these ideas to the leaders of GSNA and assist in providing quality conferences and seminars, learning opportunities, more training, introductions to new products and services – all of which provide opportunities to network. And we hope that all of this will be available to each of you – school nutrition and industry. There are many boards/committees in the background constantly working to ensure that we are able to do all of these things listed above. Your IAB is just one of those boards that exist to ensure we provide you with the content and help you are looking for – but remember, if we don’t hear from you, we might be missing an important piece.

Let us know about the exciting things happening in your districts. We would love to participate with you at the local and district levels – not just at the state level. Provide us with your district meeting dates so that we can join you at these meetings. We learn from you when we are able to sit and listen to the concerns and ideas that you have. We can . (continued on page 23)

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(continued from page 22) also assist you by providing educational content at your meetings, providing product samples, training or possibly finding a guest speaker from the Industry Speakers Bureau. If you want to be more involved in GSNA, reach out to any of the IAB members, your friends and colleagues or any of the amazing GSNA leaders – they are eager to give you more details. And if you are still hesitant, feel free to reach out to me directly. I will share with you my “WHY”, my MISSION and my VISION in more detail. I love telling my story!

I am so thankful to be on this journey with you! Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your 2023-2024 Industry Advisory Board Chair.

Serving you,

Tina Palumbo 2023-2024 Industry Advisory Board Chair tina@pacereps.com

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Committee Day September 13, 2023 Macon Centreplex GSNA Committee Members and State President, Cathy Johnson, worked very hard at planning and strategizing for the upcoming year. Organizing events, discussing issues and developing learning opportunities was the central theme for each Committee.

PUBLIC POLICY & LEGISLATION

EDUCATION

GOVERNANCE & BYLAWS

NUTRITION STANDARDS

MEMBER SERVICES

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Elevating the Dining Experience: Highlighting the Customer Service in School Cafeterias Jessica Peaden, Director of School Nutrition Bremen City Schools In the realm of education, the focus on student well-being extends beyond the classroom walls. School cafeterias play a crucial role in nurturing the physical and mental health of students, and an oftenoverlooked aspect of this is the impact of exceptional customer service. When cafeterias prioritize and highlight customer service with students, they create an environment that not only nourishes students' bodies but also their overall well-being.

Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere Customer service goes beyond just serving meals; it involves creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that encourages students to enjoy their dining experience. School cafeterias can achieve this by training cafeteria staff to greet students with a smile, address them by name, and engage in friendly conversations. A friendly demeanor can make the cafeteria feel like a communal space, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among students.

One of the key aspects of serving meals to students is efficiency. Long lines and wait times can be frustrating for students, leading to rushed meals and stress. School cafeterias can prioritize efficiency by implementing well-organized serving stations, pre ordering options, and digital menu displays. Clear communication about meal options, nutritional information, and any changes in the menu helps students make informed choices and reduces any confusion.

Additionally, seeking feedback from students is an essential component of highlighting customer service. Schools can encourage students to provide input on the menu choices, portion sizes, and overall dining experience. This not only empowers students but also shows that the school values their opinions.

To further emphasize the significance of customer service, schools can implement recognition programs for cafeteria staff who consistently provide outstanding service. Recognizing and rewarding staff members who go the extra mile can inspire others to follow suit, fostering a culture of exceptional customer service.

In conclusion, the school cafeteria is more than just a place to grab a meal; it's a vital component of a student's daily routine. By highlighting customer service in school cafeterias, educational institutions can foster an environment where students feel valued, cared for, and nourished both physically and emotionally. Prioritizing friendly interactions, personalization, efficiency, feedback, and recognition can transform the cafeteria into a space that contributes positively to students’ overall wellbeing.

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Nutrition Education: What’s on Your Lunch Tray?

Café Managers plan and implement classroom-based nutrition education-related promotions each year. Café Managers visit student classrooms for the lesson or will have the students come to their ‘classrooms’ – the kitchen! At the beginning of the year, the Birmingham Falls Café Manager invited students into the café to learn about MyPlate and the school lunch program in Fulton County. The manager reviewed café procedures, meal pattern information, and got student feedback on the menu. Students had the opportunity to take a coloring activity page, which was then added to the café for students to see as they came in for breakfast and lunch.

Pickles!

Mrs. Ellen Foy, a primary teacher for Thomaston-Upson Schools, brings the book Pickles, Pickles, I like Pickles, by Brigitte Brulz, to life for her students. She teaches the students that it takes planting cucumber seeds and nurturing them for the seeds to become cucumbers. The seeds begin to grow into a vine with vegetation growth. The growth produces a flower that once pollinated becomes a cucumber. This is called the life cycle of a cucumber. The class then learns the process it takes for that raw cucumber to become a pickle. The cucumbers must first be sliced and then packed into a jar with seasonings. Next is the hard part of waiting patiently for the cucumbers to absorb the seasoning so when they are tasted again, they taste like a “dill”-icious pickle. Oh! The best part was saved for last. Mrs. Foy partnered with the School Nutrition Department to provide locally grown cucumbers from Hummingbird Farms in Culloden, GA and dill pickle chips for the students to taste. Which is better, the cucumber or the pickle?

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KICK-OFF LUNCHEON September 14, 2023 Macon Centreplex We are back! GSNA Kickoff Luncheon and Seminars 2023 was a huge success! Everyone had such a good time seeing old friends and making new ones. There were nearly 400 in attendance, including industry, GADOE and GSNA members. We are very appreciative of all our many industry partners who attended. A very special guest was State Superintendent Richard Woods, who along with Dr. Linette Dodson, presented the inaugural Cafeteria of Excellence Recognition to thirteen very deserving schools. Members were also treated to an awesome video depicting the 22-23 GA Tray of the Week winners.

Dr. Debra Morris kicked off the School Level Seminar with her presentation of “What is Your Why”. She did an excellent job getting our day started. Tag teaming behind her was Jose Herreria with Wild Mikes Ultimate Pizza, teaching about “Working with Different Personalities”. Everyone enjoyed finding out more about others' personalities and how to deal with them. Following was our Executive Director, Laura Lynn, who talked about the “Why and How to be Involved in the Association”. Audience gained valuable information about what the Association has to offer. Rounding out the seminar was a panel sharing what it takes to “Learn HOW to Move up in Your School Nutrition Career”. State President and Richmond County Director, Cathy Johnson, Amber Martin, School Manager from Butts County and Ashley Whitener, Training Specialist with Richmond County shared their personal stories of how they began as an SN Assistant and worked their way up to where they are today. They encouraged the audience to strive for the next level in their career and to follow their dreams. (continued on page 30)

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KICK-OFF LUNCHEON (continued from page 29) System Level Seminar provided insight on procurement with GADOE staff sharing valuable information and USDA guidelines. They also had a panel of brokers, distributors and directors to help better understand the flow of purchasing. Finishing up was Emily Hanlin, who shared how to Use GSNA Involvement & Membership to LEVEL UP Your School Nutrition Program.

Lots of great information was given with ideas on how GSNA can help better SN programs in Georgia.

Special Thank You to GSNA District Presidents who were helpful in many ways.

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IN OUR DISTRICTS DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 2

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DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 4

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IN OUR DISTRICTS DISTRICT 6

DISTRICT 7

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DISTRICT 7

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IN OUR DISTRICTS DISTRICT 8

DISTRICT 9

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DISTRICT 10

AROUND THE STATE

Cherokee County School Nutrition Association (CCSNA) officers volunteered at Forever Fed in Woodstock yesterday afternoon, helping serve 144 Cherokee County families! Pictured from left to right: Amanda Tooley (Etowah High Assistant Café Manager) Angie Kelly (Etowah High Café Manager), Chastity West (Holly Springs Café Manager)

School Nutrition Manager Keith and his great team at Adairsville Elementary! So many smiles in this line with these lunchtime favorites!

Kristin McCabe, Fulton County School Board Member serves lunch at Taylor Road Middle School.

Griffin Spalding Nutrition Staff were surprised when the shoe truck pulled up on August 25th.

All Nutrition staff were given new work shoes to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication to our students in our community.

Mrs. Godowns at Goshen Elementary welcoming staff back to school.

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AROUND THE STATE

Richmond County Back to School Inservice with Ms. Cathy Johnson and David Pearson from Pace The awesome GSNA Members, GADOE & Industry Partners who represented Reps.

Georgia at ANC23 in Denver, Colorado!

Retirement celebration for Ms. Donna Miller, Richmond County Manager

Congratulations 22-23 State President Alyssia Wright, for winning the State President Award, Membership Division 1,000+! Way to go! We are so proud of all your hard work!

Attendees from across the nation gained valuable insight from local Georgia School Nutrition leaders, including Emily Hanlin and Amy Lambert of Cobb County, Scott Richardson of Dawson County, Kokeeta Wilder of Fayette County, and Georgia School Nutrition Association State President Alyssia Wright of Fulton County. We also had from the GADOE, Kelli Cook and Chef Michael DuBose and Chef John Huff. Thank you to everyone who participated in these sessions.

LHS School Nutrition Manager Jason Bussey partnered with Bethany Baptist Church and prepared meals and served 650+ linemen at EMC's yard.

Teresa Ledbetter works at Bear Creek Middle, Barrow County, as a food assistant.

She has worked for BCSS for 12 years and enjoys working with the children and her coworkers. Thank you, Teresa, for your contribution to School Nutrition!

Wayne County Director of School Nursing RN Carla Armstrong taught the entire Wayne County School Nutrition team CPR, AED, and first aid training.

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The Glynn County School Nutrition Program is ecstatic about receiving their very first Local Food For Schools delivery of the Harvest of the Month, WATERMELON! Students enjoyed the fresh watermelon from local farms!

Recognizing hard work and dedication! Mr. Randy Hendrix has ridden a bike to work for over 15 years.

Wayne County helped make his trip a little bit easier by presenting him with a brand-new electric bike, in appreciation for his commitment to their students.

Introducing the 2023-2024 Fulton County School Nutrition Managers!

They were excited to welcome their students back into their cafes for nutritious & delicious school meals!!

Cherokee County School Nutrition Association (CCSNA) is MOO-vin’ and shakin’ at the Chick-fil-A Cherokee County 5K! They loved participating in this annual event, which benefits the Cherokee County Educational Foundation!

Wayne County students enjoy delicious apples prepared by Rosemary Barton.

Manager from Jeff Davis Elementary, Margaret Rentz and Jeff Davis Primary, Cathy Tanner attended Culinary Pilot Workshop in Tifton and brought back great recipes and cooking techniques they learned.

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Tift County High School Nutrition Team opened up their salad line for parents attending the Title 1/Open House Night.

Relationships matter!

President Alyssia Wright and President-elect Cathy Rogers Johnson were an engaging part of the House of Delegates Meeting and Strategic Discussions at SNA ANC!

2022 - 2023 State President, Alyssia Wright introduced the Dr. Josephine Martin Leadership Series guest speaker, Rhonda Payne, with Flock Therapy, who shared with the audience about the “Perils and Potential of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access”.

2023 – 2024 Industry Advisory Board Tina Palumbo (IAB Chair) Pace Reps 430 Senoia Road, Fairburn, GA 30213 Phone: 678-920-0076 E-mail: tina@pacereps.com

Tim Reed Gordon Food Service 1500 North River Road Lithia Springs, GA 30122 Phone: 678-918-6075 E-mail: tim.reed@gfs.com Jennifer Sovik Tyson Foods 1580 Olympian Way SW Atlanta, GA 30349 Phone: 678-877-7056 E-mail: jennifer.sovik@tyson.com

Jose Herreria Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza (S.A. Piazza & Associates) 2854 SW 176 Way Miramar, FL 33029 Phone: 305-297-8564 E-mail: jherreria@sapiazza.com

Bruce Marlette Master Marketing 1400 English Street Atlanta, GA 30318 Phone: 404-368-9424 Email: bruce@mm-reps.com

David Pearson Cafeterias Redefined 1029 N Peachtree Pkwy PMB 363 Peachtree City, GA 30269 Phone: 833-920-8104 E-mail: david@cafeteriasredefined.com

Michael Rooks SAM Service, Inc. 1021 Worth Street Albany, GA 31705 Phone: 229-336-6300 Email: mrooks@samserviceinc.com

Renate Durham DYMA Brands, Inc. 2000 Riveredge Parkway Suite 950 Atlanta, GA 30328 Phone: 618-806-6717 E-mail: renate.durham@dymabrands.com

Susan Wickizer Blank PepsiCo Foodservice 7701 Legacy Drive Plano, TN 75024 Phone: 423-838-2003 Email: susan.wickizer@pepsico.com

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Thank You to our Sponsors

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