School Nutrition Directors Honored for Exceptional Leadership

School nutrition directors play a critical role in local school meal programs across the country. They are responsible for maintaining high quality programs through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Their leadership extends across various aspects of operations, from budgeting and staffing to training, marketing and community outreach, helping to drive the success of school nutrition programs.

In advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated each year on the first Friday in May, hardworking professionals who support student health and well being in schools across the country are being recognized. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is spotlighting regional honorees of the Director of the Year awards. These leaders demonstrate outstanding dedication to their school meal programs and the students they serve.

Congratulations to 2026 regional winners!

Darcy Stueber, SNS, Director of Nutrition Services for Mankato Area Public Schools, Minnesota: Midwest Region Director of the Year

Darcy Stueber’s pivotal leadership helped advance universal free school meals legislation in Minnesota to eliminate financial barriers for families, prompting a significant increase in student meal participation. To promote free meal service and school meal benefits to families, she led district-wide outreach campaigns, creating multilingual flyers, FAQ sheets and social media posts, and hosted informational booths at back-to-school nights and community open houses. 

Marketing and student engagement initiatives led by Stueber have raised awareness of fresh, scratch-prepared menu items and farm-to-school partnerships. To gather student feedback before making menu changes, Stueber coordinated student tasting and voting events, helping to increase student trust, improve menu acceptance, and boost meal participation. Through social media outreach, community presentations and collaboration with administrators, she has reframed school meals as an integral part of student success, an effort that has also increased pride among staff, fostering a positive culture centered on quality, equity and service excellence.

Stueber’s strategic procurement and careful labor management practices have reduced waste and improved finances, allowing for investments in equipment and staff development. Stueber creates quarterly meal program briefings with metrics on labor, participation, financial performance and student satisfaction for district leadership and she organizes annual cafeteria walkthroughs to improve program transparency and district-wide trust.

Stueber has served in various leadership roles within Minnesota SNA, including her current role as Public Policy Committee chair. She regularly attends state and national conferences, legislative sessions and policy briefings as well as serving as a media spokesperson on related issues. She has presented and facilitated breakout sessions and shared expertise on financial stewardship, operational efficiency and leadership development. She also regularly participates in SNA webinars and professional standards trainings to maintain credentials and stay current with USDA regulations.

Cindy Wall, School Nutrition Director of Jamestown Public Schools, North Dakota: Mountain Plains Region Director of the Year

Over the past two years, Cindy Wall has transitioned the school meal program to focus on scratch-cooking by investing in the necessary equipment, providing staff training and standardizing recipes. Wall involved students through taste-tests and incorporated their feedback to guide menu improvements. As meal quality improved, student participation increased by 15% at lunch and 20% at breakfast and food waste was reduced. Through forecasting and production planning, Wall stabilized food costs, maintaining financial responsibility and compliance. 

To address food insecurity and expand meal access in the community, Wall launched the district’s first summer meal grab-and-go program, securing state approval, selecting community distribution sites and coordinating staffing, food safety and transportation. She developed convenient multi-day meal bundles for families and created clear communications materials to boost awareness of the program as a reliable resource for families. Wall utilized flyers and school messaging systems and leveraged social media platforms to promote the school nutrition program and increase transparency, sharing menus, behind-the-scenes kitchen highlights, staff spotlights and nutrition education content. Steadily growing social engagement helped build trust with parents and the community.

Collaborating on nutrition education through classroom connections, Wall strengthened relationships with faculty. She provided menu highlights, nutrition fact sheets and resources for teachers to share with students. Wall also cultivated strong relationships with the school board and superintendent through regular communications and presentations highlighting meal program goals, compliance efforts and student-centered initiatives. By providing in-service trainings and ongoing coaching on topics from knife skills and batch cooking to food safety and production records, Wall has helped staff expand culinary skills and build confidence. Her efforts contribute to improved retention and a more positive kitchen atmosphere focused on teamwork and professionalism.

Wall supports SNA membership as a valuable and empowering professional development tool. She encourages staff attendance at state conferences and training programs and celebrates employees who earn awards, certifications or attend conferences. Wall has received the SNA Star Award recognizing her membership recruiting efforts. She currently serves as vice president of the state association and previously served as professional development chair. Wall consistently attends state SNA events and participated in the National Leadership Conference in April to strengthen leadership skills and advocacy efforts as she actively works toward earning her SNS credential.

 Ruth Conner, SNS, Director of Food Service for Buffalo Public Schools, New York: Northeast Region Director of the Year

Demonstrating exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to student health, Ruth Conner works to ensure all students’ nutritional needs are fully met. She created an inclusive meal policy that supports religious modifications, allergens, intolerances and food sensitivities to create an environment where all students can access safe, appropriate meals. Conner has helped to improve the culture in cafeterias and strengthen staff pride in the program, incorporating uplifting messages on staff uniforms and a mascot to strengthen visual identity on food service materials and table décor. Through monitors installed in 65 school cafeterias, she shares colorful photos of new menu items, highlights farm-to-school offerings and displays educational clips and nutrition messages. Her efforts have helped increase student breakfast and lunch participation districtwide.

Conner actively joins parenting and student groups to gather feedback and strengthen communication. She’s appeared on local news to educate parents, students and the community about different meal service models and to reinforce the district’s commitment to delivering healthy meals to all students. Last year, Conner utilized a $2 million grant to promote local foods through 170 farmers markets, working alongside district staff, community partners, students and parents to reach 34,000 families. She values transparency and strives to remain accessible to district families and employees.

Conner recognizes the dedication and support her team provides in creating wins for the program. In turn, she believes that empowering staff strengthens retention and creates meaningful leadership opportunities. She maintains an annual stipend for cook managers, successfully increasing certification retention and encouraging career advancement. Conner utilizes district-level incentives to support professional growth and launched 30-minute lunch-and-learn sessions in more than 60 buildings to promote leadership at all levels.

An active member with the state and national School Nutrition Association since 2001, Conner has held many leadership roles. She served as state membership chair and on the conference committee in addition to numerous roles with awards, scholarship and professional development committees. She regularly attends annual state conferences and joined multiple national conferences, reflecting her long-standing commitment to professional excellence and association leadership.

Jennifer Buchanan, School Nutrition Director for Hamblen County School District, Tennessee: Southeast region Director of the Year

Jennifer Buchanan has strengthened the financial health of the nutrition program by implementing disciplined budgeting practices, tighter inventory controls and strategic purchasing decisions. By monitoring student meal participation trends and aligning production with student demand, Buchanan has increased student satisfaction and boosted meal participation while reducing food waste. Her efforts have enabled reinvestment into equipment upgrades and menu improvements to modernize school menus while maintaining compliance with federal nutrition standards. 

Buchanan gathers student feedback through taste tests and informal surveys and works to increase the visibility of the program through marketing and communication efforts. By highlighting menu offerings, nutrition initiatives and special events through newsletters, social media and school collaborations, the nutrition program has gained stronger support from students, staff and families. Buchanan heightened community relationships by partnering with local organizations and businesses to promote nutrition education, wellness efforts and student-focused events. She forges connections with parents through back-to-school events, open houses and family nights to build trust and increase understanding of school meals.

She prioritizes staff development by implementing regular, hands-on training sessions covering topics including food safety, standardized recipes, production records and customer service. Her training has improved confidence, consistency and compliance across kitchens in the district while also increasing staff retention by reinforcing that employees are valued and supported in their roles. Buchanan provides mentoring through daily, on-the-job coaching tailored to each school’s needs. She works side-by-side with managers and staff during meal service, addressing challenges in real time and modeling best practices in organization, time management and team communication. 

Illustrating her commitment to stay current on best practices, regulations and leadership strategies, Buchanan regularly attends SNA’s state and national conferences. She served on her state chapter’s steering committee, contributing to strategic planning, professional development initiatives and member engagement efforts. Buchanan reinforces the value of professional growth by encouraging staff to attend SNA events alongside her and shares knowledge gained from events with her staff.

 Debbie Trujillo, SNS, Director of Student Nutrition for Bernalillo Public Schools, New Mexico: Southwest region Director of the Year

Debbie Trujillo’s leadership has been pivotal to district-wide success in expanding cooking capacity and improving meal quality with scratch-made meals. To spur these efforts, Trujillo secured two grants that made a transformative impact on the district’s food service program. A sizable infrastructure and equipment grant was used to modernize every school kitchen with advanced equipment, supporting scratch-cooking and increased use of New Mexico–grown foods. She secured another grant to purchase two fully equipped food trucks which have been integral to daily food service operations, supporting expanded breakfast and lunch service as well as field trips, graduation events and community outreach. 

Trujillo has created community connections with the nutrition program to expand knowledge of wellness benefits, encourage healthier lifestyles and foster a culture of well-being districtwide. She developed and coordinates an annual Harvest Festival and a Spring Health Fair to engage students, families, staff and community members in a variety of food, literacy, health and wellness activities, including serving scratch-made meals and fresh salads prepared by her team. Trujillo leads her team to plan culturally responsive menus and works in collaboration with students, community stakeholders and Pueblo leaders to ensure authenticity and celebrate diversity.

Prioritizing health and safety compliance, Trujillo coordinates intensive monthly trainings as well as regular webinars and professional development opportunities on food safety, sanitation and meal program compliance. She offers staff trainings in English and Spanish to support the district’s diverse workforce, leads daily virtual briefings and delivers weekly online lessons using multimedia resources to reinforce learning and accountability districtwide. Additionally, Trujillo created an annual Chef Symposium providing hands-on training to develop scratch-cooked menu concepts and original recipes. She ensures all participants have the necessary tools, equipment and support to effectively increase the team’s scratch-cooking skills and confidence. Through the symposium, Trujillo oversees training on everything from making sauces from scratch and sautéing and blanching fresh vegetables to scratch baking and mastering advanced techniques such as roasting, braising, grilling, dehydrating, smoking and air frying. 

Trujillo’s leadership and dedication to professional development are notable. She is a past president of the New Mexico School Nutrition Association (NMSNA) and has served on national committees, contributing to initiatives at both the state and national levels. She consistently encourages staff to actively participate in NMSNA conferences and regional trainings throughout the school year, establishing a department stipend to incentivize attendance at conferences, workshops and trainings. She has also led her team in hosting an engaging fruit and vegetable art carving class at the NMSNA Conference, providing participants hands-on, step-by-step instruction in carving techniques, proper knife skills and creative presentation methods to transform fresh produce into eye-catching edible art. 

Anne Leavens, SNS, Nutrition Supervisor and Catering Manager for Central Point School District 6, Oregon: Western region Director of the Year

Anne Leavens’ dedicated leadership and community collaborations have improved the quality of meals served, increasing access to seasonal produce, and created meaningful educational opportunities for students. Through her development of hands-on nutrition education programs, including the school freight farm and local farm visits, she is fostering lifelong healthy habits among students and a deeper appreciation for local agriculture.

With Leavens’ guidance and coordination of staff, volunteers and community partners, the Afterschool Supper Program ensures that nutritious, balanced meals are provided with dignity and care to children who may otherwise face food insecurity. Leavens thrives in her role as a liaison between the schools and community. She works alongside administrators to plan and host family and community engagement nights. She also contributes to the summer meal program, helping provide weekly meals to more than 800 children in the community.

Leavens ensures staff have the tools, resources and assistance needed to succeed. She believes in continuous learning and encourages the nutrition team to expand skills and knowledge, empowering them to try new approaches. Leavens creates an environment where creativity is welcomed and valued, inspiring confidence, innovation and teamwork.

Enhancing professional growth and developing talent is a focus for Leavens. She demonstrates forward-thinking leadership by ensuring managers attend regional and national SNA conferences and training sessions to provide them with fresh perspectives, exposure to innovative practices, networking opportunities and cutting-edge industry insights. Team members bring valuable information back to coworkers to implement within daily operations. Leavens also served as President and Vice President of the Oregon School Nutrition Association and on the SNA national board of directors.