About the Award

Nominate a Colleague You Admire, or Yourself!

The Manager of the Year award, in honor of Louise Sublette, recognizes school nutrition managers for the contributions they have made throughout their school nutrition careers. Self-nominations are accepted for this award.

Who Can Be Nominated?

The nominee must be:

  • Currently an SNA member in the Foodservice/Nutrition Manager/Head Cook/Assistant Manager section
  • Assigned to one school OR to a central kitchen that serves multiple schools
  • Currently acts as manager, head cook, or assistant manager and is assigned to one school OR to a central kitchen that serves multiple schools

Are There Any Restrictions?

Yes, the nominee cannot be:

  • A current state or national SNA president
  • A current SNA national Board of Directors member
  • A current member of an SNA national standing or strategic committee
  • Employed as a supervisor on a system-wide basis
  • A SNA member in the Employee or Director category
  • Hold a title or have job responsibilities that do not confirm the nominee’s status as a manager
  • A previous national winner of the Manager of the Year award

Self-nominations are accepted. Nominations must be submitted through the Submittable platform. SNA will not accept nominations from current members of the SNA national Board of Directors or of SNA national standing or strategic committees.

How Will the Entries be Judged?

The nominee will be judged on four categories. Please note the weights of each category:

  • Cafeteria Environment (worth 30% of total score)
  • Management and Staff Development (worth 30% of total score)
  • SNA Involvement (worth 15% of total score)
  • School and Community Outreach (worth 20% of total score)
  • Has SNA Certificate or Credential (worth 5% of total score)

State Judging: Each year every state association may award one individual with the Manager of the Year award. State entries will be judged by a panel appointed by the State President to determine a state winner. State winners submitted to SNA by March 15 will automatically advance to the regional judging.

Regional Judging: State winning entries will be judged by a panel of volunteers to determine a regional winner. Regional winners will automatically advance to the national judging.

National Judging:  Regional winning entries will be judged by the National SNA Board of Directors to determine a national winner.

How Will Winners Be Recognized and Rewarded?

Award winners will receive the below prizes:

  • State winners will receive a certificate.
  • Regional winners will receive a pin, certificate and $50.
  • National winners will receive a plaque and an all-expense paid trip to ANC, up to $1,000.

Additional awards and recognition may be given to state winners by the state association. Please check with your state association for more information.

Who Was Louise Sublette?

The Manager of the Year Award, in honor of Louise Sublette, is named after Louise Sublette, a leader in school nutrition during the mid-twentieth century. For over 40 years, Louise Sublette worked in many areas of foodservice and nutrition, including public schools, colleges, hospitals and elderly feeding programs. Her name is given to this prestigious award because throughout her life, Louise Sublette emphasized that the success of school nutrition depends upon those professionals who work in school nutrition programs. Louise Sublette was a Past President of SNA from Tennessee.

Submission Deadline

March 1, 2024*
California’s submission deadline is September 1, 2023.
Alabama’s submission deadline is January 5, 2024.
Virginia’s submission deadline is January 25, 2024.

Award Winners

2024
Vivian Crespo
Cafeteria Manager
Israel Putnam Elementary
Meriden, Connecticut

2023
Cecelia Araiza
Nutrition Manager
Madison Park Middle School, Madison School District
Phoenix, AZ

2022
Sharon Owensby
SNS, Catering Manager
Lee’s Summit High School
Lee’s Summit R-7 School District
Lee’s Summit, MO

2021
Amber Ott-Underdown
Cafeteria Manager
Upper Bucks County Technical School
Parkasie, Pennsylvania

2020
Heather Blades
Cafeteria Manager
Spring Run Elementary School
Chesterfield County Public Schools
Chesterfield, Virginia

2019
Robin Dake
Cafeteria Manager
McMinn County High School
McMinn County School District
Athens, Tennessee

2018
Jerrilyn Hernandez
Orofino Junior-Senior High School
Joint School District 171
Orofino, Idaho