2023 SNAAZ Annual
State Conference
Begins In
Keynote Speaker
SATURDAY – SEPT 30, 2023
Vanessa holds an associate degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta, Georgia. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tuskegee University in Alabama and her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Valdosta State University in Georgia.
Vanessa’s school nutrition journey began in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools as a cafeteria manager, then to Dougherty County Schools as the School Nutrition Program Director, and finally on to Tift County Schools as the Chief Nutrition Officer where she resides today.
She has served within the Georgia School Nutrition Association as Education Chair, System Level Chair, Conference Chair (numerous times), State President, Advisor to the President, and Regional Director for the Southeast for the School Nutrition Association.
Vanessa soon learned that Child Nutrition Services were the heartbeat of the educational process. Without us being successful at what we do the entire mission is compromised. In 1994 her life was forever changed by this job. And at this point she truly understood that hungry children cannot learn.
Who is Vanessa Hayes? She is a wonderful chef, speaker and trainer with an assortment of tools in her possession – passion, education, tenacity, integrity, spiritually and morally accountability. Vanessa is also the mother of an incredible human Vanae Briann … she is a gain changer!
Register for 2023 SNAAZ Annual State Conference
The summer heat has been blazing, but at SNAAZ we’re ON FIRE with conference planning. Yes, we certainly sizzle, but we also have the “coolest” members around. To celebrate you, the conference committee has been planning to let the good times roll at our 67th Annual State Conference. The committee has some awesome plans up their sleeves for rolling out a parade of great education breakouts.
In addition to some great pre-conference sessions and our Saturday breakout education sessions you will have the opportunity to check out the wonderful exhibit hall packed full of new ideas, goods, and services to help make your child nutrition program cutting edge for the students you serve throughout the state of Arizona.Whether you are a director, supervisor, cafeteria manager, frontline staff, or central office/warehouse staff there is something for each of you!
