Presidents
Message
A Message From “Natalie Tenney”
SNAAZ President, 2025-2026
Greetings SNAAZ members,I am excited and honored to serve as the President of the School Nutrition Association of Arizona this year. I will do my best to represent our incredible group of professionals who work every day to make a real difference in children’s lives by nourishing students to learn, one meal at a time.
This year, I’m looking forward to building on the amazing work we’ve already accomplished. Whether it’s advocating for better policies, more funding, more opportunities to feed more students, or finding new ways to improve our programs, SNAAZ and its leadership team are here to help. We all support each other as we are ALL in this together. Our efforts, dedication, and creativity will make a lasting impact on the future of school meal programs.
Thank you for everything you do for the students, your kitchen teams, and your involvement in SNAAZ. I can’t wait to connect with more of you this year, hear your stories, and celebrate the work that you are all doing on a daily basis.
Let’s make this a truly remarkable year for increasing membership numbers, encouraging involvement in Chapter events and Conferences, volunteering for committees, advocating for policies and legislation, and really putting ourselves out there as the subject matter experts for School Nutrition programs.
Here’s to a year of progress, teamwork, and making school nutrition programs stronger than ever!
Natalie Tenney, SNS
NATALIE TENNEY
2025-2026 SNAAZ PRESIDENT
2021-2024 Strategic Plan Goals
See below for details.
Goal: SNA/SNAAZ is the voice of the school nutrition industry
Objective: We are advocates for feeding our country’s future.
Objective: We elevate the professional image of school nutrition, both inside and outside of the industry.
Objective: We are universally acknowledged and recognized school nutrition experts.
Goal: SNA/SNAAZ supports the professional growth and career pathways of members.
Objective: We serve as the hub for members to network and build lifelong relationships around common goals and interests.
Objective: We create opportunities for professional growth for members and build their capacity to lead in their schools and districts.
Strategies:
- Promote the value and qualification of school nutrition professionals through social media and conference recognitions
- Promote the quality and nutritional value of school meals through nutrition related articles and images on social media, websites and direct communication with people outside of school nutrition
- Sharing great accomplishments districts and individual schools are doing. Bring these accomplishments to the forefront with social media, SNAAZ website and recognition at state conferences
- Continue to support legislative efforts by supporting SNA’s Legislative Action Conference and to visit Arizona representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Goal: SNA/SNAAZ cultivates a vibrant community of school nutrition stakeholders.
Objective: We have redefined and elevated the relationship and partnerships with industry.
Objective: We influence, convene, and connect stakeholders who seek to shape the school nutrition industry.
Strategies:
- Look into implementing a future leaders program for SNAAZ to increase understanding of the process and build confidence in membership to run for office at chapter and state levels
- Continue to outreach to districts that are not currently active members or participating members to encourage new membership and involvement
- Explore collaboration opportunities between state association and state agency
- Evaluate electronic methods to increase opportunities to attend meetings when driving distance is prohibitive to involvement
Goal: SNA/SNAAZ is a thriving organization.
Objective: We have a strong and varied pathway to volunteer leadership and provide inclusive opportunities for contribution.
Objective: We are a digital-first organization with a strong, nimble technology infrastructure and efficient processes.
Objective: We look for ways to disrupt our own business models, leading the way to innovation and new revenue opportunities.
2021-2024 National SNA Strategic Plan
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