Laveen School District Nutrition Director

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Jennifer Gordon, MPH, NDTR, SNS, Child Nutrition Director for Laveen School District, Arizona, the national Director of the Year. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors who manage effective school meal programs providing healthy, appetizing meals to students.
Jennifer Gordon is committed to nutrition and education, fostering opportunities for students to get involved through taste tests and surveys, nutrition education in the classroom and hands-on opportunities in the kitchen. She was instrumental in securing free school meals district-wide through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), working tirelessly to implement the program. Student lunch participation has increased by an average of 12 percent, resulting in increased revenue to support the program.

Gordon worked to implement the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program at five of the district’s nine schools to increase students' exposure to a variety of fresh produce. She has received positive feedback from parents and hopes to expand the program, which also engages students in bi-weekly nutrition education lessons.

Gordon secured nearly $100,000 in grants to pay for equipment and culinary training for staff to develop scratch and quick-scratch recipes. She incorporated a clean label initiative as part of this effort, focused on providing fresh, high-quality meals for all students. Training has been well-received, empowering her staff to confidently execute new skills, such as vegetable roasting techniques or utilizing immersion blenders and induction burners to successfully implement recipes.

Gordon is very active within the community and ensures her department is well-represented at various school and community events. She assists in setting up informational booths at welcome back events, open houses and meet the teacher nights and engages with parents to answer questions. Gordon also established a strong social media presence to promote menu items and showcase her staff and program.

“Jennifer is reliable, caring and always puts the needs of students and staff first,” said Shannon Gleave, RDN, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “She creates fun ways to connect with students and develops opportunities to involve them through taste tests, nutrition education and hands-on kitchen activities.”

A strong believer in professional growth, Gordon is an active SNA member, serving as Nutrition Chair and Secretary for the state affiliate, sitting on conference planning committees and presenting at state-affiliate and local chapter events. She is also a key contributor for SNA initiatives including major bylaws revisions and development and implementation of the Arizona Future Leaders Program. Gordon advocates for SNA involvement and her cafeteria managers and district office staff are members and have earned SNA Certificates.

The Director of the Year Award was created to recognize school nutrition directors who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to their school meal programs. The directors are responsible for maintaining the quality of the program through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty, and well-balanced school meals. Through effective oversight of all aspects of food service operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

Gordon was announced as the national Director of the Year during an online awards ceremony on April 30 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 2, 2025, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of Gordon and all SNA regional award winners will be profiled on Facebook.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org around School Lunch Hero Day. SNA award winners will also be highlighted in SN Magazine, on schoolnutrition.org and related social media platforms. As a national award winner, Gordon will receive an all-expense paid trip to be recognized at SNA's Annual National Conference in San Antonio in July.

About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.