School Nutrition Association of CT Announces State Award Winners

The non-profit School Nutrition Association of Connecticut (SNACT) has named Kate Murphy, food service director with Sodexo at Naugatuck Public Schools (NPS), the state Director of the Year. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of school nutrition directors in Connecticut who manage successful school meal programs, which provide healthy, appetizing meals to students.

With more than 24 years of school nutrition experience and ten years at NPS, Murphy thinks outside the box to engage students. She's developed educational and entertaining programs about food and nutrition, including a popular instructional program teaching students the process and benefits of making their own pickles. Murphy has helped to create a food pantry for food insecure students and participates in the Farm to School program for Connecticut.

She remains enthusiastic to promote the valuable work of school nutrition professionals across the state. Murphy has been interviewed on the local radio station to talk about NPS offering meals at no charge to families. She attended meetings with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes to explain the importance of providing school meals at no charge into the future. She helped develop the SNACT social media campaign "School Meals: 5 Reasons Why It's Time to Try" and uses various platforms to promote and advertise the child nutrition department in Naugatuck.

Murphy has gone above and beyond during the pandemic, doing everything in her power to ensure all students have access to food. She personally handed meals to students getting on the bus and via curbside distribution. Always one to encourage and praise the hard work of others, Murphy provides small tokens of thanks to staff, such as baking cookies for them on Valentine’s Day, to help make them feel appreciated.

“Kate Murphy goes above and beyond the call of a child nutrition director and her efforts inspire her colleagues and staff in their service to students and the community,” said SNACT President Erica Biagetti, Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Cheshire Public Schools. “Her passion for providing healthy school meals and promoting nutrition education in fun, creative ways makes us look forward to her work in the role as SNACT president next year.”

Murphy is the president-elect for SNACT and will serve as president for the 2021-2022 school year. She has previously held the positions of marketing committee member and chair, industry council vice chair and SNACT vice president. She has expanded the association member base by encouraging food service management company staff to be members, bringing in several new members each year and helping to build committee diversity. In addition to managing the nutrition department at NPS, Murphy helps mentor and coach a girls’ running team, is a board member for Connecticut Partnership for Children and a volunteer for Naugatuck Youth Services.

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 foodservice operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

Murphy, along with other state nutrition award winners, will be recognized during a virtual SNACT “Awards Honor-Palooza!” on May 6. Letters will be sent to the award winners’ school superintendents and Boards of Education in recognition of their outstanding efforts.

About the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut (SNACT)

The School Nutrition Association of Connecticut (SNACT) is one of the leading non-profit organizations committed to educating and supporting school nutrition and food service professionals to ensure all Conn. students have access to nutritious school meals. Providing information, services and continuing education opportunities to school food service professionals in Conn., SNACT promotes the importance and value of school meal programs through partnerships with allied organizations, industry, the school community and the community at large. For more information about SNACT and upcoming events, visit www.snact.org.

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