Lee’s Summit R7 Nutrition Employee

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Jennifer Holbert, Nutrition Administrative Assistant for Lee’s Summit R7 School District, Missouri, the national Employee of the Year. The award recognizes the valuable contribution of school nutrition employees who exhibit a remarkable commitment to both their school meal program and the students they serve.

Jennifer Holbert is described as a compassionate and dedicated member of her district’s nutrition team whose efforts have boosted employee support and morale while strengthening parent and community relations. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business with an emphasis in marketing, specifically research, and has extensive experience conducting focus groups. This background has strengthened her ability to read people and ask thoughtful questions that get to the root of opportunities for team improvement. She encourages teamwork, problem-solving and vocabulary development while exploring new foods and recipes to boost confidence, collaboration skills and pride in their shared accomplishments.

When some staff members expressed concerns about a lack of department communication, Holbert developed a weekly newsletter to include operational updates, important dates and staff celebrations. This initiative significantly improved transparency, strengthened team connection and ultimately led to consistently high communication ratings in staff surveys.

Through the department’s Facebook page, Holbert also improved community support and generated positive feedback about the nutrition program. She posted photos to highlight menu items and special events and increased parent involvement through her Question of the Day prompts.

“Jennifer’s willingness to invest in the well-being of staff to support students’ long-term success serves as a great example within her school community,” said Stephanie Dillard, MS, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “She also understands the importance of staff, parents and students feeling heard and valued and her consistent and open communication is an asset to the department.”

Her commitment to professional development led Holbert to become a member of SNA and earn her SNA certification. She served as vice president last year and is the current President for the local SNA chapter. Holbert has also served as a presenter at that chapter’s conference, as well as hosting an education session at SNA’s Annual National Conference in San Antonio. Through SNA involvement, Holbert learned the value of gaining access to SNA’s resources and professional networks and improved her child nutrition and leadership skills.

The Employee of the Year Award was created to recognize outstanding school nutrition employees who influence the quality of school meals through customer service, an interest in young people, cooperation, work attendance, creativity, participation in professional development and their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Holbert was announced as the national Employee of the Year on April 28 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 1, 2026, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of Holbert and all SNA national 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 and at SNA’s Annual National Conference in Charlotte, NC, 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