Lee's Summit R7 District Nutrition

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Barbie Doyle, Nutrition Manager at Pleasant Lea Elementary in Lee's Summit R7 District, Missouri, the national Manager of the Year. The award recognizes the dedication, ingenuity and compassion shown by cafeteria managers who have excelled in providing high-quality, nutritious meals to students throughout the school year.

Barbie Doyle continuously goes above and beyond to make the cafeteria welcoming and enjoyable for students and staff. Through her innovation and commitment to healthy eating, menus feature many fresh, local foods in recipes, including spaghetti squash, purple sweet potatoes, green beans and zucchini. Doyle creates catchy signage and displays for the garden bar and spotlights local farmers for the students to learn more about the foods they’re eating.

Understanding the importance of connecting with families, Doyle implements several special events to welcome the community, including a Thanksgiving candlelight luncheon for students, parents, staff and administrators to enjoy. She also voluntarily launched the Tiger Cafe Club as an option for students interested in cooking to learn fun nutrition facts, create simple recipes and participate in events..

Doyle is a hands-on manager and works side-by-side with staff to train them, instilling a sense of caring and pride. When faced with significant kitchen equipment and operational challenges, she remained calm, focused and positive, working with staff to make

necessary menu adjustments and coordinate with a neighboring school to ensure every student still received a hot meal. Her resilience and problem-solving skills kept staff motivated and on track. Doyle also takes time to mentor dietetic interns from several area colleges each year, providing guidance for their projects and supplying hands-on experience in food preparation, cooking and serving.

“Barbie creates memorable teaching experiences for students and always finds creative ways to do so,” said Stephanie Dillard, MS, SNS, School Nutrition Association President. “She puts her heart into her job and does what it takes to ensure the cafeteria is a welcoming space for students, their families and staff.”

Encouraging professional development and instilling a growth mindset among staff is important to Doyle. She actively supports staff involvement and membership in SNA, promoting certification and training opportunities for them. She attends all local chapter meetings and helps staff find webinars and training opportunities to support professional growth or utilize toolkits and available resources to benefit the program.

The Manager of the Year Award is given in honor of Louise Sublette, a leader in school nutrition in her state and the national School Nutrition Association. During her 43 years in the profession, Sublette worked in many areas of food service—public schools, colleges, hospitals and elderly feeding programs. Sublette dedicated her career to honoring school nutrition professionals and ensuring those who work in school cafeterias have access to professional development opportunities, empowering them to help their school meal programs flourish.

Doyle was announced as the national Manager 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 Doyle 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. As a national award winner, Doyle will receive an all-expense paid trip to be recognized 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.