Buffalo City Schools Nutrition Supervisor Honored in Las Vegas

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) honored Ruth Conner, from Buffalo Public Schools, as the Northeast Regional Manager of the Year during the Red Carpet Ceremony at SNA's Annual National Conference in Las Vegas, NV on July 10. Considered the highest honor a school nutrition manager can earn, the award recognizes a cafeteria manager who has demonstrated dedication and ingenuity to improve his or her school meal program.

One of Ruth Conner’s primary duties as child nutrition supervisor is to create the school menu. She’s always researching for new promotions, recipe ideas and ways to incorporate locally grown produce. She initiated a farm to school workshop on “Community Saturdays” where parents, students and members of the community learn about what they can grow in their backyard.

For more than 20 years, she has dedicated her life to improving child nutrition, building strong relationships within her district and participating in educational workshops.

She has hosted various events for the public to learn what is happening in school nutrition, including inviting state senators to taste-test healthy school meals.

To provide a support system for staff that may be facing challenges both in and out of work, Conner initiated the “Looking Beyond the First Impression” workshop in the spring of 2017. She has conducted this session at NYSNA area workshops, individual districts and at the 2017 NYSNA Annual Conference, reaching almost 500 NYSNA members to date. She is scheduled to present more of these programs in 2018.

Conner believes in leading by example, organizing wellness opportunities for staff to show that health should be important at any age. She touts the benefits of being an SNA member, recently receiving scholarship funds that supported her earning School Nutrition Specialist recognition. She is a strong advocate and example for anyone to further their education, also setting a positive example to youth by participating in the New York State Mentoring program.

Conner currently serves as the Membership Chair on the state association's board. As state membership champion, she has helped to increase the NYSNA membership by over 10 percent since last year.

“Ruth Conner exemplifies the strong work ethic and passion for school foodservice and nutrition education that make programs successful,” said SNA President Lynn Harvey, EdD, RDN, SNS. “Her commitment to SNA’s mission to provide healthy, nutritious meals to children is only strengthened by her advocacy for members across the state.”

The Manager of the Year Award is given in honor of Louise Sublette, a leader in school nutrition in her state and in the national School Nutrition Association. During her 43 years in the profession, Sublette worked in many areas of foodservice—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.

About School Nutrition Association:

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 57,000 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.