Franklin Special School District Nutrition Manager Wins Award

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) has named Chantal Parker, Food and Culinary Services Manager for Moore Elementary School in Franklin Special School District, Franklin, Tennessee, the Southeast region 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.

Chantal Parker promotes teamwork, friendliness and creativity in her kitchen environment despite all of the hard work it takes to produce healthy school meals. The kitchen is decorated for birthdays and special occasions, creating a fun space for the team to work in. Parker regularly interacts with students as they come through the serving lines, asking about their favorite foods and what they'd like offered. By requesting and responding to student feedback, she gives students a sense of ownership of the menu.

School breakfast is proven to support academic achievement, and Parker’s efforts have been credited with increasing breakfast participation at Moore Elementary. Her promotional activities, personal invitations to breakfast, creative menu options, and the fun and inclusive environment she creates encourage everyone to start their day with a healthy school breakfast.

Parker makes a point of meeting parents by attending “Meet the Teachers” nights and sharing information about the nutrition program. She often represents the nutrition department at staff meetings to share what is new in the cafeteria. She holds her staff to very high standards of cleanliness, organization and food safety and is always willing to share her knowledge, serving as a mentor to new managers. Parker has undergone extensive child nutrition training and shares her learnings on everything from reducing sodium in seasoning to proper knife skills. When catering school district functions, she goes above and beyond to highlight the culinary skills the staff possesses.

“Chantal Parker’s dedication to school nutrition is evident in how she runs her kitchen and treats colleagues. Her management skills have led to team successes, which positively impact the students they serve,” said SNA President Lori Adkins, MS, SNS, CHE.

Parker has taken it upon herself to encourage nutrition managers and assistant managers in the district to expand their skills by earning SNA certificates. Through her efforts, the district has implemented pay bonuses for each SNA certificate achieved. She attends leadership and culinary training and has been selected to attend the National Leadership Conference as a state representative.

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.

Parker was announced as the Southeast region Manager of the Year during an online awards ceremony on May 2 in advance of School Lunch Hero Day, celebrated on May 5, 2023, to honor all of America’s dedicated school nutrition professionals. The accomplishments of Parker and all SNA award winners will also be highlighted in a special publication and promoted in SNA's annual Hero Day social media campaign on Facebook.com/TrayTalk and TrayTalk.org.

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.