To help the judges evaluate candidates for this award, please respond to the questions in this application. All information provided must be accurate, and the industry member must be employed by a company engaged in providing services and/or sales to the school nutrition industry. The industry member must have been an active member of SNA at the national level and the state level for the past three (3) consecutive years and an active member of both organizations at the time of nomination and award. Only information regarding accomplishments as an industry member will be considered. Self-nominations are accepted. 

If you are submitting a nomination on behalf of another member, we recommend clicking the Manage Collaborators button (below this field) to add your nominee to the form. 

• Your collaborators will receive an automated email that contains a link to the additional form. They will be prompted to sign in to their Submittable account (or create one if necessary). They can also return to the form later.
• A pending invitation means that the collaborator has not yet accessed the additional form.
• If your collaborators are not receiving the invitation, be sure you have the correct email address, and ask them to safelist Submittable's notification email address and check their spam folders.
• Only the original nominator can submit the form and submitters will receive a notification. Submitters and collaborators must communicate about progress outside of the platform, except for the one-way message that the submitter can send through the Manage Collaborators tool. Click here to learn more about the collaborate feature. 

What is the Future Leaders Program?  The SNA Future Leaders Program provides an in-depth leadership experience for future leaders of the School Nutrition Association at SNA’s 2026 National Leadership Conference.  

What are the benefits of participating?  Future Leaders are given the opportunity to network with other emerging leaders from across the country, hone their leadership and communication skills, and learn from seasoned SNA leaders and association executives in an interactive learning environment. The cohort will participate in a psychometric assessment to better understand themselves, understand others, and make the most of the relationships that affect them in the workplace.  

Who can be nominated?  Each state affiliate may nominate one individual to this program. We encourage state affiliates to take a variety of attributes and the diversity of their membership into account when considering individuals who could be nominated. Nominations will be accepted on a first-come basis and will stay open until the program is full or until the cutoff date of February 27. Nominees MUST be current SNA members who hold, or aspire to, the SNA Certificate or SNS Credential. We will accept names for a waiting list in the event some states choose not to send someone.  

Nominees should exhibit the following traits:    

• Strong association leadership potential and support of state association/SNA initiatives    
• Demonstrated interest in further developing association leadership abilities      
• Committed to lifelong learning    
• Dedicated to a career in school nutrition   

The program is designed for members with leadership potential who are thinking about pursuing leadership opportunities. Individuals who are currently serving on a state board or have formerly held a state board position will not be considered for the program.    

How can a Future Leader be nominated? To nominate a Future Leader, state association leaders must submit:   

• SNA Future Leaders Program Nomination Form (due to SNA by February 27, 2026)     
• NLC Registration Form and Fee (due to SNA by the NLC 2026 Registration Deadline- preferably by the 2026 NLC Early Bird Registration Deadline)  

How much will it cost? The early bird registration fee for the SNA Future Leaders Program is $610 and includes the cost of the DiSC assessment as well as the registration fee for both the Future Leaders Program and the National Leadership Conference. The registration fee, transportation, and accommodation costs are the responsibility of the state association.