Join SNA for the 43rd Legislative Action Conference March 1-4, 2015

The premier legislative event of the year is just around the corner—will you be in Washington, D.C. with us? Join the School Nutrition Foundation for the Legislative Action Conference next month to help us shape and define national school nutrition policies.

LAC is an incredible opportunity for school nutrition professionals to make their voices heard. Here are a few highlights we’ve picked out from the schedule:

Saturday, February 28

Although Saturday is the day before the conference, attendees can check in, register, and visit the SNA PAC booth; additionally, there will be a three-hour pre-conference session entitled “How to Successfully Lobby Lawmakers and Federal Agencies”—great for first time attendees!

Sunday, March 1

On Sunday, participants are invited to attend their Regional Legislative Meetings from 8:30-9:30 a.m., until breakout sessions begin at 9:45 a.m. There are two, hour-long breakout sessions on Sunday. Choose from the following:

• At 9:45 a.m. the following breakout sessions are available: “Building a Financially Sustainable School Meal Program,” “LAC First Timers,” “State Agency Section Meeting, Part One,” and “Industry Exchange, Part One.”
• At 11 a.m. the following breakout sessions are available: “Opening New Revenue Streams: Bolding Going Beyond NSLP,” “Tips and Techniques to Increase Paid Meal Participation,” “State Agency Meeting Part Two,” and “Industry Exchange Part Two.”

The keynote luncheon speaker will be the one-and-only Dr. Larry J. Sabato. Perhaps best known for his website, Sabato’s Crystal Ball that provides free political analysis and (incredibly accurate) electoral projections, Sabato is the founder of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Monday, March 2

Join us bright and early on Monday, March 2, for the first General Session where we will get a 2015 USDA Update; after a short break, the second General Session will cover the 2015 SNA Position Paper. The afternoon features a third and final General Session for the day—a Capitol Hill Primer to prep members for the next day’s Charge to the Hill.

Make sure you take a cat nap after the State Group-Capitol Hill Prep meetings and join us at 7 p.m. for the SNF Celebration of Heroes; read about last year’s winners, and don’t forget to buy your ticket for this year’s celebration—support your fellow school nutrition professionals!

Tuesday, March 3 & Wednesday, March 4

Alright everyone, let’s take Capitol Hill by storm! Hill visits begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, and run all day, through 5 p.m. There will also be a Capitol Hill reception following the visits, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Finally, we hope to see you Wednesday, March 4, for our Breakfast and Closing General Session, “Connecting YOU with School Nutrition Solutions.” During this final session we will hear from experts in the fields of fiscal solutions, marketing, nutrition education, and farm-to-school to share ideas and solutions on meeting standards and preparing for the future. We want you to share your own stories, successes, and solutions with your peers.

To learn more about the impact LAC can have, check out our piece with Dr. Josephine Martin and Sandi Walters on the impact school nutrition professionals can make in shaping public policy.