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The 55nd AKSNA Conference will be held 24 – 26 January 2023 in Anchorage, Alaska with preconference sessions on 23 January.
Conference Schedule
Last updated: 11 January 2023
Monday, 23 January – Preconference
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. | ServSafe Manager Certification Course and Exam Alder and Cottonwood Room Lori Adkins, SNA President (Lunch provided) The ServSafe course helps prepare you for the ServSafe Manager Certification exam. Training covers these concepts: the importance of food safety; good personal hygiene; time and temperature control; preventing cross-contamination; cleaning and sanitizing; safe food preparation; receiving and storing food; methods of thawing, cooking, cooling, and reheating food; HACCP, and more. This certification is required by the State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation and the USDA as a basic credential for school nutrition staff. |
| 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | LEAd to Succeed: Personal Development Spruce and Willow Room Sandy Voss, Arlington Heights School District 25 All leaders need to know how to build a cohesive and compelling narrative that is persuasive, as well as one that allows for feedback and innovation—both of which are critical to any collaborative process. In this four-hour training, participants will explore tools to help them more effectively communicate and collaborate. They will learn how to sharpen their skills of persuasion by employing evidence and strategies on moving an audience from one point to the next, gaining trust and buy-in through the presentation of a cohesive narrative. |
| 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | SNS Credential Exam Fir Room Trevor Bridgewater, SNS, AKSNA President All leaders need to know how to build a cohesive and compelling narrative that is persuasive, as well as one that allows for feedback and innovation—both of which are critical to any collaborative process. In this four-hour training, participants will explore tools to help them more effectively communicate and collaborate. They will learn how to sharpen their skills of persuasion by employing evidence and strategies on moving an audience from one point to the next, gaining trust and buy-in through the presentation of a cohesive narrative. |
Tuesday, 24 January
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:45 a.m. | Registration Opens Birch Room |
| 9:00 a.m. | Opening Remarks and Introductions Birch Room Gavin M. Northey, MBA, SNS, AKSNA President-elect and Treasurer |
| 9:15 a.m. | Procurement Training Birch Room Barry Sackin Day 1 will provide a comprehensive review of procurement law and real world examples |
| 11:30 a.m. | Alaska School Nutrition Association Annual Business Meeting Birch Room Trevor Bridgewater, SNS, AKSNA President (Lunch Provided) |
| 1:00 p.m. | SNA Update Birch Room Lori Adkins, SNA President Learn what’s new at School Nutrition Association and how they are working to support members and child nutrition across the country |
| 1:30 p.m. | State Agency Update Birch Room Sue Lampert, Alaska Child Nutrition Programs Acting Program Manager and USDA Foods Coordinator Updates from Alaska Child Nutrition Programs |
| 2:15 p.m. | Lead to Succeed: How do you bring value to the workplace? Birch Room Sandy Voss, Arlington Heights School District 25 Establishing who someone is and the value they bring to an organization are key components of communication in the workplace. In this one-hour training, participants will explore frameworks and tools they can employ to be more effective at communicating who they are and the value they bring to their organization. Participants will take a “deep dive” into the skills they need to assess and understand their audience, and how to develop an effective introduction for a specific audience. |
| 3:15 p.m. | Break |
| 3:30 p.m. | Keynote: I Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ for my Journey Now! Birch Room DeWayne Rawls After the meals have been served, the kitchen has been cleaned, the production records are complete, and our legs have just enough strength left to carry us home, it can be easy to lose sight of the reason we are all here. As child nutrition professionals, we are part of something bigger than ourselves, we are more than just the meals we serve! It is up to us to set the tone and to be an example for the kids we serve and the people we work with. Come and go with me, as I take you on a journey through an accidental long-term career in school food service and learn how one five-year-old little girl broke my heart, shaped my future, and catapulted my life in a whole new direction. |
| 4:30 p.m. | Closing and Dismissal |
Wednesday, 25 January
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:45 a.m. | Registration Opens |
| 9:00 a.m. | Procurement Training Birch Room Barry Sackin Procurement Dos and Don’ts, Ten Steps to a Good Procurement |
| 9:00 a.m. | LEAd to Succeed: Navigating Difficult Conversations Alder and Cottonwood Room NOTE: This is a 3-hour session Sandy Voss, Arlington Heights School District 25 Effective dialogue is one of the single most important skills for today’s leaders. Whether confronting a team member who is not keeping commitments, critiquing a colleague’s work, or simply telling someone “No,” critical conversations are often avoided or handled in clumsy ways. The role of communication is to provide the right type of communication at the right time to the right audience. This three-hour LEAD to Succeed™ training details the key communications skills, approaches, and tools needed to inform, educate, and drive relevant opinions and behaviors. Participants will learn about the theory underpinning these conversations, diagram their structure, and learn specific strategies to successfully approach difficult conversations. |
| 11:00 a.m. | Break |
| 11:15 a.m. | Managing Food Allergens in Your School Nutrition Program Birch Room DeWayne Rawls During this course, attendees will learn how to effectively manage dietary restrictions and student allergens. This session offers the opportunity for open discussion in regard to best practices and what others are doing to ensure USDA compliance in their respective district’s school nutrition operations |
| 12:15 p.m. | Lunch on Your Own |
| 1:45 p.m. | Recipe Brainstorming and Collaboration Alder and Cottonwood Room Tiffany Kurani, Anchorage School District Come enjoy a sit down with other School Nutrition professionals concerning some of the limitations facing Alaskan School when we try to implement new recipe and menu ideas. Please come to ask questions and share success stories regarding recipe and menu options with fellow Alaskans. |
| 1:45 p.m. | Legislative Priorities “Speed Dating” Discussion Groups Aspen Room Rachel Spencer, AKSNA Public Policy & Legislation Committee Chair During this session, AKSNA members will discuss public policy and legislative priorities and provide input that will guide what priorities are presented to Alaska’s members of Congress during SNA’s Legislative Action Conference |
| 2:45 p.m. | Break |
| 3:00 p.m. | Creating an Inclusive Work Environment Lori Adkins, SNA President This session covers how to create a more inclusive environment in our kitchens |
| 4:00 p.m. | Closing and Dismissal |
| 6:00 p.m. | AKSNA Banquet at Main Event Catering |
Thursday, 26 January
Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Field Trips Port of Anchorage or US Foods Warehouse Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Those who have registered to attend will receive information via email. |
| 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Vendor Show – Egan Center A chance to check out new products and equipment for your nutrition program. Sample the USDA Processed Foods end products that are being offered for SY20-21 |
| 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Shuttle Schedule 8:45 a.m. Pick-up at Residence Inn for Port of Alaska Tour 9:00 a.m. Pick-up at Egan Center for Port of Alaska Tour 9:15 a.m. Arrive at Port of Alaska 10:15 a.m. Depart Port of Alaska 10:30 a.m. Drop-off at Egan Center 10:45 a.m. Pick-up at Residence Inn 11:00 a.m. Drop-off at Egan Center 11:15 a.m. Pick-up at Residence Inn 11:30 a.m. Drop-off at Egan Center 2:05 p.m. Pick-up at Egan Center 2:20 p.m. Drop-off at Residence Inn |
Schedules are subject to change