March 2016 – Legislative Action Conference Recap
Posted: March 6, 2016
A Message from Your Industry Representative,
The Legislative Action Conference (LAC) was amazing with great speakers and insights. 2016 is a critical year as we continue to build a path toward a sustainable future for our children. It was great seeing so many of you there!
As we heard at LAC, CNR may not occur this year due to all that is going on in Washington, D.C. on the Hill, including a new Administration after the election. It was encouraging to see the commitment on the part of the Senate and House staffers to getting CNR passed regardless of the turmoil.
The highlight for me, however, was the truly inspirational School Nutrition Foundation Hero Celebration. We are so blessed to be in a channel of business with so many selfless and caring individuals. Like all of you, I am always touched by their stories; how they looked at a need and rushed to it with love, compassion and a solution. I know you join me in thanking them for being so caring and showing the rest of us that it all starts by just taking that first step.
As we head into spring break and beyond, let’s remember to keep the procurement process top of mind. Remind your customers that bid specs need to be exact to the product they want. The quantities need to be reflective of their usage and need. And most importantly, they need to send all stakeholders the Bid Award information and notify their distributor 60 days in advance of their back to school order.
Thanks for all you do,
Gary D. Vonck
SNA Industry Representative
Published in – Industry Insider: News from SchoolNutrition.org – March, 2016
About the Author:
Gary Vonck
VP - Education Division
Gary Vonck has been with KeyImpact since 2007, adding to an impressive 40-year foodservice career. His knowledge and passion for child nutrition are unsurpassed. Gary oversees the Education Division, which includes sales, bid, and commodity teams across the entire nation.
Gary is an active member of the SNA and was the first and only broker/agency representative on the School Nutrition Association’s Industry Advisory Board, as the appointed Industry Representative, in 2008 and again 2014. Gary has also served on numerous SNA Task Forces and co-chaired several SNA events. Gary was also on the NSFMI national advisory council. In January 2013, Gary was awarded the Silver Friend of Child Nutrition FAME Award.
Gary Vonck is based in Illinois and can be reached at gvonck@kisales.com.