May 2015 – The IAB, the GAO and the End of Another School Year
Posted: May 14, 2015
A Message from Your Industry Representative,
It’s hard to believe we are winding down another year…and it has been a whirlwind year at that! I want to bring you up to speed on a few subjects.
In March, shortly after LAC, the Industry Advisory Board was asked to participate in a conference call interview with representatives from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). A very open and specific discussion took place, focusing on industry challenges with the NSLP. Your IAB was very vocal with its candor, touching on the wide variety of challenges that we all face. Their commentary will be provided to Congress, along with that of other groups that GAO interviewed in the form of a report that will be used to provide future guidance in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2015 process.
On another topic near and dear to all of us, there will be a Procurement Roundtable session on the ANC education schedule. This is the next step to the discussions we had during LAC. On a similar note, USDA’s National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) is rolling out new procurement training details at ANC. My understanding is that NFSMI should be embarking on regional trainings for SFAs very soon.
In closing, I look forward to seeing many of you at the multiple state conferences taking place this month and in June, and then celebrating the end of another school year and the beginning of a new one at ANC in Salt Lake City.
Thanks for all you do every day for the children of our country.
Sincerely,
Gary D. Vonck
KeyImpact Sales & Systems
SNA Industry Representative
Published in – Industry Insider: News from SchoolNutrition.org Vol. 13, No. 5 – May 14, 2015
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.