New Policy – Chapter Account Review (Page 49)
The National Board of Directors approved two new policies that apply to chapters that do not have leadership in place or if fraud is discovered in their Crowded account. These policies ensure accounts are secure and will help to reduce the possibility of fraud occurring for chapters that are inactive or accounts that may have been compromised. Please see the policies below:

• Account Activity: If suspicious activity/transactions appear on a chapter’s semi-annual bank statement via regular review by ANFP staff, staff will contact the chapter to clarify the transactions and request back-up documentation. Staff will regularly review the account while awaiting documentation and will cease review effective immediately upon receipt of appropriate documentation and reasonableness of the transaction. If documentation and a reasonable explanation cannot be provided, staff will regularly review the chapter’s account for the following 6 months to ensure no additional irregular activity occurs.
• Inactive Chapter Leadership: Should a chapter become inactive, whether through resignation of chapter leaders or communication has ceased by all chapter leaders and no replacements can be found, staff will review the chapter’s account on a monthly basis to ensure no fraudulent or suspicious activity occurs until a time when leadership becomes active once again.
  

New Policy – Multi-Year Venue Contracts (Page 61)
A policy that prohibits chapters from contracting multi-year contracts was approved by the National Board of Directors. This is to ensure that chapters can fulfill their future agreements and the incoming president and chapter leaders are able to determine the best course of action (along with the current president) for future events while in office.

• Policy: Chapters are not permitted to sign contracts that span more than one year from the date of signature or that include more than two events (i.e. Spring and Fall meeting), whether through one single contract or multiple contracts with the same venue for more than two events.
  

Update to Prior Approval
While the prior approval handbook is a separate document, a new policy was developed, which chapter leaders should be aware of. This policy states that the educational content presented at a chapter meeting must align with the scope of practice and endorsement or selling of a product or service as an educational session is prohibited. If necessary, CBDM staff may request additional information, and all presentations must utilize the approved slide deck that is currently available in the Prior Approvals toolkit on ANFPConnect in Volunteer Resources. This ensures the CDBM Prior Approval requirements are met and chapters are presenting educational sessions and not sales pitches or product endorsements.

• Policy: All sessions submitted for CBDM Prior Approval must provide substantive educational content aligned with the CBDM Scope of Practice to qualify for CE hours. Vendor representatives serving as speakers must present in an educational, non-promotional manner and may not market, sell, or endorse specific products or services during the session. All presentations must utilize the approved slide deck template available in the Prior Approval Toolkit & Meeting Resources. CBDM reserves the right, as part of its quality assurance process, to request additional documentation, including full slide decks, to ensure compliance with program standards.
  

If you have any questions about these policies, please contact Abigail Solazzo at asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champions:

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Last month ANFP members, exhibitors, sponsors, industry peers, and chapter leaders convened in Orlando for the 2026 Annual Conference & Expo (ACE). Like years before, this was a unique opportunity for all attendees to network with peers, enhance their professional skills and knowledge, learn about new products and services, and recognize and celebrate industry changemakers. Volunteers and chapter leaders were also able to attend exclusive events to earn CE as well as be recognized for their achievements and celebrate their hard work. Read below to learn more about what our attendees experienced at ACE 2026.

Chapter Best Practices – Chapter leaders had an opportunity to meet face-to-face with their peers and discuss success stories and share best practices. Rosemary Aho (MI ANFP), Scott Schuld (WI ANFP), Jean Siegel, (IL ANFP), and Ariel Womack (GA ANFP), along with moderator Jeff Wuolett (MN ANFP), discussed their success stories about increasing member engagement, partnering with vendors for meetings, and what to consider during venue selection to increase attendance. Attendees also had the opportunity to dive into deeper discussions during the roundtable portion of the session and shared their own best practices with the wider audience. Some of the key takeaways that came from the session include:

• Partnering with vendors, exhibitors, manufacturers’ groups, brokage houses, and state healthcare associations can be a mutually beneficial relationship in many ways.
• Meeting elements such as the type of facility your attendees want (i.e. family-friendly), as well as the format of the meeting for individuals that cannot attend in person (virtual options) should be taken into consideration.
  
• Chapters can educate members about product and service decision-making as well as administrators on the value of the credential and investing in their professional development.
  

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon – Volunteers and chapter leaders were treated to an exclusive luncheon and small tokens of appreciation for their hard work throughout the past year. Chapters were also presented with their annual awards for Communications, Government Affairs, Membership, and State Achievement. Additionally, our Diamond award nominees and finalists were recognized (see below). Congrats to all our award nominees, finalists, and winners, and thank you to all our volunteers for your hard work! (For a full list see our next issue of Edge.)

Diamond Award Nominee
Florida ANFP
Georgia ANFP
Idaho ANFP
Illinois ANFP
Iowa ANFP
Indiana ANFP
Kansas ANFP
MD, DE, DC ANFP
Minnesota ANFP
South Dakota ANFP
Texas ANFP
Wisconsin ANFP
Wyoming ANFP

Diamond Award Finalist
Georgia ANFP
Idaho ANFP
Illinois ANFP
Iowa ANFP
Kansas ANFP
Wisconsin ANFP

Honors Gala: Neon Nights – Attendees were decked out head-to-toe in their best and brightest neon attire for the annual Honors Gala. ACE award winners and the Diamond award-winning chapter (GA ANFP) were celebrated and recognized for their contributions and honored for their hard work and dedication to ANFP and the credential. Congrats to all our winners! Check out their acceptance speeches here. Learn about the accomplishments of our award winners in the next issue of Edge.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champions:

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Welcome to the Summer 2026 edition of ROOTS Roundup! In this newsletter you will read about what is happening at ANFP Headquarters, updates from Craig Brightup; ANFP’s Washington DC representative, and valuable information you can share with your state chapter and leaders.

Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA) was selected to receive ANFP’s Public Policy Leadership Award for 2026.   For several years Rep. Kiggans has saluted National CDM, CFPP Day in the Congressional Record based on her background as a geriatric nurse practitioner in Virgina long-term care facilities.

Prior to her tenure in Congress, Kiggans worked in the Virginia State Senate to advocate for patients, families, and caregivers in long-term care facilities, and she belongs to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Virginia Geriatrics Society, and American Nurses Association. View Kiggans’s remarks HERE.

A major milestone is on the horizon! This November, ANFP will celebrate National CDM, CFPP Day alongside the 10th anniversary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) formally recognizing the CDM, CFPP credential through federal regulations. This landmark recognition established the CDM, CFPP credential as the primary qualification for the Director of Food and Nutrition Services role in long-term care settings when a full-time dietitian is not employed, underscoring the vital contributions of Certified Dietary Managers, Certified Food Protection Professionals to the foodservice management profession.

To mark this special occasion, ANFP is planning exciting celebrations and opportunities to recognize the dedicated professionals who have helped shape the industry's success over the past decade. Stay tuned—you won't want to miss what's ahead!

Reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) remains a priority for the Jobs and Careers Coalition (JCC), of which ANFP is a member. A bipartisan reauthorization bill came close to passage in December 2024. On October 22, 2025, ANFP Washington Representative Craig Brightup met with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who expressed interest in making WIOA more user-friendly for organizations like ANFP. Foxx shared that WIOA reauthorization efforts are currently on hold pending additional input from the White House.

In the meantime, the current WIOA legislation remains in effect and continues to provide opportunities for individuals pursuing the CDM, CFPP credential through American Job Centers nationwide. Individuals who qualify for a WIOA voucher may select career training courses from a center’s Eligible Training Provider List.

ANFP-PAC is the association’s federally registered political action committee (PAC) which is funded by personal donations from ANFP members in order to make contributions to candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Based on its most recent report filed with the Federal Election Commission, ANFP-PAC has $10,455.52 cash-on-hand. ANFP-PAC’s goal is to have $10,000-$15,000 cash-on-hand for the 2026 election cycle. ANFP members can donate by clicking HERE.

Join Us! Chapter President & President Elect Training for incoming and current presidents and presidents-elect will take place on Wednesday, May 13, at 2:00 p.m. CT. Please click here to register for this session. We will discuss the responsibilities for these roles, and the next steps to get started and need-to-knows.

Join us! Leadership Happy Hour

Come chat with your fellow chapter leaders about any and all your chapter challenges, solutions, and experiences on Tuesday, June 2, at 2:00 p.m. CT. Click here to register for the call!

Support NFEF and ANFP Members!

The Nutrition & Foodservice Education Foundation (NFEF) is excited to host a raffle fundraiser during the Expo at ANFP’s Annual Conference & Expo this summer in Orlando, Florida!

We’re kicking off plans for this year’s main fundraising event and can’t wait to make it a huge success with your chapter’s support. This fundraiser plays a vital role in advancing the NFEF’s mission by generating critical funding for grants, research, and educational opportunities that support current and aspiring CDM, CFPPs, and the future of our profession.

All the details you need, including a donation form, are available here. We invite your chapter to consider supporting this event and helping us make it a success. Thank you for your continued commitment to the Foundation and for helping us make a lasting impact.

As chapters begin to gear up for the new volunteer year, there is a lot that needs to be done before June 1. Spring meetings are in the works, the first set of rebate requirements are coming down the pipeline, and new chapter leaders will be taking office in June. Training incoming chapter leaders is one of the keys to their success in their role. It ensures they understand chapter management, policies and procedures, and equips them with the tools they need to perform the work. There are additional benefits when volunteers are trained properly, including:

• Consistency and seamless transitions between officers as training clarifies roles and responsibilities.
• Increased retention among volunteers as it builds confidence and prepares volunteers for mentoring.
  
• Clear communication to ensure projects, tasks, and goals are achieved, and the chapter is compliant.
  

To help support your incoming officers or those who need refreshers, we are pleased to once again offer chapter training webinars throughout April and May.

The Annual Chapter Board Orientation will take place on Wednesday, April 29, at 2:00 PM CT. We will review chapter leadership roles, governing documents, rebates, and discuss next steps for new and returning chapter leaders. To register for this session, please click here. (Please forward this information to your incoming chapter leaders.)

Chapter Treasurers Training for our incoming and current chapter treasurers, please join us on Wednesday, May 6, at 2:00 PM CT. To register for this session, please click here. We will review the responsibilities of this role, the financial report, as well as Crowded.

Chapter President & President Elect Training for incoming and current president and presidents-elect will take place on Wednesday, May 13, at 2:00 PM CT. Please click here to register for this session. We will discuss the responsibilities for these roles, the next steps to get started, and need-to-knows.

BONUS TRAINING: Chapter Best Practices: Relationship Building for New Member Engagement will take place on Tuesday, April 21, at 2:00 PM CT. We will discuss relationship-building strategies to engage our new members and involve our current members in our engagement and retention initiatives. Click here to register. Participants attending the live session will receive 1.0 CE GEN.

Join Us! Leadership Happy Hour

Come chat with your fellow chapter leaders about any and all of your chapter challenges, solutions, and experiences on Tuesday, April 7, at 2:00 PM CT. To register for the call, please click here.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champions:

Michigan ANFP
Indiana ANFP
South Dakota ANFP
Iowa ANFP
Texas ANFP

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.