This month we are honoring Preeti Padmanabhan, CDM, CFPP of the Illinois (IL) ANFP Chapter.

Preeti began her volunteer career in 2021 as the chapter treasurer for the IL ANFP Chapter and continued for the next three years in this role. She is currently serving as the chapter president-elect. Her volunteer experience also extends to serving as a Hindi Language Teacher for the Chinmaya Mission Chicago for two years.

In her role as president-elect with the chapter, Preeti has made a lasting impact on the members as well as the chapter’s finances. She has ensured financial health of the chapter by keeping detailed records of the chapter’s finances which helped maintain stability and transparency, and implemented strategies to reduce spending, enabling the chapter to fund critical initiatives and events and maximize member benefits and chapter growth.

Through her meticulous financial management and improving the health of the chapter, Preeti has built trust and accountability with the IL ANFP members. Her attention to detail and commitment to transparency have strengthened the trust among board members and the broader chapter, enhancing the chapter’s overall reputation.

She has also had the opportunity to guide the chapter’s direction, implementing new ideas and initiatives that align with the evolving needs of members. Through her volunteer experience thus far she has been able to focus on increasing membership participation, fostering a sense of community, and developing programs that enhance professional growth. In her current position, she also plans to explore innovative approaches, such as new educational programs, partnerships, and networking opportunities for the chapter.

Preeti has her sights set on expanding the chapter's membership base by attracting a more diverse range of professionals, including younger members and those from different backgrounds, which can foster new perspectives and ideas. Acting as a mentor she’ll draw on her leadership experience to cultivate future leaders and inspire fellow members within the chapter as well.

Preeti plans to leverage technology to streamline chapter operations, such as virtual events, online networking, and digital resources, which could help increase member engagement and accessibility. She would also like to see the chapter increase the number and variety of educational programs, and leadership training opportunities that would help members stay current with industry trends and advance their careers.

Preeti also plans to develop partnerships with other healthcare and foodservice organizations to promote joint initiatives and broaden the networking opportunities for members. She also intends to strengthen advocacy efforts at both the state and national levels to raise awareness about how the critical role of nutrition and foodservice professionals in healthcare could enhance the profession’s visibility.

She sees these changes as a way to ensure the chapter remains relevant, innovative, and supportive of its members' growth while contributing to the overall mission of ANFP.

Thank you, Preeti for all you do for the IL ANFP Chapter! We are grateful for your dedication, passion, and hard work. Without volunteers like you, we would not be able to enhance the member experience and achieve our goals. Thank you!

We would like to feature you as our next Volunteer of the Month. To nominate yourself (or another volunteer) please email Abigail Solazzo at asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

ANFP Mobile App Demo

ANFP’s new mobile app was launched recently. To learn more about it and to download it, click here. We also hosted a webinar that demonstrated the functionality of the app. To view this webinar, click here. 

Celebrating National CDM, CFPP Day of the Year

National CDM, CFPP Day of the Year is held on November 28 and is a celebration of the impact that Certified Dietary Managers, Certified Food Protection Professionals have made in the foodservice management profession. ANFP began celebrating this day in 2023 as a way to recognize the date that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented regulatory language that includes the CDM, CFPP credential as the primary qualification for the Director of Food and Nutrition Services in the absence of a full-time dietitian in long-term care settings. Learn more about this day here. 

2025 NAFEM Show – Complimentary Attendance Opportunity

The NAFEM Show is taking place February 26-28, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta and NAFEM has generously offered complimentary registration for ANFP operator members for this event. If you wish to attend, please use the discount code 25ANFP when registering, which will be calculated on check-out as complimentary. This is good for anyone in the ANFP operator community wishing to attend, and there’s no expiration date – it’s good through Feb. 28, 2025. For more information or to register, click here. 

Additionally, for those who have not attended the show before, NAFEM offers a Hosted Operator Program that provides financial support to attend.
 
They generously provide:

• Travel stipend
• Four nights lodging
• Tickets to the specialty events (the Tuesday Kick-off Party and the Thursday NAFEM Party with headline entertainment)
• All-day VIP lounge with breakfast, lunch, refreshments, connectivity, quiet space, etc.

If you would like to learn more or apply for this opportunity, please click here.

Once you have completed the application, the Hosted Buyer Program Concierge will contact you to assist in making your arrangements. A limited number of opportunities are available, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible if you are a first-time attendee. Feel free to share these opportunities with your members as well. 

Submit Chapter Account Closing Statements/Documents by September 30 - PAST DUE

All chapters have an active Crowded account at this time. If you have not done so already, you will need to transfer your previous account(s) balance to the Crowded account as soon as possible. To transfer your previous account balance into the Crowded account, please click here to follow the instructions.

Following the transfer or if you have done so already, all chapters will need to provide account closure documents. Depending on your bank, you may have been provided with a closing statement that shows the transfers of funds and the zero balance for each account. You may have also been provided with documentation stating the account(s) has been closed. If you have these documents, please send them to finance@ANFPonline.org as soon as possible.

For those chapters that have not yet closed the account or have not been provided with this documentation, we ask that you please request this from your bank. The closing statement and document should include:

• The final balance prior to transferring the funds and the zero balance
• Confirmation the account has been closed
• Date account was closed

We are on the verge of a busy fall season with many chapter meetings taking place. Chapter leaders have spent the last few months planning, prepping, and promoting their meetings. We know firsthand the time, effort, and dedication that goes into these events (and we are very appreciative!). To provide additional support for our chapter leaders, ANFP is happy to offer Marketing Services that will help ease the burden of creating marketing materials and collateral for your next chapter meeting. In addition to meeting marketing materials, there are other services available upon request.

Promotional Fliers – If you’re looking to grab the attention of prospective attendees or members at your next healthcare show or career day at the local community college, request a promotional flier from our marketing team to help get you started with a template that can be edited to fit your needs.

PowerPoint & Newsletter Templates – If you’re looking for a change in your chapter newsletter format/design, or perhaps need a PowerPoint template for your next meeting, the ANFP marketing team has created templates for both, which chapters can choose from and can edit if they so desire or use as is.

Merchandise Giveaway Request – Chapters that wish to produce merchandise as giveaways (merchandise cannot be sold per the affiliate agreement) can request assistance with the logos/images they’d like printed on the merchandise. Marketing can help with the sizing and color and ensure the branding standards are met for production.

Other Services – In addition to the above services, we can also provide assistance with surveys (membership satisfaction and volunteer recruitment) and other graphics/images for pull-up banners and social media profiles/banners.

Bonus: Chapter leaders may also wish to create their own marketing and promotional materials and can do so with the suggested tools included in Tools to Help Manage You Chapter.

(Please note, Marketing Services may deny the request dependent on the scope of the project and time required to complete the request.)

To learn more about the required information necessary to complete the request, and complete the form for a marketing service, please click here.

This month we are honoring Tammie Shroll, CDM, CFPP of the Oklahoma (OK) ANFP Chapter.

Tammie joined ANFP in 1997 and started her volunteer career in 2016 as the chapter treasurer-elect. Following her terms as treasurer-elect and treasurer, she moved into the role of president-elect, then president, where she has served for two years. She is currently serving as the immediate past president as well as a member on the Chapter Leadership Team.

In addition to her volunteer roles with OK ANFP, Tammie has also served as the volunteer food coordinator with the Oklahoma Sooners Homeless Veterans Stand Down for 18 years, and the Lawton Fort Sill Homeless Veterans Stand Down for the last nine years, where she also served on the peer review group that inspected facility kitchens. She also served as the chairperson of a nonprofit organization, “Home at Last” that repairs homes for our country’s veterans and their families.

Having held various positions with the chapter for several years, the OK ANFP members have gotten to know Tammie well, and often come to her with their questions and concerns. She is a consistent resource to the membership and is viewed as a trusted advisor to board members.

Looking ahead, Tammie would like to see more engagement from the membership and more members getting involved as volunteers to continue to grow and build a better chapter.  

Tammie, thank you for your steadfast dedication and time you have devoted to the chapter and its members! Volunteers like you are why our chapters are one of the great benefits of an ANFP membership. Thank you!

We would like to feature you as our next Volunteer of the Month. To nominate yourself (or another volunteer) please email Abigail Solazzo at asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

ANFP Mobile App Demo

ANFP’s new mobile app was launched last month. To learn more about it and to download it, click here. We also hosted a webinar that demonstrates the functionality of the app. To view this webinar, click here.

Celebrating National CDM, CFPP Day of the Year

National CDM, CFPP Day of the Year is held on November 28 and is a celebration of the impact that Certified Dietary Managers, Certified Food Protection Professionals have made in the foodservice management profession. ANFP began celebrating this day in 2023 as a way to recognize the date that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented regulatory language that includes the CDM, CFPP credential as the primary qualification for the Director of Food and Nutrition Services in the absence of a full-time dietitian in long-term care settings.

Learn more here. 

2025 NAFEM Show – Complimentary Attendance Opportunity

The NAFEM Show is taking place February 26-28, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta and NAFEM has generously offered complimentary registration for ANFP operator members for this event.  If you wish to attend, please use the discount code 25ANFP when registering, which will be calculate on check-out as complimentary. This is good for anyone in the ANFP operator community wishing to attend, and there’s no expiration date – it’s good through Feb. 28, 2025.  For more information or to register, click here. 

Additionally, for those  have not attended the show before, NAFEM offers a Hosted Operator Program that provides financial support to attend.

They generously provide:

• Travel stipend
• Four nights lodging
• Tickets to the specialty events (the Tuesday Kick-off Party and the Thursday NAFEM Party with headline entertainment)
• All-day VIP lounge with breakfast, lunch, refreshments, connectivity, quiet space, etc.

If you would like to learn more or apply for this opportunity, click here.

Once you have completed the application, the Hosted Buyer Program Concierge will contact you to assist in making your arrangements. A limited number of opportunities are available, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible if you are a first-time attendee. Feel free to share these opportunities with your members as well.

Chapter Rebate Requirements - PAST DUE

Below are the rebate requirements which are now past due. Thank you to those who have submitted the requirements. For chapters that have not yet met the requirements to be eligible for the first rebate installment, documents should be submitted as soon as possible either through the chapter portal or sent to chapters@ANFPonline.org.

• Submit bank statement for the month of April to ANFP Headquarters – Past due
• Officers entered in Chapter Portal for future volunteer year (Officers must be entered each year regardless of length of term.) – Past due
• Updated - Submit updated financial reporting template by July each year to ANFP Headquarters - Past due
• Upcoming Meeting Dates - Past due
• 990 filed and E-receipt submitted - Past due
• Affiliate Agreement – Past due

Submit Chapter Account Closing Statements/Documents by September 30

All chapters have an active Crowded account at this time. If you have not done so already, you will need to transfer your previous account(s) balance to the Crowded account as soon as possible. To transfer your previous account balance into the Crowded account, please click here to follow the instructions.

Following the transfer or if you have done so already, all chapters will need to provide account closure documents. Depending on your bank, you may have been provided with a closing statement that shows the transfers of funds and the zero balance for each account. You may have also been provided with documentation stating the account(s) has been closed. If you have these documents, please send them to finance@ANFPonline.org as soon as possible.

For those chapters that have not yet closed the account or have not been provided with this documentation, we ask that you please request this from your bank. The closing statement and document should include:

• The final balance prior to transferring the funds and the zero balance
• Confirmation the account has been closed
• Date account was closed

Chapters will need to submit this documentation no later than Monday, September 30. Should chapters not submit these documents, the second rebate installment (January 2025) will be withheld.

PAC Donations – New Way to Donate!

ANFP PAC is now taking donations via the new online platform. Members of ANFP will need to click on the following page and use the donate button or ANFP can provide a QR code for your chapter meetings.

The online form will collect all the required information needed for FEC reporting as donation forms are no longer needed. This will eliminate the responsibility of chapter volunteers from collecting forms, cash, and checks, and mailing them to us.  

The updated PAC donation policy can be found here.

Celebrate Diversity & Inclusion

ANFP is celebrating and recognizing holidays/observances and month-long celebrations throughout the year. To learn more about these observances, please visit our Facebook page, DEI webpage, and check out eNews, which will include links to our toolkits and other resources as well as other significant holidays. This month, ANFP proudly recognizes:

Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15-October 15

September 21 - International Day of Peace

The last month of summer has officially begun while the changes for chapters continue. Most of our chapters have been fully onboarded with the new banking platform and have embraced this change and hit the ground running. Another significant change for chapters is the introduction of the new policies and procedures approved by the ANFP Board of Directors in June. The new chapter policies and procedures were introduced last month which chapter leaders are currently reviewing for adoption in the Fall pending ANFP Board of Directors approval. To understand more about this change, the benefits, and the next steps chapter leaders will need to take, continue reading.

Why the change and what are the benefits? The new policies and procedures will improve the governance practices of our chapters and clarify many discrepancies that some of our chapters were faced with such as reimbursement policies, chapter leader succession, officer vacancies, and qualifications. These policies are more closely aligned with Nationals that will also support volunteerism for the entire organization. Additionally, the new policies will reduce liability for chapter officers and protect chapters’ funds but still allow for flexibility by providing optional chapter policies and procedures to ensure chapters have what they need in place to operate efficiently.

What are the next Steps?

• Chapter leaders should have begun to read through the entire document to understand the policies and procedures. Please reach out to chapters@ANFPonline.org with any questions.
• Chapter leaders will then need to note any policies that are not included in the document but are necessary to the function of their specific chapter. These may be policies related to additional chapter leader roles, reimbursement, committees, etc.
• Chapter leaders will need to gather the policies necessary to their chapter, but not included in the original document, along with the rationale for each one and how they are relevant to your chapters’ operations, and submit them to chapters@ANFPonline.org by August 31.
• Submitted policies will be reviewed by the Chapters Insight & Data Task Force and select policies will be presented to the Board for their approval.
• Approved policies will be added to the addendum of the new document and chapters will select the policies that apply to their chapter.
• The new policies and procedures will be adopted by chapters (estimated for Fall 2024).

To learn more about the specific changes to the policies and procedures, please view our informational webinar.

This month we are honoring Amanda Baron, RD, CDM, CFPP, of the Arizona (AZ) ANFP Chapter.

Amanda joined ANFP in August of 2022 after successfully passing the CDM, CFPP credentialing exam. Amanda’s unique path to volunteer leadership started at the national level in June 2023. She started on the Awards & Recognition Committee and is currently a member. She is also serving as an active member on the Program Review and Marketing & Communications Committees. Having gained experience as a volunteer, Amanda has begun to get involved at the chapter level and recently stepped into her role as treasurer with the AZ ANFP Chapter.

As a volunteer both at the national and chapter level, her biggest impact has been being present and engaged at committee and board meetings demonstrating her commitment to the chapter and the organization. While the chapter is still rebuilding their foundation, Amanda’s support, participation, and enthusiasm are helping to push the chapter forward and make it successful once again.

As for the future of the chapter, Amanda would like to see the AZ Chapter become a leader in education for members with regular meetings and events to support CDM, CFPPs in Arizona. As a Registered Dietitian and a CDM, CFPP, she understands that obtaining and holding a credential takes time and effort, and the more support we can provide, the easier it is for our members to maintain the credential and appreciate the value. She also hopes to see the AZ Chapter recruit more members and increase the number of CDM, CFPPs within the state.    

Thank you, Amanda, for your enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work for our members! Because of volunteers like you, we are able to accomplish our goals and move the industry forward. Thank you!

We would like to feature you as our next Volunteer of the Month. To nominate yourself (or another volunteer) please email Abigail Solazzo at asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

ANFP is celebrating and recognizing holidays/observances and month-long celebrations throughout the year. To learn more about these observances, please visit our Facebook page, DEI webpage, and check out eNews, which will include links to our toolkits and other resources as well as other significant holidays. This month ANFP proudly recognizes:

National Civility Month: August 1-31

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People: August 9

2025 NAFEM Show - Complimentary Attendance Opportunity

The NAFEM Show is taking place February 26-28, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta and NAFEM has generously offered complimentary registration for ANFP operator members for this event. If you wish to attend, please use the discount code 25ANFP when registering, which will be calculated on check-out as complimentary. This is good for anyone in the ANFP operator community wishing to attend, and there’s no expiration date – it’s good through Feb. 28, 2025. For more information or to register, click here. 

Additionally, for those who have not attended the show before, NAFEM offers a Hosted Operator Program that provides financial support to attend.

They generously provide:

• Travel stipend
• Four nights lodging
• Tickets to the specialty events (the Tuesday Kick-off Party and the Thursday NAFEM Party with headline entertainment)
• All-day VIP lounge with breakfast, lunch, refreshments, connectivity, quiet space, etc.

If you would like to learn more or apply for this opportunity, click here.

Chapter Rebate Requirements

Below are the rebate requirements. Documents should be submitted as soon as possible either through the chapter portal or sent to chapters@ANFPonline.org.

• Submit bank statement for the month of April to ANFP Headquarters – Due May 31
• Officers entered in the Chapter Portal for the future volunteer year (Officers must be entered each year regardless of length of term.) – Due June 1
• Updated - Submit updated financial reporting template by July each year to ANFP Headquarters - Due July 15
• Upcoming Meeting Dates - Due July 15
• 990 filed and E-receipt submitted - Due July 15
• Affiliate Agreement – Due June 15 

PAC Donations – New Way to Donate!

ANFP PAC is now taking donations via the new online platform. Members of ANFP will need to click on the following page and use the donate button or ANFP can provide a QR code for your chapter meetings.

The online form will collect all the required information needed for FEC reporting as donation forms are no longer needed. This will eliminate the responsibility of chapter volunteers from collecting forms, cash, and checks and mailing them to us.  

The updated PAC donation policy can be found here.

ANFP is celebrating and recognizing holidays/observances and month-long celebrations throughout the year. To learn more about these observances, please visit our Facebook page, DEI webpage, and check out eNews, which will include links to our toolkits and other resources as well as other significant holidays. This month ANFP proudly recognizes:

Disability Pride Month - July 1-31

July 24: International Self-Care Day

Chapter Rebate Requirements

Below are the upcoming rebate requirements. Documents can be submitted either through the chapter portal or sent to chapters@ANFPonline.org.

• Submit bank statement for the month of April to ANFP Headquarters – Due May 3
• Officers entered in Chapter Portal for future volunteer year (Officers must be entered each year regardless of length of term.) – Due June 1
• Updated - Submit updated financial reporting template by July each year to ANFP Headquarters - Due July 15
• Upcoming Meeting Dates - Due July 15
• 990 filed and E-receipt submitted - Due July 15
• Affiliate Agreement – Due June 15

PAC Donations – New Way to Donate!

ANFP PAC is now taking donations via the new online platform. Members of ANFP will need to click on the following page and use the donate button. Or ANFP can provide a QR code for your chapter meetings.

The online form will collect all the required information needed for FEC reporting as donation forms are no longer needed. This will eliminate the responsibility of chapter volunteers from collecting forms, cash, and checks and mailing to us.  

This month we are honoring Ben McCullough, CDM, CFPP, of the Iowa (IA) ANFP Chapter.

Ben first joined ANFP in 2000 and began his volunteer career in 2002 at the chapter level.  During his time as a chapter leader, he served in many different roles, including treasurer, president-elect, president, and program chair. Additionally, Ben has served at the national level on the Chapter Leadership Team for four years as well as the Awards & Recognition Committee for six years, two of those years as the Chair.

Having dedicated many years to the IA ANFP chapter, Ben has become well-known and been a consistent figure within the chapter among members as well as his fellow chapter leaders. He has helped members along their journey and supported the growth of their careers. In addition to his responsibilities for his various chapter leader roles, Ben has also been able to assist whenever he is needed and has done so graciously.

As for the future of IA ANFP, Ben would like to see the CDM, CFPP recognized at both the state and national level as well as continuous growth of the ANFP membership throughout the country.  

Thank you, Ben, for your hard work, dedication, and support of ANFP and our members! Our organization has made many strides and continues to grow because of hard-working volunteers like you. Thank you!

We would like to feature you as our next Volunteer of the Month. To nominate yourself (or another volunteer) please email Abigail Solazzo at asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

Our 2024-2025 volunteer year is off to a great start! Many chapters have installed new officers, fall meeting dates are being announced, and we have begun onboarding chapters to the new banking platform (Crowded). We also had another successful ACE take place June 10-13 in Reno, NV. ACE brought many members, vendors, and industry colleagues together to learn about employee recruitment, networking, DEI, mental health, and other industry challenges (and solutions). Chapter leaders were presented additional opportunities to network with colleagues, learn new chapter best practices, and celebrate their successes as well. Read more about the highlights from 2024 ACE below.

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon – We kicked off ACE with our annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Volunteers networked over lunch and received small tokens of appreciation. Outgoing board members (ANFP, CBDM & NFEF) were recognized for their hard work and chapters were awarded their annual chapter awards, including our Diamond Award nominees (Florida ANFP, Georgia ANFP, Illinois ANFP, Indiana ANFP, Iowa ANFP, Kansas ANFP, Maryland, DE, DC ANFP, Minnesota ANFP, South Dakota ANFP, Texas ANFP, Wisconsin ANFP, Wyoming ANFP). Congratulations to all our chapters! (For a full list of chapter awards, see our next issue of Edge magazine.)

Chapter Best Practices – Chapter leaders joined our group of panelists for an early morning discussion about using membership satisfaction surveys to improve member engagement and satisfaction. The panel explained how they used surveys to gain a better understanding of members needs, how to better serve our members, and how they applied the data from surveys to chapter management. Thank you to our panelists, Tracy Cotner – IL ANFP President, Scott Schuld – WI ANFP President, Mel Kern – WI Newsletter Editor, Jean Siegel – IL ANFP President-elect, Jessica Weisbrich – MN ANFP President, and Jeff Wuolett – MN ANFP President-elect, for sharing their experiences and best practices.

Crowded Q & A – Chapter leaders were also able ask questions during our session dedicated to the new banking platform, Crowded. Additionally, Maggie Rowlands of the IN ANFP chapter was able to demo the functionality via the Crowded app and answer many of the questions as the chapter has been using the platform exclusively since February.

Diamonds and Denim at the Honors Gala – Attendees were dressed in their best denim and diamonds and treated to a fun night of dinner, dancing, and awards. ACE award recipients were honored during the gala for their achievements and contributions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. Additionally, the IA ANFP chapter was awarded the coveted Diamond award. To view our award recipients’ profile videos, go to ANFPtv and read more about them in our next issue of Edge magazine. Congratulations to all our winners!