Chapter meetings are back in full swing this month with fifteen meetings taking place in April alone and more to follow in May. In person meetings present many opportunities for our members; networking, professional development, and chance to provide feedback.  Not only can members provide feedback in a formal evaluation, but also through our conversations we have during coffee breaks, at dinner or during happy hour. While these may be anecdotal in nature, it can still be useful information. The feedback itself is important, but what we do with this information is equally important. So how can we act upon it? In our next Chapter Best Practices session, we will discuss how we can leverage this information and data to better meet the needs of our members. We’ll start by discussing the survey results from the membership survey that was distributed to members last fall. Here are some highlights we will cover.

Reasons Why Members Have Not Attended Chapter Meetings – Learn about the obstacles or challenges our members face that make it difficult to attend chapter meetings and how we can better support them to be able to do so.

Greatest Benefit of Attending Chapter Meetings – We know there are multiple benefits of attending live meetings, so what drives our members to attend and how can we hone in on this and entice those who don’t regularly attend meetings.

Chapter Leadership Satisfaction – We’ll discuss the overall satisfaction of chapter leadership. This is a great opportunity to share our best practices and learn from one another about the challenges we are facing and how to overcome them.

Along with the member survey data, we’ll discuss how chapters can use their own data to further engage members and build their succession plans during the Chapter Best Practices webinar on Wednesday, April 26 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

To register for this session, please click on the following link.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMoc-CorTMoEtfbPXWSBot2Pw8KJqGMkdtb

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. All participants will receive 1.0 CE for attending the live session.

This month we are honoring Matt Schlagel, CDM, CFPP of the Kansas (KS) ANFP Chapter.

Matt first joined ANFP shortly after he retired from the Army in November of 2010 and was hired to be the CDM, CFPP for his local hospital. Matt began volunteering as a pre-professional and also attended KS ANFP chapter meetings during this time. 

Since beginning his volunteer career with ANFP, Matt has served as district secretary and treasurer, as well as State Secretary and President. He has recently changed positions within another state where he hopes to become involved with the chapter. He has also volunteered with CASA, Habitat for Humanity, the Hope center of Dickinson County, The Salina Rescue Mission, Meals on Wheels, Hospice, Eight Days of Hope, and other local charities.

As an ANFP chapter leader, Matt made quite a few changes along with his fellow board members. During his tenure, he was able to improve communication for the chapter, initiate credit card payments for meetings, moved the chapter from a local to a state-wide bank and organized multiple chapter meetings.

In terms of what he would like to see in the future, Matt would love to see more members become involved and take on leadership and volunteer roles.  

Matt, we thank you for your commitment and dedication to bringing change to the KS ANFP chapter and their members. Your hard work is appreciated and invaluable to our members. Thank you!

We’d like to recognize you as our Volunteer of the Month. Please send your nominations to asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

Look for the upcoming chapter rebate deadlines and requirements in the May issue of Volunteer Leader. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us at chapters@ANFPonline.org.

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champions!

Louisiana ANFP
Minnesota ANFP
South Dakota ANFP
Iowa ANFP

If your chapter is applying for chapter awards, including communications, government affairs, membership, state achievement, or the Diamond award, please submit the completed application to chapters@ANFPonline.org by April 30 or upload via the portal. Award applications are available in the chapter portal.

This month we are honoring Lynn Nail, CDM, CFPP of the Arkansas (AR) ANFP chapter.

Lynn joined ANFP in 2006 and began volunteering with the chapter in 2010. She started as a district president and eventually worked her way up to the chapter president in 2013. Since that time, Lynn has held the position seven separate times and is currently the president of the chapter.

During her many years of service, Lynn recruited many new members. She also spent time mentoring these members and provided support and encouragement in the ever-changing world of foodservice management.

Like all chapters, AR ANFP faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic including keeping the chapter sustainable and members engaged. However, Lynn was able to keep the chapter moving forward and recently held their first state meeting since the pandemic that was a great success.

As for the future of AR ANFP, Lynn would like to help members understand the importance of ANFP and its members, that are valuable resources and sounding boards for one another. She would also like to see more members step forward to volunteer with the chapter to spread this message.

Lynn, thank you for your many years of service and dedication! Your perseverance and positive attitude have helped elevate the AR ANFP chapter and its members. Thank you!

We’d like to recognize you and your fellow chapter leaders as our Volunteers of the Month in 2023. Please send your nominations (which can include yourself) to asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

Below are the rebate requirements that are now past pue. Documents can be submitted either the chapter portal or sent to chapters@ANFPonline.org.

• Submit bank statements for the month of October to ANFP Headquarters – Due November 30  
• Chapter Bylaws – Due January 15 (if the chapter bylaws have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)                                                
• Policies & Procedures - Due January 15 (if the chapter policies & procedures have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)
• Bi-Annual Chapter Rebate Achievement Report - Part 2 - Due January 15         

Also, if you have not submitted the following documents from the first deadline, please do so as soon as possible:

• 990
• Affiliate Agreement                                                                                                     
• Financial Code of Conduct

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champions!

Louisiana ANFP
Minnesota ANFP
South Dakota ANFP

This month we are honoring Paul DeMaida, CDM, CFPP of the Southern New England (SNE) ANFP chapter.

Paul joined ANFP in 1998 and began volunteering in 2002 as a chapter board member with what was then the Connecticut ANFP chapter. Since that time, Paul has served in various roles as the chapter secretary, newsletter editor as well as president. He is currently serving as SNE’s treasurer.

During his many years of service, Paul has remained flexible and helped support the chapter by going above and beyond his role. In addition to completing his assigned duties, Paul has assisted with planning meetings, contacting new and prospective members, recruiting board members, and helped with anything else the chapter might need at that time.

As a current SNE ANFP board member, Paul would like to see the attendance at chapter meetings increase, therefore engaging more current and prospective members as well as industry partners and other professionals. He’d also like to see the CDM, CFPP become a requirement within the field.

Thank you for your many years of service Paul! Your dedication and hard work have contributed the continuous success of the SNE chapter as well as ANFP.

We’d like to recognize you and your fellow chapter leaders as our Volunteers of the Month in 2023. Please send your nominations (which can include yourself) to asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

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

• Submit bank statements for the month of October to ANFP Headquarters – Due November 30  
• Chapter Bylaws – Due January 15 (if the chapter bylaws have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)                                                                                           
• Policies & Procedures - Due January 15 (if the chapter policies & procedures have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)                                                           
• Bi-Annual Chapter Rebate Achievement Report - Part 2 - Due January 15         

Also, if you have not submitted the following documents from the first deadline, please do so as soon as possible:

• 990
• Affiliate Agreement                                                                                                     
• Financial Code of Conduct

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champion!

Happy New Year! As we kick off the new calendar year, it’s not too early to start thinking about the new volunteer year as well. Along with setting goals, preparing budgets, and making plans for the chapter, January is also a great time to think about our personal goals as they relate to volunteering. Chapter leaders are essential to our organization and help further ANFP’s mission and strategic plan throughout their state. Our national volunteers do the same thing but on a broader scale. We encourage our current chapter leaders to consider volunteering at the national level and continue your path of professional growth and apply your current skills at a higher level.

Help Solve Problems – As a national volunteer, you will have the opportunity to work in a group that will help shape programs and services relevant to chapters, education, and communications and help solve challenges we face as an organization and industry.

Expand Your Network - Working on a committee or board allows you to meet and engage with other members (or non-members) that you may have not had a chance to meet otherwise, including corporate partners and registered dietitians.  

Broaden Your Skill Set - National volunteers continue to grow their professional skills like communication, project management and coaching as well as gain a better understanding of governance, leadership development and advocacy.

Earn CE – Volunteers can earn CEs for volunteering with both chapters and national roles. Per the CBDM, these requests for CE for volunteer leadership activities will be based on the following:
a. Organization for which activities are contributed must be related to a domain in the Detailed Content Outline 
b. The activity must be at a leadership level and in a non-compensated role
c. A maximum of two CE may be accrued per year, with a total of six CE in a three-year recertification period.
d. CE will not be awarded until date of service ends

We encourage you to continue building your professional and volunteer career and consider submitting your name for the 2023 Call for Volunteers. Please click here to learn more about the opportunities available as well as the criteria for each committee/board. We look forward to working with you!

Look back at our 2022 Volunteers of the Month. Each of these volunteers have continually demonstrated their dedication to ANFP and their chapters through hard work, perseverance, and exceptional leadership. We are appreciative and grateful for all they have done for ANFP.

We’d like to recognize you and your fellow chapter leaders as our Volunteers of the Month in 2023. Please send your nominations (which can include yourself) to asolazzo@ANFPonline.org.

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

• Submit bank statements for the month of October to ANFP Headquarters – Due November 30  
• Chapter Bylaws – Due January 15 (if the chapter bylaws have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)                                                                                           
• Policies & Procedures - Due January 15 (if the chapter policies & procedures have not changed, please let us know. You will not need to submit another copy.)                                                           
• Bi-Annual Chapter Rebate Achievement Report - Part 2 - Due January 15         

Also, if you have not submitted the following documents from the first deadline, please do so as soon as possible:

• 990
• Affiliate Agreement                                                                                                   
• Financial Code of Conduct

Learn more about becoming a Chapter Champion HERE.

Congratulations to the following Chapter Champion!