Ervin Watson, MBA

“Engaging”, “Informational” and “Insightful” are a few of the words used to describe Ervin’s presentation and training style.  He currently serves as Coordinator for Douglas County Schools in GA after two years working as a Training and Education Specialist for the GA Dept. of Education.  Ervin is a recognized leader who frequently presents at local, state and national conferences and has been selected multiple times as a Senator Richard B. Russell Leadership Series presenters at the ANC!

• Leadership Development
• Motivation/Inspiration
• Dealing with Change 
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Team Culture/ Diversity 
• Planning/Strategy
• Vision Clarity
• Amusia (“Tone Deafness”)

Pat Dwyer

Pat Dwyer is an International Professional Speaker, Trainer and Comedian who specializes in helping leaders and teams use humor to propel themselves to the next level. Having worked for and taught with some of the most notable comedic institutions the world has to offer; he is now able to use his vast experience to help your organization in Team Building, Change Management, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development and a revitalizing energy boost to best your greatest challenges.

• Creative Thinking
• Dealing with Change
• Emotional Intelligence
• Listening
• Team Building
• Interpersonal Communication

Kern Halls

Kern Halls, is a leader in student-centered school foodservice efforts. Kern has been called “one of the most engaging presenters” in today’s K-12 industry. His military culinary background, work experience in Orlando managing $18M in sales at Walt Disney World restaurants and serving as a senior manager in Orange County Public Schools equips him with a unique skill set. During his tenure in Orange County, the district’s FNS team received multiple recognitions and awards for their school foodservice practices. Lead by Kern, with the help of the FNS team, high school sales grew by an unprecedented 46%. Kern has developed a reputation for being an “innovator”. Kern’s goal is to help you grow and EXCEED your FNS goals to provide quality meals to students. Simply put… “he brings your customer to the table.

• Award wining K-12 Consultant 
• Cafeteria optimizer 
• Operations expert 
• Keynote speaker 
• Change agent 
• Student centered guru 

Stefanie Giannini SNS

Stefanie Giannini describes herself as a “self-help junkie” with the intent of being a leader that cultivates other leaders; she holds a fierce passion for personal growth, critical reflection, and building quality relationships. After realizing these topics are foundational for effective leadership and organizational development, she has carried these passions over to her professional life. Combing personal experience and research-based theory and practices, she engages audiences with her interactive presentations. Stefanie strives to be relatable, uplifting, motivational, and most importantly, truly helpful . She challenges her audiences’ thoughts, perceptions, and comfort zones, because despite everyone’s unique experiences and background, she believes we all have room to grown and learn. She is currently the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Marquardt School District 15 and is on the Illinois School Nutrition Association Board as the Professional Development Chair. After presenting at ANC in 2019, Stefanie’s most popular session “Self-Awareness: Knowing Yourself to Improve as Leader” was selected as one of the School Nutrition Association’s “Best of ANC” Webinars. 

• Leadership Development
• Interpersonal Dynamics
• Organizational Development
• Organizational Change
• Adult Learning 
• Team Building & Effectiveness

Liz Roesel

Liz Roesel couples her enthusiasm for marketing and the school nutrition industry by sharing her favorite marketing tactics, shortcuts, and tools with school nutrition professionals. She has taught education sessions at the 2019 SNA Annual National Conference and multiple state conferences, as well as hosted two podcasts for school nutrition professionals to share their success stories. She enjoys creating free marketing resources specifically for SNP’s, such as videos, blogs, webinars and eBooks and is a member of the national SNA Membership Committee. 

• Digital & Print Media
• Marketing
• Social Media
• Podcasting

Joe Pettit

Joe Pettit has been an inspiring leader for more than two decades with 15 years restaurant experience. He stepped away from corporate food and bev into school nutrition six years ago where he currently serves as a school nutrition supervisor in Charleston, South Carolina.

A husband, father, and professional speaker, Joe is an engaging, motivating presenter as he shares his passion for school nutrition leadership, customer service, and personal growth. Delivering relevant content with instant application capabilities, audiences enjoy Joe’s authenticity, relatability, and desire to see school nutrition professionals elevate and reach their true potential.

Joe is an experienced public speaker delivering keynote and education sessions for national and state school nutrition associations, school districts, and leadership conferences. His presentation titled “Effective Customer Service Strategies: How Small Moments Create Big Momentum” was voted the #1 education session multiple times during SNA of SC 2019 summer trainings.

• Customer Service
• Leadership Development
• New Hire Onboarding and Training
• Personal and Department Growth
• Personnel Conflict Coaching

For info on keynotes and more click here!

Amanda Venezia, MEd, SNS

Amanda has been a restaurant and hospitality professional for over 15 years and is on her 10th year rocking school lunch as Director of Dining Services in Londonderry, New Hampshire. A wife, mom, and Vlogger, Amanda shares her passion for school nutrition speaking at national conferences and training professionals on front of the house and business operations but don’t discount her proficiency and creativity in the kitchen. Her love of social media marketing has put her small New England district on the map and she has won such awards as this year’s FoodService Director Magazine 2019 Rising Star.

• Social Media
• Marketing
• Team Building
• Small District Needs
• Revenue Generation
• Leadership

For more info on Amanda and keynotes click here!

Deborah Kekelik M.ED, RD

As a Registered Dietitian with an advanced degree in education, I find it meaningful to facilitate change and help others accomplish their goals.  This has been true whether I was teaching diet therapy to clients as a  clinical and outpatient dietitian, educating students as a licensed high school teacher and administrator, or enhancing the well-being of students as a director of school nutrition. My transition into foodservice was driven by my desire to help elevate the appreciation of the importance of nutrition services within the school environment. By developing student-focused programs that were purposeful and engaging, I was able to impact this goal.
Throughout my career, I believe it is important to ‘give back’ and contribute in some way, shape or form. It has been my experience when you focus on the growth of others, it allows you to add value to those around you and to those they serve.  

Toni Burkhalter

Toni Burkhalter graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (UIUC) in 1999 with an M.S. focusing the body’s response to dietary changes. In 2001, she began teaching nutrition, anatomy, and physiology at Parkland College. Toni partnered with community schools and enlisted the aid of her students to spearhead “healthy lunch challenge” and “walk across America” events featured in local media. Toni was awarded a Parkland Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellowship based on her focus on business and social entrepreneurship in the classroom and remains a member of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership at UIUC.
Her passion for how the body adapts to positive environmental challenges such as exercise and balanced nutrition encouraged her to return to school for a second advanced degree while working at Parkland. She earned an M.S. in exercise physiology from UIUC in 2010 with a focus on the effects of exercise on cognition and academic performance. In 2016, while continuing to work full-time, she dove back into the research at the University of Illinois working on a clinical trial that focused on the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on cognition and health.
She is published in peer review journal articles and has received local and national awards for curriculum design. She was a member of the Parkland Speaker’s Bureau speaking in forums ranging from third-grade classrooms to the Elected Officials of Illinois in Springfield. In August 2017, she resigned as an Associate Professor of Biology and Kinesiology at Parkland College teaching classes that focus on the effects of exercise and nutrition on the body. And began teaching a large contemporary nutrition course as a Senior Instructor at the University of Illinois.