Arizona Professional Takes Helm of SNA

The School Nutrition Association has appointed Shannon Gleave as its president for the 2024-2025 school year.

Gleave—the director of food and nutrition for Glendale Elementary School District in Arizona since 2013 and an SNA member for 18 years—follows 2023-2024 President Chris Derico in the role.

Shannon Gleave

At GESD, Gleave oversees a team of 108 who serve approximately 9,100 students across 12 schools. Last February, to ensure her students had access to free school meals, Gleave transitioned her program to the Community Eligibility Provision districtwide. Last school year, GESD served over 1.2 million healthy school lunches and 741,600 breakfasts.

Gleave also has implemented a grab-and-go breakfast model that allows students to pick up meals in the cafeteria or at carts stationed near the school entrance. Further, via a Summer Food Service Program, GESD offers summer meals at eight sites and on three bus routes.

Prior to GESD, Gleave was a student nutrition specialist for Tempe Elementary School District in Arizona, planning school menus for five years. She also has served as adjunct faculty at Central Arizona College and Phoenix College, teaching nutrition classes. She has a bachelor’s in dietetics from Arizona State University.

With the School Nutrition Association, Gleave has held the following roles: chair of the membership, nutrition, director/supervisor and legislative committees for SNA of Arizona; SNAAZ president (2014-15); chair of the nutrition and research committee at SNA; at-large director on the SNA board of directors; SNA vice president; and SNA president-elect.

The SNA, a national nonprofit, represents 50,000 school nutrition professional members nationwide.