And that’s a wrap on ANC 2026. We’re always excited to attend this event where the whole school nutrition community comes together, and every year we leave more inspired than we arrived. Charlotte was no exception. We’re humbled by the dedication and passion of the school nutrition leaders we met, the ones running 50 sites across a single county and the ones who know every kid’s name in a cafeteria of 60.
Here’s a look at a few highlights from the week:
The Power of School Meals, in Action
Just days before heading across the country to Charlotte, Dr. Betty Crocker, DrPH, MPH, RDN, SNS and her team at Lodi Unified School District showed the world what this year’s conference theme really means. She shared on LinkedIn that her team served 114,500 meals in a single day at Lodi Unified School District, complete with fresh produce from local farms.
That’s “The Power of School Meals” in action. For the thousands of school nutrition superheroes working in cafeterias, warehouses, and district offices across the U.S., it’s another day on the job. And that’s what we heard in every conversation: They’re in it to serve the kids who depend on a nutritious school meal, whatever it takes.
Eight Decades of Showing Up for Kids
SNA celebrated its 80th anniversary this year, and the entire event honored that milestone. It reminded us of the enduring promise to feed every child so they can reach their full potential.
LINQ CEO Sharon Love was honored to kick off the final day by introducing keynote speaker Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Retired), who put the drive to show up every day into words. A military and commercial pilot, she shared her childhood dream inspired by watching the USAF Thunderbirds practice overhead. She showed up every day to break barriers and earn a seat in an F-16, performing aerobatics just inches from her Thunderbird squadron mates in tight formation.
It was a keynote fitting of the passion and dedication school nutrition leaders bring to the job day in, day out.
Imagine, Bigger Than Ever
Our Imagine campaign showed up in Charlotte in a bigger way than ever before. Nutrition leaders who partner with LINQ saw their smiling faces on billboards and public transit all around Charlotte, welcoming their colleagues to town.
They helped us all imagine what’s possible when we keep driving forward and showing up.
On Stage: Aligning Finance and Nutrition
LINQ Chief Customer Officer Mike Borges took the stage with Brett Foster, Executive Director of School Nutrition for Knox County Schools, for a session on strengthening the alignment between finance and nutrition departments.
The conversation covered:
- How better direct certification matching can mean real money for a district
- Why site-level P&Ls turn managers into leading decision makers instead of cost-center operators
- How to build the case for a meal price increase with data instead of guesswork
Brett put a big number on it: correcting the SNAP-versus-Medicaid eligibility hierarchy alone uncovered roughly a million dollars in funding her district would have otherwise missed.
On the Floor and Off the Clock
The LINQ booth was the place to be for a coffee beverage and chat with our team. We met and caught up with so many amazing school nutrition leaders, and the conversations didn’t stop when the expo floor closed.
We wound down with familiar faces from the expo floor over pizza, wings, and pretzel bites at happy hour, giving everyone a much-needed breather after a full day at the show.
Then, we kicked off a walking food tour at the “Disco Chicken” sculpture outside the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, stopping at two local bars and restaurants before finishing the night at Charlotte’s own speakeasy, the Cotton Room at Belfast Mill.
What’s Next
We came away from ANC 2026 so inspired. We’ll be sharing what we learned in the coming weeks. Tune in for the insights, the stories, and the voices of the nutrition leaders who made this year’s event one to remember.