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CSNA 56th Annual Conference Exhibit Application

Additional Exhibitor conference info

Click here for current floorplan with booth availability
The 2008-09 Reimbursement Rates for the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, State Meal, and Special Milk Programs are now available on the California Department of Education's Web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/
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Audrey Melikian Scholarship Fund - Two $250 scholarships will be awarded to honor the legacy of Audrey Melikian, a beautiful lady who loved CSNA and often assisted her son Jim Melikian, aka “The Popcorn Man”, with his booth at CSNA conferences.   This new scholarship has been established by the Melikian family for the purpose of supporting the professional development of CSNA members taking college-level classes.  Click here for qualifications and an application form.

56th Annual Keynote Speakers

1st Session
First General Session on Friday, January 9
Gene White
An Honored Champion of Child Nutrition

Gene White is currently President of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, serving children worldwide. Although she lives in Washington State, we know her as a Californian. She has been a trusted advisor for our California School Nutrition Association, during her 35-year career in the administration, management and operation of school nutrition programs.

Gene is the former Assistant Superintendent and Director of Child Nutrition Programs, California State Department of Education. In this position she directed federal and state child nutrition programs that served daily over 2.5 million meals to children in schools and other agencies. Nutrition education and commitment to excellence were priorities in her state service. Prior to this she was Director of School Food and Nutrition Programs, Sierra Sands Unified School District, Ridgecrest California.

A native of Ohio, Gene received her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition from Miami University in Ohio and a Masters Degree in Nutrition from Ohio State University. She is a registered dietitian, American Dietetic Association, and a credentialed School Nutrition Specialist, School Nutrition Association.

Gene is Past-President of both the School Nutrition Association and the California School Nutrition Association. She has served in numerous leadership positions to advance nutrition education, state and federal legislation for child nutrition programs, and program quality standards.

Although much of Gene’s work has focused on child nutrition programs in the United States, she has also been actively involved in helping developing countries establish school feeding programs. She has worked in Tunisia on a US AID project, in Paraguay on a World Food Program assignment, and throughout Latin America helping establish the Latin America School Feeding Network.

Gene has received awards and recognition, but says her greatest satisfaction comes from seeing a nutritious meal on the plate of a child at school…anywhere in the world. No one can tell the story of our profession better than Gene, and she will share her reflections on the past, present, and future of our child nutrition programs.


2nd Session
Second General Session on Saturday, January 10
Edward James Olmos
Actor, Producer, Director, and Hollywood Activist


Known as the “Olivier of the Latino world,” Edward James Olmos is an individual flowing with talent and creativity. The multi-talented actor, producer, director, and community activist was born and raised in East Los Angeles, and spent many years in theatrical roles until his mesmerizing performance in the musical play Zoot Suit, which led to a Tony Award nomination. He later recreated the role for film, and went on to star in such films as Wolfen and Blade Runner. He then scored a personal success with his role as a Mexican cowboy in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, directed by Robert M. Young, who also directed Olmos in Saving Grace, Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, and Caught. In 1997, Olmos starred as Abraham Quintanilla in the Warner Bros. feature film release of Selena. He also starred in the acclaimed film, 12 Angry Men, for Showtime television, directed by William Friedkin. Olmos was most recently seen in his role as Commander Adama on the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica.

Olmos was honored with a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination for his work in HBO’s The Burning Season, the story of the Brazilian political activist Chico Mendes. As a producer, he currently has a development deal with ABC. In 1992, he marked his directorial debut and starred in the powerful feature film, American Me, for his production company, Olmos Productions. In 1988, he received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Jaime Escalante, the eccentric but dedicated math teacher, in Stand and Deliver, which he also produced. Olmos also won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Lt. Castillo on the popular television series Miami Vice.

While busy producing, directing and acting, Olmos also makes time to participate in many humanitarian efforts. He is a US Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, and a national spokesperson for organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. He has worked with David Rockefeller of the Rockefeller Foundation, and serves on the boards of many groups and organizations.

He is also the executive director of the Lives In Hazard Educational Project, a national gang prevention program funded by the US Dept. of Justice. He speaks at an average of 150 institutions each year. He also played an instrumental role in the cleanup efforts after the LA riots, the 1993 Los Angeles earthquake, and Hurricane Andrew in Florida.

In April 1999, Olmos launched a nationwide multimedia project called Americanos: Latino Life in the United States, a celebration of Latino culture through photography, film, music, and the printed word. The project was co-sponsored by Time Warner Inc., and designed to inspire Latino pride, and to build bridges among Latinos and others. Americanos included a five-year traveling photography exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution; a music CD featuring Latino artists; a documentary that aired on HBO; and a book co-edited by Olmos of essays, photos, and commentary by today’s most notable figures in the Hispanic community.