Breakfast in the Classroom Summit
School Nutrition Professionals and School Administrators came together to discuss strategies for academic excellence, provide essential resources for social-emotional growth, and share practical advice for rebooting school breakfast programs to boost student participation and learning readiness.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. John W. Hodge
Dr. John W. Hodge is president and co-founder of Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC), an organization focused on student achievement and reduction of the achievement gap. He served as Director of An Achievable Dream Academy, a high-performing, high-poverty inner-city school that piloted many of the interventions used by Urban Learning and Leadership Center. Prior to his career in education, Dr. Hodge distinguished himself in the service of our country with the 7th Infantry Division of the United States Army. Along with his work at ULLC, Hodge is inspirational speaker at national, regional, and statewide conferences across the United States.
Check out his book ‘You Can Get in the Way: How You Can Become a Roadblock to Risk Factors’.
Erin Hysom
Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
Originally hailing from the Jersey Shore, Erin has spent the last decade working on child nutrition programs from the D.C. region. After graduate school, Erin served as the nutrition outreach specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education, where she collaborated with local, state, and national partners to increase participation in Child Nutrition Programs. Currently, Erin serves as a Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst for the Food Research and Action Center, a leading national non-profit that improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger.
Nancy Padrone, RDN, CDN, SNS
Nancy is currently the Interim Coordinator for Food Service in the Brentwood School District, Long Island NY. She has over 20 years of experience in improving nutrition for children while operating School Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Programs. Nancy has championed Breakfast in the Classroom programs.
She has a BS degree from Syracuse University, MA degree from NYU, and a Professional Diploma in School Business Administration from Long Island University.
