Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021 - 35

There is an old African proverb that says
" Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. "
Ponder that for a second. Working
together we are that bundle and become
stronger with each new member. We
also must continue adding sticks, as over
time some fall from the bundle. Each
of us as members plays a role and shares
responsibility for how great ANFP and
the CDM, CFPP certification becomes,
now and for future generations.
Over the coming months we will share
with you our steps for continued success.
Hopefully by this time you have already
heard about our first initiative, the
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force.
Creating a DE&I policy is just another
way that we reaffirm to every member of
the ANFP family that we are a diverse
community where everyone is welcome.
Companies and organizations that have
DE&I policies that align with their true
inner fabric organically have a culture
of trust, pride, ownership, and staff
longevity. A special thank you to Task
Force Chair Bionca Lindsey, ANFP staff
liaison Jay Carino, and the entire task
force team for your work that will be a
pillar of the ANFP foundation for years
to come.
Again, this is about the greater 'we'
and not me! We need to increase
member participation at the state level
and cultivate not only leaders in our
communities, but also future leaders
of our organization. ACE marked our
return to live meetings, something that
is integral to who we are as the ANFP
family. We heard you and live meetings
are here to stay. The pandemic showed
us that virtual meetings have their place,
so in the future we may look at different
possibilities to complement our live
events.
THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POLICY is just
another way that we reaffirm to every member of the ANFP
family that we are a diverse community where everyone
is welcome. Companies and organizations that have DE&I
policies that align with their true inner fabric organically have
a culture of trust, pride, ownership, and staff longevity.
State meetings are equally important
and provide much more than just the
CE hours you need before the end of
your certification cycle. They are about
the training and continued growth of
each member, including the sharing of
best practices and new industry trends,
building our professional circles, and
something that we often overlook-just
having a face-to-face conversation and
realizing that you are truly not alone
on this journey! We need each of us to
become active in our chapters and provide
input on our needs and challenges.
Become involved on any committee
from Hospitality to Government
Affairs, and use your voice to help us all.
Volunteering takes as little or as much
time as you can spare!
The ANFP Board and staff are constantly
looking at how to provide more value
to members while also increasing the
visibility of who we are and what we do.
Why is that important? Well, all those
ANFPConnect chats about salaries,
staffing shortages, not being appreciated,
and being cafeteria people, are how we
bring about change. Change can only
come with us all accepting ownership
for our piece of the puzzle, so that the
initiatives and strategic plans can show
tangible outcomes. We as members
need to be our own Public Relations
Department and make sure that the
communities in which we serve know
who you are, what you do, the value your
team brings to the facility, and what
having a CDM, CFPP on staff means to
Continued on page 36
NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | July-August 2021
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Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021

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