Who We Are
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is the only charitable organization devoted exclusively to supporting nutrition and dietetics professionals by empowering them to help consumers live healthier lifestyles. The Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and does not receive any portion of member dues, relying solely on donations to thrive. The success and impact of our programs and services are directly attributed to the generous support of our donors.
Read the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics article “Advancing the Dietetics Profession through the Foundation’s Philanthropy” to learn more about the history of the Foundation.
The Foundation’s Mission
Through philanthropy, empower current and future food and nutrition practitioners to optimize global health.
The Foundation’s Vision
A world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition.
Principles
- Integration of research, professional development and practice to stimulate innovation and discovery
- Collaborations to solve the greatest food and nutrition challenges now and in the future
- System-wide impact throughout the food, well-being and health care sectors
- Elimination of all forms of malnutrition globally
- Expansion of workforce capacity, capability and the contribution of food and nutrition practitioners
- Accountability through transparency and fiduciary responsibility
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board of Directors
- Margaret P. Garner, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, CIC; Chair
- Becky Dorner, RDN, LDN, FAND; Chair-Elect
- Kathy Wilson-Gold, MS, RDN, LD, FAND; Past-Chair
- Hope S. Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, BC-ADM, FAADE; Secretary
- Kathleen Niedert, MBA, RD, CSG, LD, FADA, LNHA; Treasurer
- William C. Barkley, MBA, RD, LD, FAND; Director
- Maureen E. Conway, MBA, MA, RDN, LDN FAND; Director
- Constance Locher-Bussard, RD, LDN; Director
- Susan Laramee, MS, RDN, FADA, FAND; Director
- Jennifer Nguyen, RDN, Director
- Cynthia A. Wolfram , RDN, LD; Director
- Laurence Langholz, JD, MBA; Public Member
- Samantha Rongstad; Student Member
- Kevin Sauer, PhD, RDN, LD, CDE, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
- Patricia M. Babjak, MLIS (Ex-Officio); Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Foundation Chief Executive Officer
Select the image to view the full-size infographic of the Foundation’s major initiatives and achievements.
View the guidelines and infographic to see the acceptance and review process for industry support.
Foundation Chair Contact Information
Margaret P. Garner, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, CIC
Foundation Chair, 2020-2021
AcademyFoundationChair@eatright.org
Foundation Staff Contact Information
Chief Operating Officer, Academy Of Nutrition and Dietetics
Executive Director, Academy Foundation
Mary Beth Whalen
800/877-1600, Ext. 4820
mwhalen@eatright.org
Senior Director
Susie Burns
800/877-1600, Ext. 4752
sburns@eatright.org
Development Director
Beth Labrador
800/877-1600, Ext. 4821
blabrador@eatright.org
Senior Foundation Manager
Paul Slomski
800/877-1600, Ext. 1746
pslomski@eatright.org
Senior Program Manager
Nicci Brown, MS, RDN, CD, LD
800/877-1600, Ext. 1748
nbrown@eatright.org
Donor Database Manager
Jason Stabile
800/877-1600, Ext. 4767
jstabile@eatright.org
Executive Assistant
Martha Ontiveros
800/877-1600, Ext. 4773
montiveros@eatright.org
Foundation Program Coordinator
Elisha Reichling, MS, RDN, LDN
800/877-1600, Ext. 4768
ereichling@eatright.org
Governance
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is governed by a 13-member board of directors that includes the President-Elect, Financial Officer and CEO of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as up to five public members. Our Foundation Policy Manual, A Donor Bill of Rights and Privacy Policy and Guidelines for Industry Donors and Sponsors are always available for download.
Nominating Process
The selection process for the Foundation Board is completed by the Academy Foundation Nominating Committee. Read more about the Foundation Board of Directors nominating process.
Operating Budget
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation manages nearly $23 million in restricted funds for specific scholarships, awards, research, and public awareness initiatives with defined criteria. However, dollars are needed annually to support the Foundation’s innovative initiatives, implement programs, operations and sustain the mission of advancing public health and nutrition utilizing the expertise of RDNs. Additional financial information can be found at the Academy Foundation’s Charity Navigator page. Download the audit financial report and 990 form for FY2019.
Jean H. Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND; Chair
Rosemont, Illinois
Ragalie-Carr is the president of the National Dairy Council and treasurer/secretary for Action for Healthy Kids. In 30 years of working in the areas of nutrition, health, and wellness, she has worked in agencies, associations, corporations, and health care settings. Ragalie-Carr has worked for the National Dairy Council and dairy farm families since 1996. In partnership with the National Football League, Ragalie-Carr helped create and lead Fuel Up to Play 60, one of the nation’s largest proven school health and wellness programs, making a difference in more than 73,000 schools and in children’s lives.
With the Academy and Feeding America, her current work revolves around educating people about a healthy, sustainable food supply to feed the world. One of the four principal architects of Action for Healthy Kids, Ragalie-Carr has served on its board of directors since 2002. She has worked with organizations including the White House’s Let’s Move! program and in partnerships with the School Nutrition Association; President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; and World Wildlife Fund.
Ragalie-Carr is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jean H. Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND; Past-Chair
Rosemont, Illinois
Ragalie-Carr is the president of the National Dairy Council and treasurer/secretary for Action for Healthy Kids. In 30 years of working in the areas of nutrition, health, and wellness, she has worked in agencies, associations, corporations and health care settings. Ragalie-Carr has worked for the National Dairy Council and dairy farm families since 1996. In partnership with the National Football League, Ragalie-Carr helped create and lead Fuel Up to Play 60, one of the nation’s largest proven school health and wellness programs, making a difference in more than 73,000 schools and in children’s lives.
With the Academy and Feeding America, her current work revolves around educating people about a healthy, sustainable food supply to feed the world. One of the four principal architects of Action for Healthy Kids, Ragalie-Carr has served on its board of directors since 2002. She has worked with organizations including the White House’s Let’s Move! program and in partnerships with the School Nutrition Association; President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; and World Wildlife Fund.
Ragalie-Carr is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jean H. Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND; Past Chair
Rosemont, Illinois
Ragalie-Carr is the president of the National Dairy Council and treasurer/secretary for Action for Healthy Kids. In 30 years of working in the areas of nutrition, health, and wellness, she has worked in agencies, associations, corporations, and health care settings. Ragalie-Carr has worked for the National Dairy Council and dairy farm families since 1996. In partnership with the National Football League, Ragalie-Carr helped create and lead Fuel Up to Play 60, one of the nation’s largest proven school health and wellness programs, making a difference in more than 73,000 schools and in children’s lives.
With the Academy and Feeding America, her current work revolves around educating people about a healthy, sustainable food supply to feed the world. One of the four principal architects of Action for Healthy Kids, Ragalie-Carr has served on its board of directors since 2002. She has worked with organizations including the White House’s Let’s Move! program and in partnerships with the School Nutrition Association; President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; and World Wildlife Fund.
Ragalie-Carr is a graduate and Distinguished Alumni honoree of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Martin M. Yadrick, MBI, MS, RDN, FAND; Chair-Elect
Kansas City, Missouri
Yadrick is Director of Nutrition Informatics for Computrition, Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of software solutions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. He was Academy President in 2008-09 and Chair of ANDPAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee, in 2012. He has previously served as the Chair of the Nutrition Informatics Committee, Academy Treasurer, House of Delegates Director, Delegate, Academy media spokesperson and Chair of the SCAN DPG.
He received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University.
Martin M. Yadrick, MBI, MS, RDN, FAND; Chair
Kansas City, Missouri
Yadrick is Director of Nutrition Informatics for Computrition, Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of software solutions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. He was Academy President in 2008-09 and Chair of ANDPAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee, in 2012. He has previously served as the Chair of the Nutrition Informatics Committee, Academy Treasurer, House of Delegates Director, Delegate, Academy media spokesperson and Chair of the SCAN DPG.
He received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University.
Martin M. Yadrick, MBI, MS, RDN, FAND; Chair
Kansas City, Missouri
Yadrick is Director of Nutrition Informatics for Computrition, Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of software solutions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. He was Academy President in 2008-09 and Chair of ANDPAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee, in 2012. He has previously served as the Chair of the Nutrition Informatics Committee, Academy Treasurer, House of Delegates Director, Delegate, Academy media spokesperson and Chair of the SCAN DPG.
He received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University.
Martin M. Yadrick, MBI, MS, RDN, FAND; Chair
Kansas City, Missouri
Yadrick is Director of Nutrition Informatics for Computrition, Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of software solutions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. He was Academy President in 2008-09 and Chair of ANDPAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee, in 2012. He has previously served as the Chair of the Nutrition Informatics Committee, Academy Treasurer, House of Delegates Director, Delegate, Academy media spokesperson and Chair of the SCAN DPG.
He received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University.
Martin M. Yadrick, MBI, MS, RDN, FAND; Past-Chair
Kansas City, Missouri
Yadrick is Director of Nutrition Informatics for Computrition, Inc., a Los Angeles-based provider of software solutions to the nutrition and foodservice industry. He was Academy President in 2008-09 and Chair of ANDPAC, the Academy’s Political Action Committee, in 2012. He has previously served as the Chair of the Nutrition Informatics Committee, Academy Treasurer, House of Delegates Director, Delegate, Academy media spokesperson and Chair of the SCAN DPG.
He received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health & Science University.
Terri J. Raymond, MA, RDN, CD, FAND; Past Chair
Mercer Island, Washington
Raymond has worked in dietetics and business for over 30 years. Currently she owns and operates a consulting business in the Pacific Northwest serving healthcare and business. Previously she worked in contract food service as president for a regional corporation with clients in five western states.
Active in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Raymond has served as state president, delegate and on several committees including strategic planning, professional development, and CDR appeals panel.
Terri J. Raymond, MA, RDN, CD, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
Auburn, Washington
Terri has worked in dietetics and business for more than 35 years. Currently she owns and operates a consulting business, employing more than 30 registered dietitian nutritionists, serving healthcare and business clients in the Pacific Northwest. Previously she worked in contract food service as President for a regional corporation of 750 employees with clients in five western states.
Terri has been active in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for most of her career. She has served as Washington State Academy President, Delegate, and on several national Academy committees including Strategic Planning, Professional Development, and the Commission on Dietetic Registration Appeals and Competency Assurance Panels. She has also served as Chair of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board. For the past several years Terri has also served on the Executive Committee of Dietitians in Business and Communication DPG and is currently finishing her term as Past Chair. In the fiscal year 2018-19 she was elected to serve as President-elect for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Linda T. Farr, RDN, CSOWM, LD, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
San Antonio, Texas
Linda is the owner of Nutrition Associates of San Antonio, (doing business as Nutritious Table) which she founded in 1995. Farr will serve as the Academy’s President in 2020-2021. As an entrepreneur and certified specialist in obesity and weight management, Farr provides personalized medical nutrition therapy to teens and adults, media interviews and public speaking.
A former clinical dietitian and hospital foodservice director, Farr has more than 35 years of experience in medical, surgical, mental health, physical rehabilitation and private practice settings. She is a Medicare and insurance provider and a preceptor for several dietetic internships, focusing on reimbursement and business practices. She will serve as the Academy’s President-elect in 2019-2020 and as President in 2020-2021. In the Academy’s House of Delegates, Farr served on the House Leadership Team and as a two-term Texas affiliate delegate. She was Speaker of the House of Delegates in 2016-2017. Farr is a Fellow of the Academy and has served on the Diversity, Quality Management, Finance and Audit, Legislative and Public Policy and Evidence-Based Practice committees. She is a founding member of the Weight Management dietetic practice group and is a member of several other DPGs and member interest groups. Farr is a past president of the Academy’s Texas, San Antonio and Dallas affiliates.
She was named a 2005 San Antonio Healthcare Hero by the San Antonio Business Journal and was the Texas Academy’s 2011 Distinguished Dietitian of the Year. Farr was appointed to the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and a volunteer for the city’s Por Vida! healthy restaurant initiative. She was instrumental in developing nutrition guidelines for diabetes-friendly restaurant choices and healthful vending criteria that were praised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama.
Farr is a graduate of Iowa State University and interned at the University of Iowa.
Margaret Garner, MS, RDN, LD, CIC, FAND; Financial Officer
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Garner is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alabama and the executive director of the student health center, where she also serves as the director of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness. Garner helped establish and was the first chair of the Alabama Food and Nutrition Exposition, a unique partnership of the Alabama Dietetic Association, Alabama Dietary Managers Association and Alabama School Nutrition Association.
In 2011, she received the Academy’s highest honor, the Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award. Garner has served in many leadership roles in the Academy, including as a member of the Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration. She was a member and chair of the Academy’s Legislative and Public Policy Committee, Political Action Committee, Coding and Coverage Committee, Council on Education and Strategic Planning Task Force. Garner is a past president of the Tuscaloosa District Dietetic Association and the Alabama Dietetic Association.
A graduate of Georgia Southern College, Garner earned a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where she also did postgraduate work in nutrition and mental retardation.
Jo Jo Dantone-DeBarbieris, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE, FAND; Financial Officer
LaPlace, LA
Dantone-DeBarbieris is the president, chief executive officer and owner of Nutrition Education Resources, Inc., providing registered dietitian nutritionists’ services since 1977 to medical institutions; long-term care facilities, home health agencies, assisted-living facilities and hospitals; educational institutions and corporations.
She has served on the Academy’s Political Action Committee and the Legislative and Public Policy Committee and chaired two Academy dietetic practice groups – Diabetes Care and Education and Dietitians in Health Care Communities. Dantone-DeBarbieris is a past president of the Louisiana Dietetic Association and chaired several committees of the Mississippi Dietetic Association.
She received the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award from the Mississippi Dietetic Association in 2000 and from the Louisiana Dietetic Association in 2010. A certified diabetes educator, Dantone-DeBarbieris is the author and publisher of five editions of Bridging the Gap: Simple Diets for Complex Nutritional Demands.
She earned undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Margaret P. Garner, MS, RDN, LD, CIC; Director
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Garner is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alabama and the executive director of the student health center, where she also serves as the director of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness.
Garner helped establish and was the first chair of the Alabama Food and Nutrition Exposition, a unique partnership of the Alabama Dietetic Association, Alabama Dietary Managers Association and Alabama School Nutrition Association. In 2011, she received the Academy’s highest honor, the Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award. Garner has served in many leadership roles in the Academy, including as a member of the Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration. She was a member and chair of the Academy’s Legislative and Public Policy Committee, Political Action Committee, Coding and Coverage Committee, Council on Education and Strategic Planning Task Force. Garner is a past president of the Tuscaloosa District Dietetic Association and the Alabama Dietetic Association.
A graduate of Georgia Southern College, Garner earned a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where she also did postgraduate work in nutrition and mental retardation.
Margaret P. Garner, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, CIC; Chair
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Garner is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alabama and the executive director of the student health center, where she also serves as the director of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness.
Garner helped establish and was the first chair of the Alabama Food and Nutrition Exposition, a unique partnership of the Alabama Dietetic Association, Alabama Dietary Managers Association and Alabama School Nutrition Association. In 2011, she received the Academy’s highest honor, the Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award. Garner has served in many leadership roles in the Academy, including as a member of the Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration. She was a member and chair of the Academy’s Legislative and Public Policy Committee, Political Action Committee, Coding and Coverage Committee, Council on Education and Strategic Planning Task Force. Garner is a past president of the Tuscaloosa District Dietetic Association and the Alabama Dietetic Association.
A graduate of Georgia Southern College, Garner earned a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, where she also did postgraduate work in nutrition and mental retardation.
Constance Locher-Bussard, RD, LDN; Director
Springfield, Illinois
Connie Locher-Bussard is a Free-Lance Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. A sixty –year member of the Academy, she was a founding and is a sustaining member of the Foundation. She has served as an ANDPAC member, an Illinois Delegate, and as a State Media Representative. She currently works with the Illinois Early Intervention Program and with the Senior Services of Central Illinois.
A long-time Chair of Legislation and Public Policy in Illinois she was totally immersed in obtaining Licensure for Illinois and has remained in the fray for the past 25 years. In 2013, she received the Grassroots Excellence Award for her licensure work. She is currently serving as a member of the Illinois Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Board.
She was educated at Clarke University, Dubuque Iowa, and served her internship at Charity Hospital at New Orleans.
Constance Locher-Bussard, RD, LDN; Director
Springfield, Illinois
Connie Locher-Bussard is a freelance Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. A 60–year member of the Academy, she was a founding and is a sustaining member of the Foundation. She has served as an ANDPAC member, an Illinois Delegate, and as a State Media Representative. She currently works with the Illinois Early Intervention Program and with the Senior Services of Central Illinois.
A long-time Chair of Legislation and Public Policy in Illinois she was totally immersed in obtaining Licensure for Illinois and has remained in the fray for the past 25 years. In 2013, she received the Grassroots Excellence Award for her licensure work. She is currently serving as a member of the Illinois Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Board.
She was educated at Clarke University, Dubuque Iowa, and served her internship at Charity Hospital at New Orleans.
Hope S. Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, BC-ADM, FAAD; Director
Asheville, North Carolina
Hope Warshaw is a nationally recognized dietitian/nutritionist and diabetes educator. She applies nearly forty years of experience in her work as a book author and freelance writer, media spokesperson, consultant and diabetes educator within her business Hope Warshaw Associates, LLC. Hope is well known for her expertise in diabetes care and nutrition management, weight management, and healthy eating with particular knowledge in healthy restaurant eating. She offers practical solutions for wellness to individuals she counsels or to millions she connects with through an array of communication and social networking venues.
As a nutrition and diabetes consultant, Hope works or has worked with companies, such as Heartland Food Products Group, Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute, WellDoc, Insulet Corporation, AstraZeneca, Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., and others. Over the years she has worked with PR companies, such as Powell Tate, Weber Shandwick, Fleischman Hillard, Edelman, and Porter Novelli.
As a media spokesperson Hope has promoted her books and better-for-you food products with the media. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, TV Food Network and has conducted thousands of interviews for print, radio, and online media outlets.
As a freelance writer, Hope has written several award-winning, best-selling consumer books and resources published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) including: Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy and Eat Out Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant and others. Hope served as a contributing editor, freelance writer and editorial advisory board member for Diabetic Living, Meredith Corporation’s consumer diabetes magazine and website for nearly a decade until recently. She initiated and wrote the Nutrition Q&A column for The Washington Post for several years and was instrumental in creating an avenue for more dietitians to write for The Post.
Hope has authored professional articles in Diabetes Care, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Diabetes Educator, AADE In Practice and Nutrition Today. She’s the co-author several books for healthcare professionals published by American Diabetes Association. Hope is a sought after speaker who regularly presents at association annual meetings and nutrition and diabetes symposiums.
Hope demonstrates her leadership abilities in volunteer positions for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics dietetic practice groups and American Association of Diabetes Educators. She served on AADE’s Board of Directors, 2011-2013, served as president during 2016 and immediate past president during 2017. In June 2018 she will join the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board for a three year term.
Jennifer Nguyen, RDN; Director
Rochester, New York
Jen Nguyen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the School Dietitian for Victor Central School District in Victor, New York. Jen is also a Wellness Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer at Midtown Athletic Club and a Clinical Dietitian at Highland Hospital, both in Rochester, NY.
Jen is currently a member of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has been an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, serving on the board for the California Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics – Orange District and volunteering for the CAND Foundation for four consecutive years to raise money for scholarships. During her academic career, she was the recipient for the Outstanding Dietetic Student in Didactic Program in the State of California and awarded the Frederick Green Memorial Internship Award through AND Foundation, where she worked with Dr. Wendy Bazilian, with whom she continues to maintain a working relationship.
As a recipient of a Foundation Award, Jen is committed to empowering current and future RDNs to share the vision of the Second Century Campaign, where leaders in food and nutrition expand their efforts globally. Jen completed her dietetic internship at Cornell University and didactic program at California State University, Long Beach.
Hope S. Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, BC-ADM, FAADE; Secretary
Asheville, North Carolina
Hope Warshaw is a nationally recognized dietitian/nutritionist and diabetes educator. She applies nearly forty years of experience in her work as a book author and freelance writer, media spokesperson, consultant and diabetes educator within her business Hope Warshaw Associates, LLC. Hope is well known for her expertise in diabetes care and nutrition management, weight management, and healthy eating with particular knowledge in healthy restaurant eating. She offers practical solutions for wellness to individuals she counsels or to millions she connects with through an array of communication and social networking venues.
As a nutrition and diabetes consultant, Hope works or has worked with companies, such as Heartland Food Products Group, Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute, WellDoc, Insulet Corporation, AstraZeneca, Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc., and others. Over the years she has worked with PR companies, such as Powell Tate, Weber Shandwick, Fleischman Hillard, Edelman, and Porter Novelli.
As a media spokesperson Hope has promoted her books and better-for-you food products with the media. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, TV Food Network and has conducted thousands of interviews for print, radio, and online media outlets.
As a freelance writer, Hope has written several award-winning, best-selling consumer books and resources published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) including: Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy and Eat Out Eat Well – The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant and others. Hope served as a contributing editor, freelance writer and editorial advisory board member for Diabetic Living, Meredith Corporation’s consumer diabetes magazine and website for nearly a decade until recently. She initiated and wrote the Nutrition Q&A column for The Washington Post for several years and was instrumental in creating an avenue for more dietitians to write for The Post.
Hope has authored professional articles in Diabetes Care, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Diabetes Educator, AADE In Practice and Nutrition Today. She’s the co-author of several books for healthcare professionals published by American Diabetes Association. Hope is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at association annual meetings and nutrition and diabetes symposiums.
Hope demonstrates her leadership abilities in volunteer positions for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics dietetic practice groups and American Association of Diabetes Educators. She served on AADE’s Board of Directors, 2011-2013, served as president during 2016 and immediate past president during 2017.
Susan Laramee, MS, RDN, FADA, FAND; Director
Rockport, Massachusetts
Laramee is a Former President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, currently a member of the Ethics Committee of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and served as the Chair in 2017-2018. She was also a member of the Code of Ethics Task Force. As a past president of the Academy, she has served as a member of the Commission on Dietetics Registration, the Academy and the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors, and chaired numerous committees for the Academy. She is currently retired after a lengthy career in dietetics in which she served in both clinical and food management leadership roles.
Kathleen Niedert, MBA, RD, CSG, LD, FADA, LNHA, Treasurer
Hudson, Iowa
Niedert is the System Quality Assurance Officer of Western Home Services. As part of her job responsibilities, she is the network nutrition and dietetics specialist working with the company’s eight contracted and/or managed facilities. Previously, as owner of Omega Health Associates, she was a nutrition consultant to extended care facilities, physicians, substance abuse programs, home health care providers and private industry. Niedert has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Northern Iowa, teaching courses in nutrition, human metabolism, and food chemistry. A widely published author, she was the editor of the Academy’s Nutrition Care of the Older Adult (2016). She is a past president of the Iowa Dietetic Association and former chair of the Academy’s Dietetics in Health Care Communities dietetic practice group.
Niedert Received the Academy’s 2012 Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award, the organization’s highest honor, for her service to the Academy and the profession; the 2009 Medallion Award; and the 2001 Award of Excellence in Consultation and Business Practice. Niedert previously served on the Academy’s Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005; the House of Delegates from 2006 to 2009; and is a past member of the omission on Dietetic Registration.
Niedert is a graduate of Iowa State University and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Northern Iowa.
Cynthia Wolfram, RDN, LD; Director
Houston, Texas
Cynthia A. Wolfram is a Registered Licensed Dietitian with over 30 years of experience in Food Service Management and the Post-Acute Care Industry. Active at the local, state and national areas of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics serving in numerous capacities including the Academy House of Delegate, Academy Political Action Committee, serving as Chair in 2011, Chair of Dietetics in Healthcare Communities in 2018-2019, Affiliate Fundraising Chair. Principal/Owner of Dietitians For Healthcare, LLP serving seniors in Texas, providing consulting services to improve the quality of life for the all served.
Laurence Langholz, JD, MBA; Public Member
Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Summary: Lifetime entrepreneur starting, acquiring and growing companies.
Top Skills
Management Consulting Business Planning
Mergers & Acquisitions
Experience:
- AllTech Communications, LLC, Owner, 1998 – Present
Manufacturer of mobile towers for communication, surveillance, lighting and other uses. - AML Investments, LLC, Owner, 2002 – Present
Legal and financial strategic consulting, including business plan, start up and growth development. - Lafapar Energy, Principal, 2004 – Present
Oil and Natural Gas exploration and production - Mobile Properties, LLC, Owner, 1997 – Present
Commercial and Industrial Real Estate
Education:
- Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.), Taxation · (1989 – 1990)
- Pepperdine School of Law, Doctor of Law (JD) · (1986 – 1989)
- Rice University – Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management Master of Business Administration (MBA) · (1984 – 1986)
- Rice University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Business Administration and Management, General · (1981 – 1985)
- The Lawrenceville School (1978 – 1981)
Kevin Sauer, PhD, RDN, LD, CDE, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
Manhattan, Kansas
Sauer is an associate professor in the department of food, nutrition, dietetics and health at Kansas State University and co-director of the Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs. He specializes in management of food and nutrition services and previously worked in health care foodservice, child and school nutrition, college and university dining and corporate foodservice.
He has received numerous teaching and research awards including the K-State Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching (2019); the Inaugural Mentoring Award from the Kansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2019); the Dawley-Scholer Award for Excellence in Student Development (2018); Mary Ruth Bedford Distinguished Faculty Award (2016, 2018); Commerce Bank Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching (2013); and the K-State Excellence in Engagement Award (2013). He received the 2015 Distinguished Dietitian of the Year Award from the Kansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Sauer is a past chair of the Commission on Dietetic Registration and past chair of CDR’s Examination Panel. He is a member of the School Nutrition Association Governing Council and the Kansas Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness Advisory Committee.
Sauer attended Dodge City Community College and received undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from Kansas State University.
Samantha Rongstad; Student Member
Manhattan, Kansas
Samantha is a senior in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics. She is past Vice-President of the Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics club, is a student representative on the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics advisory board, and she enjoys volunteering in her community. Samantha is an active student member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was selected to serve as a student host at the 2019 Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition in Philadelphia, where she was assigned to assist as a scribe for the House of Delegates, and she looks forward to continued involvement with her professional organization.
Constance J. Geiger, PhD, RDN, LD; Secretary
Fort Bridger, Wyoming
Geiger is president of Geiger & Associates, LLC, and a research associate professor in the Division of Foods and Nutrition at the University of Utah. She is a past member of the Academy’s Board of Directors and chairs the Nutrition Division of the Institute of Food Technologists, where she promotes nutrition, food science and food safety.
Manju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND; Treasurer
Raleigh, North Carolina
Karkare is the owner of Nutritionally Yours LLC, a private practice offering personalized nutritional coaching. She has more than 20 years of experience in acute care clinical nutrition, outpatient oncology consulting, public health education and community nutrition.
Karkare is a member of the North Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Raleigh Dietetic Association; dietetic practice groups including Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition, Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Weight Management and Vegetarian Nutrition; and the Asian Indians in Nutrition and Dietetics member interest group. Karkare was selected in 2012 as one of the Academy’s four national Diversity Leaders. She served as treasurer of the Raleigh District, as reimbursement representative of North Carolina affiliate, leader of the AIND MIG and a member of the Academy’s Diversity Committee and Finance and Audit Committee.
Karkare is an active volunteer and leader at Meals on Wheels and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, teaching nutrition classes for low-income populations. She was named to the Cooking Matters’ Hall of Fame in 2016.
Karkare is a graduate of SNDT Women’s University in Pune, India, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky.
Catherine Christie, PhD, RND, LDN, FAND, FADA; Treasurer
Jacksonville, Florida
Christie is the associate dean and professor at the University of North Florida’s Brooks College of Health and a professor in the department of nutrition and dietetics, where she has worked since 2001. She was named the University’s Distinguished Professor in 2017. From 1988 to 1996, by appointment of the governor of Florida, Christie chaired the state’s Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council of the Agency for Health Care Administration, supervising activities of the council regarding licensure of dietitians and nutritionists. She has published dozens of research papers and book chapters on the prevention and treatment of excess weight and obesity; nutrition in chronic disease prevention; and interprofessional collaboration in education and health care.
Christie is the editor of the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Manual of Medical Nutrition Therapy. In her lengthy service to the Academy, Christie chaired the Member Sponsor Review Committee, Professional Development Committee and Nominating Committee; served on the Licensure, Scope of Practice and Competition Work Group and Publications Committee; served several terms in the House of Delegates; chaired the Nutrition Counseling Task Force and the Ethics Committee; and is a past president of the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Christie received the Academy’s 2010 Excellence in Practice in Dietetic Education Award and the 2007 Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award.
Christie is a graduate of Florida State University, where she also earned a master’s degree and doctorate.
Kiri Michell; Student Member
Fort Collins, Colorado
Michell is an undergraduate student at Colorado State University where she is studying Nutrition and Food Science.
Currently, she spearheads a program called the “FREEdge” to combat food insecurity on her college campus. She is involved in the food and nutrition club, current research in the department, Dean’s Leadership Council, and enjoys volunteering at local organizations in her community.
As an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she has served as the chair of the Student Advisory Committee and looks forward to continuing to work with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Sylvia A. Escott-Stump, MA, RDN, LDN; Director-at-Large
Winterville, North Carolina
Escott-Stump has directed the dietetic internship and didactic program at East Carolina University since 1998. She is an internationally-known speaker and consultant to physicians, groups, long-term care facilities, businesses and educational organizations. Escott-Stump is the author of seven editions of Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, forthcoming 2011) and five editions of Krause’s Food and Nutrition Therapy (Elsevier 2011). Previously, she worked in Pittsburgh, Pa., as director of dietetic services at Forbes Health System; director of the dietetic internship and clinical nutrition manager at Shadyside Hospital; a consulting dietitian at Wexford House Nursing Center; and associate director of nutrition services and WIC for the Family Health Council of Western Pennsylvania. At ADA, she has served as Speaker of the House of Delegates; chair of the Standardized Language task force; a House of Delegates Director; chair of the Council on Professional Issues; first chair of the Issues Management Committee; a member of the Alliance Task Force; and a member of the Association Positions, Quality Management, Legislative and Public Policy, Strategic Planning, External Governance and Finance committees. Escott-Stump is a past president of the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association and past-treasurer of the North Carolina Dietetic Association.
Her honors include ADA’s Medallion Award, the North Carolina Dietetic Association’s Member of the Year and Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Dietitian. She received ADA’s first Margene Wagstaff Fellowship for Innovation in Dietetics Education. Escott-Stump is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she also earned a master’s degree in adult/community education and received the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Sylvia A. Escott-Stump, MA, RDN, LDN; Director-at-Large
Winterville, North Carolina
Escott-Stump is the Assistant Professor and Dietetic of the Internship Director at East Carolina University.
She has authored eight editions of Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care; five editions of Krause’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process; and the second edition of Nutritional Foundations and Clinical Applications: A Nursing Approach. At the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
She has served as President; representative to the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations; Speaker of the House; Chair of the Standardized Language task force, Nutrition Educators and Preceptors Council, and the Clinical Nutrition Management practice group. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Academy Foundation.
Her honors include the Academy’s Medallion Award, Fellow, Lenna Frances Cooper Lecturer, recognition from North Carolina and Pennsylvania as Outstanding Dietitian, Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and an honorary doctorate.
Eileen T. Kennedy, DSc, RD; Director-at-Large
Great Falls, Virginia
Kennedy is the dean of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Her extensive global research on the causes of poor nutrition has led to improvements in food, agriculture and economic policies. With colleagues primarily in Latin America, Kennedy explores community-based strategies for good nutrition and prevention of chronic disease.
Catherine Christie, PhD, RDN, LD/N, FAND, FADA; Director-at-Large
Jacksonville, Florida
Christie is the Associate Dean and Professor in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida.
She is a past president of the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and co-author of four books including The Latino Food Lover’s Glossary, Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and I’d Kill for a Cookie. Dr. Christie is also Editor of the Manual of Medical Nutrition Therapy, which is updated and published by the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics each year.
A registered dietitian, Fellow of the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr. Christie earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University and served for six years as the Chairman of the Dietetics and Nutrition Council which regulates the nutrition profession in the state of Florida.
Dr. Christie is the recipient of several awards and/or certifications including Florida’s Distinguished Dietitian, Florida Dietetic Association Outstanding Service Award, Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management, Certificate of Training in Child and Adolescent Weight Management, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award, and most recently the Excellence in Practice Award for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently selected as the 2017 Distinguished Professor at the University of North Florida.
William C. Barkley, MBA, RD, LD, FAND; Director
North Kansas City, Missouri
Bill Barkley is the General Manager and Food Service Director at Children’s Mercy Hospitals of Kansas City. Bill is also an adjunct Clinical Instructor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center teaching management in the dietetic internship graduate program and serving as a preceptor for graduate interns from that program. Bill is a graduate of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Missouri State University.
Bill works to improve the health of the Kansas City Community by working with food policy, implementation of healthier foods served to children and caregivers of the Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and works with the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce health initiatives and the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Food Protection at the Kansas City Health Department. Bill is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has held several offices and committee assignments over his career.
Maureen E. Conway, MBA, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND; Director
Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Maureen E. Conway is a registered dietitian nutritionist with over 30 years experience in business and industry. The majority of her career was with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies as Director, Global Scientific & Professional Affairs, Consumer Health Division and the Director of Nutritional Affairs for McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. Maureen held prior positions with Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and early in her career with the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service. Maureen is licensed in the State of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center dietetic internship program and received a M.A. degree in Nutrition from Syracuse University and a M.B.A. degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
She is fellow and a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a founding member of the Academy’s Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group and has held an elected national executive committee position. Maureen has a strong interest in obesity, cardiovascular and diabetes nutrition management and is published in her field.
Becky Dorner, RDN, LDN, FAND; Chair-Elect
Dunedin, Florida
Becky has approximately 30 years of experience as a consultant, author and speaker. She is president of Becky Dorner & Associates Inc., specializing in education for health-care professionals who work with older adults; and Nutrition Consulting Services Inc., which has provided services to health-care facilities in Ohio since 1983. NCS’s 30 RDs and DTRs provide clinical, foodservice, cost control and quality improvement consultation, temporary services and staff education. Prior to starting NCS in 1983, Dorner was a regional dietitian for a long-term care corporation; a staff dietitian in home health and acute care, and a nursing facility RD/foodservice director.
Dorner has written, reviewed and contributed to more than 250 magazine/journal articles, books and videos, and presented more than 500 professional programs for state, national and international meetings. Dorner was the Speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates in 2012-2013. She received the Academy’s 2007 Award of Excellence in Business and Consultation; the 2003 Consultant Dietitians in Health Care Facilities Distinguished Member Award; the Academy Foundation’s 2006 Mary C. Zahasky Memorial Continuing Education Award; and the Academy’s 1993 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award, among others. Dorner has served on the Academy’s Research Committee; as communications chair of the American Overseas Dietetic Association; in the Academy’s House of Delegates as a Professional Issues Delegate (Business and Consultation); and as chair of the Consultant Dietitians in Health Care Facilities Dietetic Practice Group.
Dorner is a graduate of the University of Akron.
Camille Perrice Range, MPH, RD; Director-at-Large
Houston, Texas
Range graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition and minor in Communications. Following, she moved to Houston, TX to completed the dietetic internship and received a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health. While in Houston, Range acted as the Nutrition Coordinator, and later Program Manager for the BOUNCE Health Lifestyle Program at the University of Houston. This obesity prevention and research initiative combined nutrition, physical activity and psychological interventions to promote positive health changes in low-income Hispanic and African American children and families.
In the Summer 2015, Range served the Office of the First Lady Michelle Obama and the Let’s Move! initiative during the 5th year anniversary celebration. Range has been an active young member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics leadership. Range served as a 2017-2017 Diversity Leader, providing recommendations on how to implement programs aligning with the Academy’s Diversity Strategic Plan. In June 2016, Range was appointed to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board. This appointment came at in exciting time as the Academy celebrates the centennial anniversary of the dietetics profession. Currently, Range the Programming & Operations Manager for ISCOPES at the George Washington University Milken School of Public Health. ISCOPES is a health-focused interprofessional service-learning program for GW medical, nursing, graduate students and DC Metro community partners to address public health issues through smarter service.
Camille Perrice Range, MPH, RD; Secretary
Washington, District of Columbia
Range is the nutrition program coordinator for the University of Houston’s Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling and Exercise Healthy Lifestyle Program. Through the BOUNCE program, she mentors and trains undergraduate students in health education, nutrition and exercise sciences interested in careers in public health research and community health programs. Her work and research promotes the benefits and impact of using a multidimensional approach to stimulate healthy behavior changes in the home and community.
In the summer of 2015, she expanded her knowledge and experience tackling the national challenges of childhood obesity by serving as the sole intern for the Office of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. Range will return to Washington, D.C. to work in the intersecting fields of nutrition, public health and policy.
She is invested in the Academy’s ability to address the current and future challenges in its second century. Range also serves as a 2015-2017 Diversity Leader working to increase diversity and cultural competency in the Academy’s membership.
Range is a recent Masters of Public Health graduate from the University Of Texas School Of Public Health.
Kathy Wilson-Gold, MS, RDN, LD, FAND; Director-at-Large
Edmond, Oklahoma
Kathy Wilson-Gold, a registered and licensed dietitian, has built her career in the healthcare and education industry. She has a proven record of success leading executive teams to deliver innovative and customized business solutions that achieve strong market penetration, industry recognition and incremental economic value.
Kathy is currently employed by The CORE Group as Vice President of Non-Commercial and Culinary. She is responsible for three critical areas of business including K-12, healthcare and culinary. In her role, Kathy leads a national sales specialist and culinarian team to deliver unique value propositions for The CORE Group clients.
Prior to joining The CORE Group, Kathy was employed at the Campbell Soup Company where she was responsible for healthcare and education sales planning and strategy for the Away From Home division. Kathy has held other positions with a variety of food, nutrition and tech companies including Abbott Laboratories, Nova Services, US Foodservice (previously White Swan) and INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.
A familiar face in the dietetics profession, Kathy is a Fellow and Member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. She currently serves on the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors and has held various national and state offices, including Chair of the Academy’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Dietitians in Business and Communications Practice Group and President of the Texas Dietetic Association. She is a former member of the National Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation Board and currently serves as a board member of Edmond Mobile Meals.
Kathy earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her dietetic practicum at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Kathy Wilson-Gold, MS, RDN, LD, FAND; Secretary
Edmond, Oklahoma
Kathy Wilson-Gold, a registered and licensed dietitian, has built her career in the healthcare and education industry. She has a proven record of success leading executive teams to deliver innovative and customized business solutions that achieve strong market penetration, industry recognition and incremental economic value.
Kathy is currently employed by The CORE Group as Vice President of Non-Commercial and Culinary. She is responsible for three critical areas of business including K-12, healthcare and culinary. In her role, Kathy leads a national sales specialist and culinarian team to deliver unique value propositions for The CORE Group clients.
Prior to joining The CORE Group, Kathy was employed at the Campbell Soup Company where she was responsible for healthcare and education sales planning and strategy for the Away From Home division. Kathy has held other positions with a variety of food, nutrition and tech companies including Abbott Laboratories, Nova Services, US Foodservice (previously White Swan) and INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.
A familiar face in the dietetics profession, Kathy is a Fellow and Member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. She currently serves on the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors and has held various national and state offices, including Chair of the Academy’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Dietitians in Business and Communications Practice Group and President of the Texas Dietetic Association. She is a former member of the National Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation Board and currently serves as a board member of Edmond Mobile Meals.
Kathy earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her dietetic practicum at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Kathy Wilson-Gold, MS, RDN, LD, FAND; Chair-Elect
Edmond, Oklahoma
Kathy Wilson-Gold is a registered and licensed dietitian who has over 30 years of experience in business and industry. She has a proven record of success leading executive teams to deliver innovative and customized business solutions that achieve strong market penetration, industry recognition and incremental economic value.
Kathy’s career highlights include 18 years at the Campbell Soup Company and other leading healthcare companies like Abbott Laboratories-Hospital Products Division and Abbott Laboratories-Ross Products Division. In addition, she has been employed at US Foodservice (formerly White Swan) and INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center.
A familiar face in the dietetics profession, Kathy is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. She currently serves as Chair-Elect for the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors and has held various national and state offices, including Chair of the Academy’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Dietitians in Business and Communications Practice Group and President of the Texas Dietetic Association. She serves locally in her community as a board member of Edmond Mobile Meals and the YMCA.
Kathy earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her dietetic practicum at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Kathy Wilson-Gold, MS, RDN, LD, FAND; Past-Chair
Edmond, Oklahoma
Wilson-Gold has more than 30 years of experience in business and industry, leading executive teams to deliver innovative and customized business solutions for K-12, C&U and Healthcare. Her career highlights include the Administration on Aging in the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs, Campbell Soup Company, Abbott Laboratories and US Foodservice.
She has held national and state offices in the Academy, including Chair of the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors, Chair of the Academy’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Dietitians in Business and Communications dietetic practice group and President of the Texas affiliate. Wilson-Gold serves in her community as a board member of Edmond Mobile Meals and the YMCA.
She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma.
Maha Tahiri, PhD; Public Member
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Maha Tahiri is Chief Health and Wellness Officer at General Mills Inc. where she has been head of the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition since February 2012. Tahiri leads a group of dedicated nutrition and food scientists, dietitians and public health professionals. The Bell Institute integrates nutrition science, regulatory expertise and communications skills to deliver strategic innovation in health and nutrition for all of General Mills businesses globally. Prior to General Mills Inc., she was Global Innovation and New Benefits Director for Danone Research Dairy Division. In this role, Tahiri reorganized and defined a long-term worldwide innovation strategy while building an innovation pipeline. Prior to her role at Danone, she was the Nutrition Director for Coca-Cola, France from 2005-2008. In this role, she defined a health and nutrition strategy and delivered an action plan including sugar reduction and responsible marketing to children.
Tahiri held the roles of Nutrition Innovation Manager and Nutrition Communication Manager at Mars for Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition on dietary fibers and mineral bioavailability. Her PhD was performed at the Human Nutrition Research Center at the National Institute of Agricultural Research, Clermont-Ferrand-Theix, France. Tahiri serves on the executive board of IFIC and EUFIC board of directors. She is a member of the IOM Food Forum and the newly formed IOM collaborative roundtable on obesity solutions. She is an active member of ILSI North America and participated in multiples taskforces at ILSI Europe. In her previous roles, she also served on the Board of Directors of the French Nutrition Institute.
Maha Tahiri, PhD; Public Member
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Maha Tahiri is Chief Health and Wellness Officer at General Mills Inc. where she has been head of the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition since February 2012. Tahiri leads a group of dedicated nutrition and food scientists, dietitians and public health professionals. The Bell Institute integrates nutrition science, regulatory expertise and communications skills to deliver strategic innovation in health and nutrition for all of General Mills businesses globally.
Prior to General Mills Inc., she was Global Innovation and New Benefits Director for Danone Research Dairy Division. In this role, Tahiri reorganized and defined a long-term worldwide innovation strategy while building an innovation pipeline. Prior to her role at Danone, she was the Nutrition Director for Coca-Cola, France from 2005-2008. In this role, she defined a health and nutrition strategy and delivered an action plan including sugar reduction and responsible marketing to children.
Tahiri held the roles of Nutrition Innovation Manager and Nutrition Communication Manager at Mars for Europe, Middle East and North Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition on dietary fibers and mineral bioavailability. Her PhD was performed at the Human Nutrition Research Center at the National Institute of Agricultural Research, Clermont-Ferrand-Theix, France. Tahiri serves on the executive board of IFIC and EUFIC board of directors. She is a member of the IOM Food Forum and the newly formed IOM collaborative roundtable on obesity solutions. She is an active member of ILSI North America and participated in multiples taskforces at ILSI Europe. In her previous roles, she also served on the Board of Directors of the French Nutrition Institute.
Lisa M. Hilmi, MPH, BSN, RN; Public Member
Washington, District of Columbia
Lisa Hilmi has over 30 years of global health experience in over 20-plus countries, employing both human rights and community-based participatory approaches to addressing health disparities for women, children and communities. As a nurse, researcher, and public health expert, Hilmi has worked at multiple levels of global health, in policy, research, emergency relief and response, development, workforce development, health systems strengthening; from local to global levels. She has worked in development settings, led response to HIV/AIDS/STIs/GBV in refugee and conflict settings, and developed policy for outbreaks, disasters, and epidemics in multiple countries. She has led over $180 Million of development, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Clinically, Hilmi has worked in pediatric hospital, community, academic, and crisis settings, and has held leadership positions in the UN, Sigma Theta Tau International, INGOs, and foundations. Her research focuses on geographical health disparities for adolescents in urban settings. She has a strong history of partnership and coordination with UN, INGOs, CSOs, and other stakeholders. She sits on the WHO PMNCH Board, the Steering Committee of the Child Health Task Force, Global Health Council’s Presidential Advisory Committee, as well as other review committees. She holds an MPH from Columbia University, a BSN and completing her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, was a Jonas Nurse Scholar, and holds a BA in Communications and Political Science from Villanova University.
August Schumacher, Jr; Public Member
Washington, D.C.
Schumacher is the Founding Board Chair at Wholesome Wave.
From 1997 to 2001, he served as President Clinton’s Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at USDA. Prior this, Schumacher served as Administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, worked as a senior Agri-lender for the World Bank, and served as Commissioner of Food and Agriculture for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
After Harvard College, he studied at the London School of Economics and was a research associate in agribusiness at the Harvard Business School, working with Professor Ray A. Goldberg. Schumacher was a member of the 21st National Academy of Sciences whose report was published in 2010. In 2007, Schumacher jointly oversaw the preparation of the Task Force Report of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, titled “Modernizing America’s Food and Farm Policy: Vision for a New Direction” (2008).
He has received leadership awards from the James Beard Foundation and the EOS Foundation.
Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA; Public Member
Baltimore, Maryland
Bruce is the Executive Director of operations research at the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, associate professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. He is the scientific lead for the Highly Extensible Resource for Modeling Event-Driven Supply Chains (HERMES) Project and the Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA) Project.
Bruce has over 15 years of experience in industry and academia in systems science and developing and implementing mathematical and computational methods, models, and tools to assist decision making in public health and medicine. Previously, he was associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where he founded and directs the Public Health Computational and Operations Research (PHICOR) group which specializes in designing economic and operational computer models that help decision makers tackle a variety of global health issues. He has served as the principal investigator for grants from a variety of sponsors, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), UNICEF, Global Good, and the Global Fund. His previous positions include serving as senior manager at Quintiles Transnational (1998-2000), where he led teams that developed economic and operational models for a variety of clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries; working in biotechnology equity research at Montgomery Securities (1997); and co-founding Integrigen (1998-2000), a biotechnology/bioinformatics company. Bruce authored over 175 scientific publications, as well as three books: Principles and Practice of Clinical Trial Medicine, What If? Survival Guide for Physicians, and Medical Notes: Clinical Medicine Pocket Guide. He is also an associate editor for the journal Vaccine, an area series editor for the Wiley Series on Modeling and Simulation and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. He and his work have garnered attention in leading media outlets, such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Businessweek, U.S. News and World Report, Nature Medicine, and National Public Radio (NPR).
Sitoya Mansell, MPH, CHES; Student Member
San Bernardino, California
Mansell is currently a student finishing up a second Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences at California State University, San Bernardino and will begin her Dietetic Internship there this fall. She will also begin working on her second Master’s degree in Nutrition from the University of North Dakota.
She has 12 years of experience in the area of nutrition, health and wellness and has worked as a Health Education Assistant for Riverside County Department of Public Health, Nutrition Services and Health Promotion Department and a Health Coach for United Health Group, Optum Health Wellness. Mansell has been a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) for eight years and has helped thousands of clients adopt healthy lifestyles.
As an active member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she has served as a Student Liaison. She is also a past recipient of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Scholarship (ANDF), California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Scholarship (CAND) and the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics- Inland District Achievement Award/Scholarship (CAND-ID).
Mansell currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Morris Brown College in Atlanta Georgia, and Master’s Degree in Public Health from California State University, San Bernardino.
Sitoya Mansell, MPH, CHES; Student Member
San Bernardino, California
Mansell is currently a student completing her dietetic internship at California State University, San Bernardino and also a Graduate student at the University of North Dakota, completing her Master’s degree in Nutrition.
She has 13 years of experience in the area of nutrition, health and wellness and has worked as a Health Education Assistant for Riverside County Department of Public Health, Nutrition Services and Health Promotion Department and a Health Coach for United Health Group, Optum Health Wellness. Mansell has been a Certified Health Education Specialist for eight years and has helped thousands of clients adopt healthy lifestyles.
As an active member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she has served as a Student Liaison. She is also a past recipient of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Scholarship, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Scholarship and the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics- Inland District Achievement Award/Scholarship.
Mansell currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Morris Brown College in Atlanta Georgia, a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences from California State University, San Bernardino, and Master’s Degree in Public Health from California State University, San Bernardino.
Donna S. Martin, EdS, RDN, LD, SNS, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
Augusta, Georgia
Martin is director of the Burke County (Georgia) school nutrition program, which has 4,500 students in five schools, serving breakfast, lunch, after-school snacks and supper. Four of the schools have been acknowledged as Healthier US School Challenge Gold winners.
She has received honors and awards including Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year and the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year from the Georgia Dietetic Association; the Excellence in Practice Award from the School Nutrition Services Dietetic Practice Group; and the Academy Foundation’s 2007 Judy Ford Stokes Award for Innovation in Administrative Dietetics.
An active member of the Academy’s School Nutrition Services DPG, Martin was the group’s electronic communications chair and newsletter editor. She represented the Georgia Dietetic Association in the Academy’s House of Delegates; is a member of the School Nutrition Association Foundation’s board of directors; and served on the Georgia Department of Education’s Task Force on Nutrition Standards for School Nutrition Programs. She served as the Academy’s treasurer-elect in 2012-2013 and the Academy’s Treasurer in 2013-2015.
Martin is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Alabama–Birmingham and an education specialist degree from Augusta State University.
Mary K. Russell, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President-Elect
Chicago, Illinois
Russell is senior manager, US nutrition medical affairs, at Baxter Healthcare and a lecturer at the Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine and Science. Previously, she was director of the department of clinical nutrition at the University of Chicago Medical Center and worked at Duke University Hospital in positions including director of nutrition services, trauma/surgery dietitian clinician and adult nutrition support team dietitian clinician.
Russell will serve as the Academy’s president in 2018-2019. A past member of the Academy’s House of Delegates, Russell served on the Board of Directors for five years as treasurer-elect, treasurer and immediate past treasurer. She was a member of the Academy’s Honors, Finance and Audit, Nutrition Care Process/Standardized Language, and International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology Review committees, and the Code of Ethics Review Task Force. Russell chaired the Ethics, Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo Program Planning Advisory and Foundation Scholarship committees. She is a past member of the Academy Foundation’s Board, past chair of the Dietitians in Nutrition Support dietetic practice group and past president of the North Carolina Dietetic Association. Russell was co-chair of the Academy/A.S.P.E.N. Task Force for the Revision of Standards of Practice and Professional Performance for Nutrition Support Dietitians. She received the 2011 Nutrition Support Dietitian Service Award from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and the Academy’s Medallion Award in 2009.
Russell is the author or co-author of numerous papers in the area of nutrition support. She co-authored a chapter in the Academy’s Pocket Guide to Nutrition Assessment (2nd ed) and co-authored the Academy’s Critical Illness Toolkit (2010).
Russell is a graduate of Marquette University and earned a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Patricia M. Babjak, MLIS (Ex-Officio); Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Foundation Chief Executive Officer
Chicago, Illinois
Babjak joined the Academy in 1975 and became director of the Commission on Dietetic Registration in 1978, serving until 1998 when she became executive vice president for Strategic Management and Governance. As executive vice president, she was responsible for overseeing development and implementation of the Academy’s strategic plan and for developing mechanisms to measure the Academy’s progress toward goals and objectives. Babjak facilitated the reorganization of the Academy’s governance structure, including new roles for the Board of Directors and House of Delegates and the transformation of the Academy’s Nominating Committee into a force for leadership development and diversity within the Academy. Babjak served as the Academy’s interim chief executive officer in 1997.
In 2004, in recognition of her service to the Academy and to the dietetics profession, Babjak became just the fourth staff member to be awarded honorary Academy membership.
Babjak served on the Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Leadership Institute and the Pew Health Professions Commission on Educating Health Care Workforce Task Force. She chaired the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and served on the Leadership Council for the National Organization for Competency Assurance.
Babjak is a graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago and earned a master’s degree in library science from Dominican University.
