Election 2022

Election results

Congratulations to the DIFM DPG/MIG elected officers 2022-2023

Chair-elect:

Linda Lockett Brown, ABD, RDN, LDN

Treasurer:

Manju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, FAND

Nominating Committee Chair-elect:

Laura Bollinger, MS, RDN

HOD Delegate

Faye Berger Mitchell, RDN, LDN, FAND

Chair-elect

Linda Lockett Brown, ABD, RDN, LDN

Linda Lockett Brown has extensive experience in nutrition, food service management, and education. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, holds licensure as a Dietitian Nutritionist from the State of Florida, and Lifestyle Counselor Certification in Stress and Weight Management. 

She earned her BS in Food Science and Technology and MS in Nutrition from the University of Florida. She is currently completing her EdD in eLearning.   Her research interest is online diabetes self-management education and support.

She is the president of CINET REGISTERED DIETITIANS & WELLNESS which provides nutrition counseling and food service management consulting for individuals, groups, and institutions.  She has presented workshops worldwide for numerous organizations in nutrition, diabetes education, health, wellness, food safety, teambuilding, and online learning. Her company received grant funding in 2021 from the Southwest Florida Health Planning Council to begin the accreditation process for a hybrid Diabetes Self-Management and Support program.

Professional experience includes positions as a Chemist/Microbiologist for Green Giant, Director of School Food Service, Headstart Food Service, and hospital Food and Nutrition Director where she directed operations with up to 260 employees, 39 locations, and 2-to-8-million-dollar budgets.  

She received tenure while on the faculty of the University of Florida. Other faculty positions include the University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, St. Johns River Community College, Palm Beach Community College, Kaplan University, Concorde Career Academy, and Fortis College.

She has written extensively for newspapers and magazines. Her media experience includes TV, radio, magazines, and podcasts in New York, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, and West Palm Beach.

Service to the profession includes selection as the SPARC representative for the Florida Dietetic Association that was tasked with recruitment of minority students into the field. She has a long history of mentoring students while in school and providing career guidance after graduation.

She has served as Newsletter or Assistant Newsletter Editor for the DIFM and MNT practice groups.  She designed a Dietary Supplement course for the Masters’ Level Nutrition Program at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.  She has written exam questions for the Certification Board of the American Medical Informatics Association and ServSafe Food Safety Manager certification tests.

Community involvement includes appointment by the Governor of Florida to two terms on the Health and Human Services Board where she saved local WIC funding. She also served as Chair of the Clay County Children’s commission where she secured USDA funding for a summer feeding program and fed 7,800 meals to underprivileged children.  

Treasurer

Manju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, FAND

A nationally recognized leader, speaker, and activist committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion in, and access to the profession of dietetics, Manju is the President/CEO of a Private Practice for the past 10 years. Her integrative and functional nutrition practice is focused on gut health, inclusive weight management, prevention, and wellness as well as corporate wellness culinary demos. She has vast experience in dietetics as well as leadership. She is a Past Treasurer of the Academy, past Public Policy Coordinator for North Carolina, and a current DEI Committee member of DIFM DPG among other volunteer roles within the Academy units.

Nominating Committee Chair-elect

Laura Bollinger, MS, RDN

Laura Bollinger is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Physiologist. She earned her B.S. in Exercise Science and M.S. in Dietetics from Ball State University. Laura currently serves as the Founding Program Director for the Master of Science in Nutrition and Nutrigenomics at Manchester University. Throughout her career, she has worked in metabolic weight loss, bariatrics, long-term care, corporate and employee wellness, personal training, and cardiac rehabilitation. Laura’s research interests include interactions between nutrition, exercise, the gut microbiome, and the human genome.

HOD Delegate

Faye Berger Mitchell, RDN, LDN, FAND

Faye’s entrepreneurial spirit has resulted in a variety of self-created businesses including her nutrition private practice and consulting business, Nutrition Consulting services, a partnership to provide resources to help dietitians start their own business, including two publications for ADA, and Foodie On Campus, an online magazine. She has spoken at many state, regional, and annual dietetic association meetings and has worked extensively with the media, both as a source and as a contributing author. She has held many board positions at the state level and with NEDPG. Faye is completing a master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at the University of Maryland. She plans to re-boot her private practice and consulting business to blend her nutrition and medical cannabis expertise. Awards include the Award for Excellence in Consultation and Business Practice (ADA) and Outstanding Nutrition Entrepreneur of the Year (NEDPG).

Lora Silver, MS, RD, LD, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair 2021-2022

Lora is currently an outpatient oncology dietitian with Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut. She is a second career dietitian with prior experience in grant writing, outcome evaluation, and health coaching. Lora demonstrates personalized approaches, coaching techniques, and commitment to health equity in her nutrition care. Lora holds a master’s degree from Bastyr University and completed her internship at Cleveland Clinic. Her recipe development and writing have appeared in the cookbook Plant-Based on a Budget, websites The Plant-Powered Dietitian and Bastyr Health Tips, and print magazine Northwest Prime Time. Her previous board leadership experience includes chairing committees and organizing career development events with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Outside of dietetics, Lora lives for restorative yoga and bread baking experiments. Lora has been an enthusiastic member of DIFM since 2016. lorasilver@gmail.com

Elise Harrison, MS, RDN, CDN, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair 2021-2022

Manju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, FAND, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Associate 2021-2022

Manju is the owner of Nutritionally Yours LLC, a private practice offering personalized nutritional coaching focused on integrative and functional nutrition and weight management. She has more than 25 years of experience in acute care clinical nutrition, outpatient oncology consulting, public health education, and community nutrition. Manju served as the Academy’s Treasurer in 2018-2019. Manju is a member of the North Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Raleigh Dietetic Association; dietetic practice groups including Nutrition Informatics, Sports Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition, Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Weight Management and Vegetarian Nutrition. She is a member and past chair of the Academy’s Asian Indians in Nutrition and Dietetics member interest group and a member of the Asian-America and Pacific Islanders MIG. Manju recently served on the Academy’s Board of Directors as the Immediate-Past Treasurer and on the NC Affiliate Board as the Public Policy Coordinator. She is actively serving as Social Media Chair of Vegetarian DPG, Communications team member of Weight Management DPG, Diversity Associate for Dietitian in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and Diversity Liaison for the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness DPG.

Manju was selected in 2012 as one of the Academy’s four national Diversity Leaders and received the North Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2018 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award. She served as treasurer of the Raleigh District, as reimbursement representative of the North Carolina affiliate, and a member of the Academy’s Diversity Committee and Finance and Audit Committee, Diversity Committee, and Nutrition Services Payment Committee.

Manju 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. She serves on a variety of area non-profit boards and has held leadership positions on the same.

Manju is a graduate of SNDT Women’s University in Pune, India, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky. manjukarkare@gmail.com

Analy Gonzalez, MPH, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Associate 2021-2022

My name is Analy Gonzalez and I live in Omaha, Nebraska. I have a masters in public health with concentrations in maternal/ child nutrition from the University of San Francisco. I am currently doing my distance dietetic internship at the University of New England. Functional and integrative medicine have always been a part of my life without me knowing it. As a child I grew up with complex digestive issues and my grandmother was the only one that would relieve my pain. My grandmother was a curandera (healer) as well as a partera (midwife) in Mexico. I learned about various remedies and the importance of self love and healing. My father also has a background in naturopathic medicine and herbal remedies were always incorporated growing up. Working in public health opened my eyes to a variety of different issues in the current healthcare system. As much as I loved working with families, I was disappointed in the healthcare provided for families suffering from certain medical conditions that ranged from diseases such as diabetes, food sensitivities, and allergies, and saw how families were shamed about their cultural upbringings and remedies. As a future dietician, I aspire to continue my family’s tradition and pay homage to my cultural background. I am happy to be part of DIFM’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Associate and further engage students from all backgrounds to continue their culture’s traditions and offer a different perspective to integrative and functional medicine. analygonzalez4@gmail.com

Sarah Thomsen Ferreira, MS, MPH, RD, CDN, IFNCP, CHWC, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Associate 2021-2022

Sarah Thomsen Ferreira, MS, MPH, RD, CDN, IFNCP, CHWC, is an integrative Registered Dietitian and professionally trained health coach grounded in a ‘food as medicine’ philosophy. Sarah received her BS in Nutrition Science with a minor in Psychology through Russell Sage College and earned a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Management and a Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice. Sarah is currently the manager of clinical nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine in Ohio. sthomsenferreira@gmail.com

Mary Purdy, MS, RDN, Environment and Nutrition Chair 2020-2022

Mary Purdy, MS, RDN is an Integrative and Eco-Dietitian, with a Master’s Degree from Bastyr University where she is currently adjunct faculty. She has been in clinical practice for over 12 years in both private practice, and as a clinical supervisor at Bastyr’s Teaching Clinic and with the Wellness Company, Arivale, using a personalized medicine and functional nutrition approach. She has given over 100 nutrition workshops, speaks regularly at health and nutrition conferences, and was the keynote speaker at Bastyr University’s Commencement Ceremony 2019. She was DIFM Chair 2017-2018 and has served on the board since 2012. She also serves on the board of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. She is the co-author/creator of the revised “Environmental Toxins, Exposure, and Elimination” Module of the Certificate of Training Program offered by The Academy Center for Lifelong Learning and co-authored the Diet Appendix for The Anti-Inflammatory Diet chapter for the 14th& 15th ed. of Krause’s Food & The Nutrition Care Process. Additionally, she hosts the podcast “The Nutrition Show”, authored the books “Serving the Broccoli Gods” and “The Microbiome Reset Diet”, and is a tireless advocate for a sustainable food system that supports our environment and helps to mitigate climate change. MaryPurdyRD@gmail.com

Sarah Elster, RDN, LDN, FNCE Planning Chair 2021-2023

Sarah recently graduated from the UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Dietetic Internship program and holds her AND Certificate in Nutrition Science from Dominican University. Sarah has a passion for integrative nutrition, pediatrics, and clinical work. She has been a DIFM member since 2017 and will continue her role as Student Membership Co-Chair for the 2020-2021 year. Her goal as Student Membership Co-Chair is to support students who are interested in integrative and functional medicine and to build a strong connection between members. Sarah.a.elster@gmail.com

Kristen Nicolai, Marketing Associate 2021-2022

Kristen Nicolai is a master’s student in Hunter College’s Integrated Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (IPND). Prior to pursuing a career as a registered dietitian, Kristen worked in media and advertising in NYC. She has a BA in Communication from Boston College. She has served on the Westchester Rockland Dietetic Association as Student Liaison and is a recent recipient of the Frederick Green Memorial Nutrition Communications Experience Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As Marketing Associate, she is excited for the opportunity to couple her background with her current nutrition training and passion for integrative nutrition. When she is not studying or interning, she enjoys cycling, baking, reading, and traveling. kmnicolai@gmail.com

Andrea Hinojosa, MS, BS, RD, LDN, CLC, Member Services Chair 2020-2022

Kayla Farrell, RD, Mentoring and Coaching Chair 2021-2023

kayfarrell07@gmail.com

Sandeep (Anu) Kaur, MS, RDN, RYT-500, Mind-Body Therapy Chair 2020-2022

Pamela Malo, MHS, RD, KYT, Mind-Body Therapy Co-Chair 2021-2022

Pamela Malo is a writer, kindness coach, and speaker. She earned her Master’s from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and has worked in global health, private practice, the startup industry, politics, and, for over a decade, as a dietary interviewer with NHANES (ask her about the 60 cities she lived and 7,000 dietary interviews she did!) Pamela is passionate about the connection between mind and body and is the creator of Pajama Yoga! and the Yoga for Peaceful Eating Program that combines nutrition, yoga, and mindfulness. She is also a regular virtual speaker for dietetic internships and nutrition students on topics related to leadership and career development. pamela@pamelamalo.com

Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, EBQ, MBCP, Network Chair 2021-2023

Kathie Madonna Swift, MS RDN LDN FAND EBQ, MBCP is an author, teacher, and integrative dietitian/nutritionist. Kathie is dedicated to helping patients on their personal healthcare journey, integrating the very best of nutritional science and mind-body modalities.

An educator at heart, Kathie has a special interest in digestive disorders, chronic pain conditions, and brain health.  She is the co-founder of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy, www.IFNAcademy.com, an online functional nutrition training program for health care professionals.  Kathie also directs the Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s highly acclaimed “Food As Medicine” program and serves as faculty for their mind-body skills groups around the world.  She is certified in qi gong and weaves this meditative movement practice into her teachings.

Kathie pioneered innovative nutrition programs at Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, The UltraWellness Center and continues to consult at all three organizations today.

She is the author of The Swift Diet: 4 Weeks to Mend the Belly, Lose the Weight, and Get Rid of the Bloat, and co-authored The Inside Tract: Your Good Gut Guide to Health and The IFMNT Radial.  Connect with Kathie at www.kathieswift.com kathie@kathieswift.com

Joseph Zastawny, RDN, LD, Network Associate 2021-2022

Joe’s commitment to nutrition and holistic health started as he experienced improvements in his acne related to diet and lifestyle changes. This led to him completing Cuyahoga Community College’s Dietetic Technology Program in 2010 and becoming a Dietetic Technician, Registered. From there, he learned organic agriculture and engaged in urban farming for several years. With Joe’s discovery of Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine (DIFM DPG), he returned to dietetics, completed The University of Akron Coordinated Undergraduate Program in Dietetics, and became a registered dietitian in 2019. He has continued to work in the Cleveland local food system through nonprofits involved in garden-based education, community gardens, and urban farming. Joe received DIFM’s diversity stipend in 2019 to complete a video report on the FNCE Philadelphia session titled Integrative Approaches to Digestive Diseases in Children. Promoting health by treating the gut and microbiome is one of Joe’s favorite aspects of nutrition in integrative and functional medicine. With this interest, he completed The Academy’s Certificate of Training in Integrative and Functional Nutrition and is enrolled in the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA) to become an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner. joezast1@yahoo.com

Jena Savadsky Griffith, RDN, IHC, Newsletter Editor 2021-2022

Having worked in the field of nutrition for almost 16 years, Jena was inspired to redirect her career path and returned to school after transforming her own health with integrative and functional nutrition. She is currently the director of nutrition for the Culpeper Wellness Foundation and Powell Wellness Center, the top-ranking medical wellness center in Virginia. Jena has been the lead nutrition instructor for Charlottesville’s community education program for the last 10 years and also maintains a private practice specializing in digestive health and chronic pain. She has received certifications from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and uses food and nature as a doorway to improving mind, body, and spirit. She is an author, writer, educator, and fervent presenter on various integrative and functional nutrition topics and believes that IFN RD’s are uniquely positioned to make the most impact on the health of this nation.   Jena joined DIFM in 2015 as Associate Editor of The Integrative RDN and became Editor in 2018. With a BA in journalism, serving as an Editor is a perfect combination of past and present passions.  Although a New York City native, Jena is mostly adapted to the tranquility of Virginia, where she lives with her husband and son.jenas_mailbox@yahoo.com

Janie Jacoby, MS, RD, Associate Newsletter Editor 2021-2022

Janie Jacoby is a master’s student in Community Nutrition and Dietetics at Colorado State University. She is currently in the process of applying to dietetic internships and is excited to see where that takes her next year. She is also currently working on her master’s thesis, which is focused on nutritional approaches to addressing Alzheimer’s disease and online curriculum development. Janie works in the CSU Extension office, where she develops nutrition-related educational materials. She is also the president of the Holistic Health Alliance at CSU, which is a student organization that hosts speakers and events on a variety of holistic health topics. When not working, she enjoys cooking, hiking, practicing yoga, listening to functional nutrition podcasts, and wandering farmer’s markets with a good cup of coffee. Janie.Jacoby@gmail.com

Holly Van Poots, RDN, CSP, FAND, Copy Editor 2021-2022

Holly Van Poots, RDN, CSP, FAND, is a private practice dietitian specializing in integrative nutrition care throughout the lifespan. Her practice, Be Balanced Nutrition, LLC, is part of an integrative performance center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she collaborates with two functional chiropractors, a massage therapist, and a trainer specializing in Pilates and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization. She has over 15 years of experience working with acutely ill children in several large health systems and has been a Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition since 2006. She has served as a subject matter expert for the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s Pediatric Specialty Exam and has been a member of the advisory committee for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Dietetic Internship Program. She became a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND) in 2015. She is a Past Chair of the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group and has also been the editor of the PNPG Building Block for Life. She is currently the copy editor for the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine newsletter, The Integrative RDN, and for the patient education team of the Renal Dietitians Practice Group. She is the 2018-2021 Pediatric Nutrition DPG delegate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics House of Delegates. Holly is a dynamic speaker and dedicated leader with a passion for healthy living and for her family. Outside of nutrition, she spends her time raising two boys and teaching Pilates, TRX, and barre group fitness classes. hollypnpg@gmail.com

Vivianne Swart, MPH, RD, RYT, Newsletter Editor/News You Can Use/Resource Reviews 2021-2022

Vivianne is currently an outpatient oncology dietitian in the integrative medicine department at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Arizona. Vivianne is passionate about sharing research and frequently sends literature summaries to her colleagues to help combat misinformation and keep her team updated on the latest nutritional therapies, trends, and interventions she is using. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in a self-designed major, Human Health and Well-Being. She received her graduate degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Vivianne enjoys teaching aerial yoga, traveling to new places, and trying every new food trend she can. vivimswa@gmail.com

Staci Belcher, MS, RDN, LDN, Newsletter CPE Editor 2021-2022

Dina Ranade, RDN, LD, Newsletter Editor/Botanicals 2021-2022

dranade@comcast.net

Jonathan Isbill, MS, RD, Nominating Committee Chair-Elect 2021-2022

Jonathan is a Registered Dietitian and Health Coach who holds a Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from Ball State University. He currently works with Parsley Health, a growing holistic functional telemedicine company, consults for a rural urgent access hospital, and private consulting. He first began his journey learning about food as medicine in search of answers to help heal his mother’s Crohn’s Disease during high school, which led him to discover holistic and functional medicine. Jonathan is a passionate advocate for nutrition, education, health literacy, helping others better understand how to live their best lives possible.

He has particular interests in the use of herbs and spices, cultural cuisines, and plant-based diets, and the role of nutritional psychiatry for applications in mental health, addiction medicine, and recovery settings in health promotion. In his free time, he enjoys writing articles, listening to the latest and greatest podcasts in the world of health and wellness, cooking, and exploring new cultures in travel and in conversations with others. jonathanzaza33@gmail.com

Kelsey Lloyd, MS, RDN, Nominating Committee Member 2021-2022

Kelsey Lloyd, MS, RDN, currently works as a pediatric inpatient dietitian specializing in eating disorder treatment. Her interest in integrative and functional nutrition was sparked by the crossover between mental health and nutrition.

She completed her B.S. in nutritional science as well as her combined M.S. in nutrition and Dietetic Internship at Boston University. Her other interests outside of integrative and functional nutrition include sports and pediatric nutrition. In her spare time, she loves to workout, cook, bake, and check out concerts and museums. kelseylloyd201@gmail.com

Chrissy Barth, MS, RDN, RYT, Policy Advocacy Leader (PAL) 2021-2024

Chrissy Barth, MS, RDN, RYT, is an integrative and functional sports registered dietitian and mind-body expert in the field of holistic nutrition who is passionate about teaching others about optimal health and performance by taking the confusion out of nutrition. She is the founder and CEO of Live Breathe Nutrition, LLC and Nutrition Lifestyle Education – nutrition coaching and consulting practices in Phoenix, Arizona where she serves as a nutrition consultant to sports teams, spas, behavioral health programs, medical and training facilities, corporations, and local and national media outlets serving as a media spokesperson. Chrissy is also a Lecturer at Arizona State University where she teaches sports nutrition, complementary health care, human nutrition, and entrepreneurship and serves as a mentor to many aspiring future RDs.

Chrissy has been awarded inclusion of Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals in Dietetics “Honors Edition” of the Registry – the single highest mark of achievement as a dietitian and has received recognition as Arizona’s Young Dietitian of the Year. Chrissy enjoys giving back to her community and volunteers her time educating youth athletes on the benefits of sports nutrition.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, she is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its practice groups of sports and weight management dietitians, nutrition entrepreneurs, and dietitians in integrative and functional medicine the latter where she serves as the Mind-Body editor of the Integrative RDN Newsletter.  Chrissy is also an active member of the Arizona Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association, The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, the International Sports Sciences Association, Yoga Alliance, and the National Speakers Association – Arizona.

Chrissy received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in human nutrition from Arizona State University. An athlete, foodie, and sports enthusiast, Chrissy enjoys dining out with friends and family, spending time outdoors hiking, and supporting many local athletic events in Arizona. Last, but certainly not least, you can be sure to catch Chrissy in a yoga studio somewhere in the Valley most days of the week and encourages many of her clients to incorporate yoga and other mindfulness-based practices into their lifestyles. chrissy@nutritionlifestyleeducation.com

Therese Berry, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, Professional Advancement Chair 2021-2023

Therese Berry MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC has been a DIFM member since 2011 serving as Chair of Professional Advancement and Chair of the Speaker’s Bureau and Professional Advancement Associate. Therese works for Coram CVS Specialty Infusion going on 11 years as a nutrition support dietitian where she cares for patients who require home parenteral nutrition. She has a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Notre Dame College and a Master of Science in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve Medical Center. She has been a certified nutrition support clinician since 2001. She has a strong interest in functional medicine, food as medicine and is passionate about the belief that health is more than just freedom from illness. therese.austin@coramhc.com

Olivia Wagner, RD, Professional Advancement Associate 2021-2022

Dr. Dana M. Elia, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, Research Chair 2021-2023

Dr. Dana M. Elia, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND is an integrative and functional dietitian with over 25 years of clinical experience. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dana relocated to Lancaster, PA in 2001 where she is the owner of Fusion Integrative Health and Wellness, LLC which was honored with the 2019 Best of Lancaster Award for the nutritionist category. Dana is currently a nutrition faculty member at Huntington University of Health Sciences, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Western States, and precepts dietetic interns for Rutgers University.

Dana has served on the executive committee of Dietitians in Integrative and Function Medicine (DIFM) since 2013, where she holds the Research Chair position and spearheads the Specialty Certification Task Force. She previously served DIFM as Past-Chair, Chair, Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Member Services Chair. Dana also sits on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics DPG Advisory Council to the CEO and is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Council on Research, Scientific Integrity Subcommittee.

Dana enjoys writing about diet and nutrition and sees the process as a means to help people identify the underlying root causes of the barriers preventing them from optimal wellness. She is the author of The Stem Cell Activation Diet and The Sugar Detox Diet for 50+. In her free time, she loves hiking, camping at the Delaware seashore, traveling with her husband James, scuba diving, or going on an adventure with her rescued lab, Champ. drdana.elia@gmail.com

Tamara Luck, RDN, LDN, Social Media Chair 2020-2022

Tamara Luck RDN, LDN is an integrative and functional dietitian who works with clients in the Boston area. Tamara grew up in Massachusetts after moving to the US from Switzerland. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed her training at one of Boston’s top hospitals before transitioning to a private practice run out of a wellness store. She loves connecting with clients and supporting their wellness through improving gut health, food choices, and lifestyle. tamaraluckrdn@gmail.com

Valerie Vieira, RD, Sponsorship Associate 2021-2022

Val Vieira is from Albuquerque, NM! She currently works as a Registered Dietitian and Health Educator for Employee Health Services at Sandia National Laboratories, home of over 14,000 employees. She is also halfway done with her Masters of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. Val loves to cook and prepare delicious meals. In her free time, Val enjoys running her dog, going to Crossfit, doing hot yoga and kickboxing, and spending time with her family and friends. Val’s passion is helping others find and strive for their ultimate balance of health! She believes in sustainability when it comes to diet and lifestyle. A long-term goal for Val is to open her own functional nutrition private practice. Val has been a member of DIFM for quite some time and is so happy to be a part of the board! vjvieir@gmail.com

Sangeeta Shrivastava, Ph.D., RDN, State Coordinator, CA 2021-2022

Dr. Sangeeta Shrivastava, Ph.D., RDN is a Clinical Dietitian in a subacute setting and a faculty at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, CA. She holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry.

Sangeeta originally started working as a consultant dietitian and nutritionist in 1995 and University faculty in 2000 in India and worked till 2002. During her term at university, she was given the responsibility to coordinate department, she also guided 10 students for their master’s degree thesis and established collaboration with local hospitals and MDs. She moved to the USA in February 2003 and went back to school to become RDN here in the USA.

Nutrition and Dietetics are not only her profession but her true passion where she visualizes to empower each person about a healthy lifestyle to reduce the burden of health disparities in the community. As a clinical dietitian, she strongly believes that if nutrition is at the forefront of the care, the cost of health care, length of hospital stay, and rate of readmission will be significantly reduced. She works very closely with MDs, Nursing staff, and other healthcare providers to achieve this.

Born and raised in India where Ayurvedic Lifestyle was the daily norm of Sangeeta’s grandparents- She feels that integrative approach is the best way when we talk about prevention of chronic diseases- where we can blend ancient wisdom with modern medicine to find the root cause and treat health problems in a holistic manner. As an educator, she strongly believes it’s doable to blend the integrative approach in modern medicine/ nutrition. She co-authored a chapter on Ayurveda in the latest text of Integrated and Functional Medicine.

Sangeeta is the winner of the Emerging Dietetic Leader Award in CA in 2018, she also earned AIND: MIG Star Award during FNCE® in Washington DC. Sangeeta was named Outstanding Faculty by CPP athletic department based on her student nomination in 2019. Sangeeta has co-authored a chapter on Ayurveda in a functional medicine textbook.

She is CA State Coordinator for DIFM-DPG and this is her 4th year on DIFM Leadership Team. Her goal as a CA coordinator to keep CA DIFM members connected via closed Facebook group and provide networking and unique learning opportunities through the annual SoCal DIFM symposium.

She is Chair-Elect of IND-MIG and an immediate past member of the nominating committee of CA Academy. She served as president of the California Academy, Orange District 2013-2016, organized many educational events and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Orange District, and invited all past presidents (30 of them attended).

She enjoys enriching children and the community with the transformative power of nutrition and regularly visit classrooms and speaks to the community.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and 2 sons. a.sangeeta.aa@gmail.com

Marilyn Gordon, Ed.D. RDN, CSSD, LDN, State Coordinator, FL 2021-2022

Marilyn is an Assistant Professor/Nutritionist at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in the Nutrition Department of the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in Sports Nutrition, Wellness, Nutrition Counseling, and Functional Nutrition. She has been an NSU Sharks athletic team Sports Dietitian for 12 years and works with the Sports Medicine Interdisciplinary Team to promote optimal health and performance.

This will be her 4th year as DIFM State Coordinator for FL. Marilyn enjoys the outdoors, taking advantage of the South Florida weather. On the weekends, she can be found swimming in the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, boating, kayaking, or gardening. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and an Ayurveda Yoga Specialist, trained through the Himalayan Institute. Her new exploration is the Marma Energy Points of Ayurveda. Marilyn is actively integrating yoga and Ayurveda into the dietetics practice.

She earned her undergraduate degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science, and holds a Doctorate degree in Higher Education. She is a proponent of optimal health, sports performance, and disease prevention by promoting plant-based, whole foods as the ultimate fuel. gordmari@nova.edu

Amy Jarck, Executive Director/Website MGR/Discussion Board Monitor

info@integrativeRD.org