Who We Are

Dunedin, Florida

Dorner has more than 30 years of experience as a consultant, author and speaker. She is President of Becky Dorner & Associates Inc., which provides a broad library of credible continuing education (CE) programs and nutrition resources. She was Founder/President of Nutrition Consulting Services, Inc., whose dedicated team of RDNs/NDTRs served health care facilities in Ohio from 1983-2020. Dorner has written/published more than 300 health care articles, manuals, and CE programs; and presented and/or hosted more than 650 CE presentations for national, international, and state professional meetings in 50 states and 5 countries. Her free e-newsletter keeps 30,000 health care professionals up to date on the latest news in the field.

An active leader, she has held more than 20 board positions on national and state professional associations including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. Dorner has served the Academy as Speaker of the House of Delegates (HOD), chair of the Council on Future Practice, HOD Professional Issues Delegate (Business and Consultation), chair of the Consultant Dietitians in Health Care Facilities DPG, board member of the Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG, and many other positions. Academy honors include: Medallion Award, Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Award of Excellence in Business and Consultation and Recognized Young Dietitian Award.

Asheville, North Carolina

Hope Warshaw is a nationally recognized Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES). She applies forty plus years of experience in her work as a consultant, book author, freelance writer, and media spokesperson within her business Hope Warshaw Associates, LLC. Hope is well known for her expertise in diabetes care and nutrition management, weight management, and healthy restaurant eating.

As a consultant Hope works or has worked with numerous diabetes- and nutrition-focused companies. As a freelance writer Hope regularly writes articles, blogs, social media content and other value-add copy to support her clients’ objectives. Hope served as a contributing editor, freelance writer and editorial advisor for Diabetic Living magazine and website for nearly a decade. She initiated and wrote the Nutrition Q&A column for The Washington Post for several years. Hope has written several award-winning, best-selling consumer books 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.

Hope has authored and co-authored professional articles in numerous journals including: Diabetes Care, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Clinical Diabetes, Endocrinology Today, American Journal of Managed Care – Evidence-based Diabetes Management, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care Journal, ADCES in Practice and Today’s Dietitian. She’s the co-author several books and book chapters for healthcare professionals.

Hope demonstrates her leadership acumen in volunteer positions for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and dietetic practice groups as well as the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES). She served on the ADCES Board of Directors, 2011-2013 and served as president during 2016. In 2018 Hope joined the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board for a three-year term. As of June 2021, Hope will step into the position of chair-elect for the Academy Foundation and will continue to apply her creative spirit to raise funds for this important organization.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Garner was a long time educator and preceptor at the University of Alabama. Garner was initially appointed as an assistant professor in the Dept of Food and Nutrition coordinated program in dietetics as well as director of their federally funded Community Nutrition program. She was subsequently appointed as an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alabama and the executive director of the Student Health Center and Pharmacy, where she also served as the director of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness. Garner retired from the University of Alabama in 2020.

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 in nutrition with a minor in public health from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also completed a postgraduate fellowship in nutrition and mental retardation at the University of Tennessee, Memphis.

Rochester, New York

Jen Nguyen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist practicing less than five years. Currently, she is the Director of Nutrition and founding member at Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen, Associate for Bazilian, Inc., Clinical Dietitian at Highland Hospital and Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine where she teaches private and group fitness classes.

Jen has been an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having served on the board for the California Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics – Orange District as Membership Chair and Hospitality Chair, volunteered for the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation for four consecutive years to raise money for scholarships and now as Nominating Chair for the Genesee Dietetic Association.

During her academic career, she was a recipient for the Outstanding Dietetic Student in Didactic Program in the state of California and awarded the Frederick Green Memorial Nutrition Communications Experience Award through the Academy Foundation, where she worked with Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and continues to maintain a working relationship.

Jen completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics with a minor in hospitality management from California State University, Long Beach and dietetic internship through Cornell University.

Rockport, Massachusetts

Laramee is a former President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, currently chair of the Ethics Committee of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and served as a member of the 2018 Code of Ethics Task Force. She has served as a member of the Commission on Dietetics Registration and chaired the CDR Workforce Demand Study Task Force. She has served as chair of the Board of Directors for the AND Political Action Committee, Director-At-Large on AND’s Board of Directors, President of the Massachusetts Dietetic Association and Chair, Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group. In her role as a member of the Academy and the Academy’s Foundation Board of Directors, she has chaired numerous committees for the organizations.

In recognition of her leadership, professional achievements and mentoring, Susan was the recipient of AND’s prestigious Medallion Award, Outstanding Dietitian of the Year in Massachusetts, and Distinguished Alumni Award from the Falk College at Syracuse University.

She completed her B.S. degree at Syracuse University, Syracuse N.Y., M.S. degree at Boston University, Boston, Mass., and is a graduate of the Dietetic Internship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass..

She is currently retired after a lengthy career in dietetics in which she served in leadership roles in both clinical nutrition and food management, Human Resources and talent acquisition. Current volunteer activities are focused on community hunger programs and philanthropy.

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.

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)

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Samantha is a recent graduate and a current graduate student in the ABM Dietetics program at the University of North Dakota. She was the Vice President of the Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics club 2019-2020, is a student representative on the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics advisory board, and she enjoys volunteering in her community. Samantha recently completed an internship at the Fargo VA Health Care System. 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 meeting, and she looks forward to continued involvement with the Academy.

Chicago, Illinois

Babjak has served as the Academy's CEO since 2009. Her responsibility is oversight of all entities under the organization’s umbrella, including the management of the Academy's Headquarters Team, with 170 employees and a $70 million annual budget. Babjak also is CEO of the Academy’s Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic arm and the only charitable organization devoted exclusively to promoting nutrition and dietetics.

Babjak joined the Academy in 1975 and became executive director of the Commission on Dietetic Registration in 1978, serving until 1998 when she became the Academy's executive vice president for strategic management and governance. As executive vice president, she was responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the Academy's strategic plan and for monitoring the metrics measuring the Academy's progress toward achieving goals and objectives. In addition, Babjak facilitated the reorganization of the Academy's governance structure.

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 nutrition and dietetics profession, Babjak was awarded honorary Academy membership. She served on the Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Leadership Institute as well as on the Pew Health Professions Commission on Educating Health Care Workforce Task Force. Babjak was nationally elected by other professions to chair the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and serves on the Leadership Council for the National Organization for Competency Assurance.

Babjak was asked to serve on the Bipartisan Policy Center's CEO Council on Health Innovation and was a member of its Healthcare Advisory Board for the Council, affording the Academy input on innovative strategies to improve health and health care within large and medium sized global and national employer organizations. She is a member of the CEO Roundtable, an exclusive peer group of CEOs leading the country's most visible, influential and effective organizations.

Babjak is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago and earned a master’s degree in library and information science from Dominican University in Illinois.

Bethesda, Maryland

Gill is the CEO of Bethesda NEWtrition & Wellness Solutions, a multidisciplinary primary care and wellness practice. Previously, she was a private practice nutrition consultant for more than 20 years and food and nutrition services director and outpatient dietitian at health care centers in Maryland. Gill is a past president of the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; a past member of the national Academy's Nutrition Services Payment Committee; and the Maryland affiliate’s public policy coordinator.

She was a member of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board and co-chair of the board's Quality of Life Committee; a member of Montgomery County's Seniors Health and Wellness Advisory Board; and president of the Seven Locks elementary school PTA. Gill will serve as the Academy's treasurer in 2021-2022.

She earned undergraduate degree is from Punjab University and Graduate degree from Punjabi University; and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College.

Denver, Colorado

Mary Lee Chin specializes in significant food issues and nutrition trends, working with commodity food groups, industry and nonprofits on nutrition trends and education initiatives. She addresses some of the most provocative food topics, including genetically modified foods, environmental and sustainability issues and alternative sweeteners, exploring the science while respecting individual philosophies. She has presented to over 45 state Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics affiliates on topics ranging from agricultural sustainability to the Future of Food. Aware that many divisive and emotional food issues ignite a firestorm of debate, she advocates moving from polarizing rhetoric to open, value-based and professional dialogue.

Mary Lee is on the Advisory Board for the Nutrition Dietetics Program at the University of Northern Colorado. She is a member of Bayer’s Leaders Engaged in Advancing the Dialogue (LEAD) Network, a national group of registered dietitians who provide education on the relationship between food, nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

Mary Lee is the recipient of the 2020 Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture Award. She served as the 2020-2021 Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and was formerly a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was named Outstanding Dietitian by the Colorado Dietetic Association in 2012 and 1985.

Mary Lee received her undergraduate education in Foods and Nutrition from Purdue University, a MS in Clinical Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, and her internship at the Cleveland Veteran’s Administration Hospital.

Rockport, Maine

Marcy is a Licensed Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND) with more than 25 years’ experience in nutrition, and diabetes prevention and management. As Maine Health’s Regional Director of Nutrition and Diabetes Services, she coordinated the Centers of Disease Control Pen Bay Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDDP), and Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs (DSME). She continues to provide virtual DPPs and Weight Loss Programs for Penobscot Bay YMCA and Fruit Street Health, and provides telenutrition for Foodsmart.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, she is a volunteer member of the Diabetes Action Alliance of Maine. Marcy is past Speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates and currently serves as Chair-Elect for the Nutrition Services Payment Committee. She recently served on the Academy BOD’s Organizational Design and Governance Workgroup, and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee (D &I) Advisory Group as a representative of the Nutrition Informatics DPG.

In addition, she served on the Academy’s House Leadership Team and Board of Directors 2012-2015, the Nutrition Services Payment Committee in 2013, and the Evidence-Based Practice Committee 2012-2014. As vice-chair of the Council on Future Practice, she co-authored the Academy’s “Visioning Report 2017: A Preferred Path Forward for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession.”

Committed to helping guide public policy on nutrition, Marcy meets with national and state legislators as well as with top agency officials. She is a past member of the Academy’s Legislative Public Policy Committee and served as the Maine Academy’s State Policy Representative. Most recently, she partnered with Academy staff to secure the support of Senator Susan Collins of Maine as the MNT Act 2020 bill champion and was highlighted in Senator Collin’s remarks to Congress now housed in the United States Congressional Record for her work as a registered dietitian nutritionist to improve nutrition care across all levels of the continuum of care. Marcy is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Washington, DC

Sylvia Rowe is currently president of SR Strategy which addresses the science to communications to policy continuum on a broad range of global food system issues including agriculture, food, nutrition and sustainability. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Rowe is currently Chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Health and Medicine Division (HMD) Food Forum, a member of its Food and Nutrition Board and the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. She also served on the National Academies’ Science of Science Communications: A Research Agenda Consensus Committee. Rowe is a Contributing Editor and columnist of Nutrition Today, serves on the Tuft’s Nutrition Advisory Council and has been recognized as an Honorary Member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Previously Sylvia served as president and chief executive officer of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and IFIC Foundation, in Washington, DC.

Rowe received a Bachelor's Degree from Wellesley College and was awarded a Masters’ Degree from Harvard University, both with honors.

Glastonbury, Connecticut

Shanley is the Dietetics Director in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Previously, she was the Didactic Program Director and instructor in dietetics. Shanley received the Academy's 2012 Medallion Award for outstanding service to the organization and profession and the Academy Foundation's 2005 Award for Excellence in Dietetic Education.

Her extensive involvement in the Academy includes serving as speaker of the House of Delegates; member of the Ethics Task Force Committee, National Appeals Committee, Alternative Supervised Pathways Workgroup and Futures Summit Planning Committee; and chair of the Professional Development and Education Committee, Nominating Committee, Education Committee and Member Value Committee. Shanley also served as a House of Delegates Finance Committee member and table facilitator, state delegate and chair of many committees of the Connecticut Dietetic Association and was named CDA's 2005 Outstanding Dietitian.

Shanley earned an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and an MBA from Babson College.