Who We Are

Bethesda, Maryland

Gill is the CEO of Bethesda NEWtrition & Wellness Solutions, a multidisciplinary primary care and wellness practice, and CEO of the Wholesome Village Inc., in Rockville, Md. 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 served as the Academy’s treasurer in 2021-2022. She will serve as the Academy’s President in 2024-2025. Gill is a graduate of Punjab University in India and earned a graduate degree from Punjabi University. Gill earned an MBA from the University of Maryland – University College.

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, diabetes care provider, and media spokesperson within her business Hope Warshaw Associates, LLC. Hope is known for her expertise in diabetes care and nutrition management and weight management.

As a consultant Hope works or has worked with numerous diabetes- and nutrition-focused companies. As a freelance writer Hope regularly contributes articles, blogs, and social media content. 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 and opened this door for more nutrition professionals.

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 has demonstrated her leadership acumen and commitment to volunteerism during her career. She has been involved with Diabetes DPG and Weight Management DPG. Hope joined the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Board for a three-year term in 2018. During 2021-2022 she served as the Foundation’s chair-elect and will serve as chair in 2022- 2023. She served on the board of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) 2011-2013 and served as president during 2016.

Naples, Florida

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 Academy's Political Action Committee, Director-At-Large on the Academy'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 the Academy'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.

Miami Beach, Florida

Yoder is an executive, business analyst and social entrepreneur and a public speaker specializing in cultural humility, health equity and food security. She is the founder of Corporate Wellness Nutrition, in Philadelphia, Pa., which was acquired by Wellness Coaches USA, the largest wellness and injury prevention service provider in the workplace. Following the acquisition, Yoder was retained as president of Provider Networks, where she leads national networks of registered dietitian nutritionists, certified diabetes care and education specialists and wellness coaches all specializing in employee health as a population health solution. Additionally, Yoder is the founder and CEO of Family Food, in Philadelphia, a nutrition consulting firm that focuses on local engagement with communities it serves. Yoder has served on the Academy’s Legislative and Public Policy Committee; chaired the Nutrition Services Payment Committee; and is a past president of the Academy’s Philadelphia affiliate; chair of district presidents for the Pennsylvania affiliate; and consumer protection coordinator for the Florida state affiliate. She has also served on the Miami Beach Budget Advisory Committee. She is a past recipient of the Academy’s and Pennsylvania affiliate’s Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award and is a credentialed professional business analyst and project management professional. Yoder is a graduate of Messiah College and earned a master’s degree in public health at Drexel University.

San Bernardino, California

Chen-Maynard is a Professor in the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). She has served as the Director of the ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) since 1992 and established the Individualized Supervised-Practice Pathway (ISPP) Program at CSISB. She became a Registered Dietitian/ Nutritionist in 1981 and has been active in the dietetic professional organization from the district to national levels. As an educator and activist, she encourages students and dietetic professionals to become a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and volunteer at any capacity that they can. Members strengthen the organization as well as to promote the functions and provide service to other health professionals and the public. Providing support to students and interns will help them to be successful in their journey to become great dietetic professionals.

North Andover, Massachusetts

Tina Sergi is a Registered Dietitian currently teaching wellness nutrition classes and conducting nutrition assessments at Executive Health and Sports Center. At Executive, Tina is also working as a Personal Trainer, certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, teaching group fitness classes and holding 1-on-1 training sessions. In addition, she works as a Clinical Dietitian at Reflections Eating Disorders Treatment Center.

Throughout Tina’s dietetics career, she has been an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Tina has served as a Student Member on the Member and Student Advisory Committee, and has been a member of multiple Dietetic Practice Groups and Member Interest Groups, including Sports and Human Performance Nutrition, Cardiovascular Health and Well-being, Behavioral Health Nutrition, and Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Also, during her academic career, Tina was selected as a recipient of the Foundation’s Annette Rachman scholarship.

Tina earned her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of New Hampshire and her Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetic Internship at Oklahoma State University.

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.

Babjak directs 173 employees and is responsible for managing nearly $55 million in revenue (including investment returns), $34 million in operating expense and nearly $97 million in total assets. Babjak also is CEO of the Academy’s Foundation, 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 the development and implementation of the Academy’s strategic plan and for monitoring metrics measuring the Academy’s progress toward achieving goals and objectives. Babjak facilitated the reorganization of the Academy’s governance structure and 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 has served on the Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Leadership Institute and 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 served on the Leadership Council for the National Organization for Competency Assurance. Babjak has served on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s CEO Council on Health Innovation and its Healthcare Advisory Board. She is a member of the CEO Roundtable, an exclusive peer group leading the country’s most visible, influential and effective organizations. In 2022, she was unanimously elected to serve on the board of directors of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. 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.

Irvine, California

Gigliotti is a registered dietitian nutritionist with extensive experience in the clinical practice of adult medical weight management, multidisciplinary obesity treatment teams, and worksite wellness. She is the former Director of the Weight Management Program at the University of CA, Irvine. Additional professional experiences include nutritional support, academic appointments, and community education. 

Linda values service and has a strong sense of responsibility to give back to our profession. She was elected as a Commissioner to the Commission on Dietetic Registration in 2016-2019, serving as CDR Chair in 2018-2019. She was engaged in the development of the interprofessional Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management (CSOWM) credential. She has been involved with the Diabetes DPG and Weight Management DPG, serving in several roles, including Chair. Currently Linda serves on the Academy Honors Committee and the Board of Editors for the Academy’s Nutrition Care Manual. She is a moderator for CDR’s Obesity Interventions course and is the co-editor for the forthcoming Health Professional’s Guide to Weight Management. In 2021 she was awarded the Medallion Award by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is also a recipient of the Excellence in Weight Management Practice Award by the Weight Management Dietetics Practice Group in 2017 and the CA Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award in 2018. 

Linda holds a master’s degree in nutrition education from the University of Delaware.

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 Nutrition Programs for Penobscot Bay YMCA and Fruit Street Health and telehealth for Eastport Health Care a Federally Qualified Health Center.

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 for the Nutrition Services Payment Committee. 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. 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 former Chair and current member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Health and Medicine Division (HMD) Food Forum, 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.

Wake Forest, North Carolina

Karkare is President and CEO of Nutritionally Yours LLC, a private practice providing individualized integrative and functional nutrition counseling for prevention and wellness, weight management and gut health as well as corporate wellness culinary demos. 

She has served our profession at state affiliate, Dietetic Practice Groups/Member Interest Groups as well as national level, including serving as the Treasurer of the Academy Board of Directors. Currently she serves as Vice-Chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee and as the Treasurer of the DIFM-DPG among other appointed positions with several other Academy units. She is the recipient of Diversity Leader Award from the Academy (2012), Outstanding Dietitian award from the North Carolina affiliate (2018), Excellence in Service Award from Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine DPG (2021) and Community Champion Award from Cabot Community Collaborative (2019).

A nationally recognized leader and speaker, Karkare has an activist spirit. Whether advocating for professional licensure, Medical Nutrition Therapy coverage, Medicaid expansion or women's rights and social equity, her passion is fueled by her belief in equitable human rights. She truly enjoys spreading the activism among our colleagues, students, and interns.

Karkare has served in leadership roles for Meals on Wheels of Wake County, Lillian’s List of North Carolina, Girl Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines Council boards of directors and continues to serve as Chair of Cary Academy, Vice Chair of NC Child, and Treasurer of NC Asian Americans Together Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of SNDT University, Pune, India and she earned her Master of Science in Nutrition from University of Kentucky.

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.

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Karen graduated from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, completed a dietetic internship at the University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor, Mich. and received a Master’s in Dietetics from Mt. Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisc. She is currently retired as the former Director of Dietetic Programs from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where she developed the initial dietetic internship. She also has experience as a clinical dietitian in primary care.

Ms. Lacey’s extensive leadership activities include president of the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a member of the Academy’s Association Position Committee, a board member of the former Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE) and member of the Academy’s House of Delegates where she chaired the Quality Management Committee and the work group that developed the Nutrition Care Process and Model (NCPM). She has also served on the Commission for Dietetic Registration (CDR) and chaired the Competency Assurance Panel (CAP); a subcommittee of CDR that oversees the Professional Continuing Education for registered dietitians and dietetic technicians. Karen has been a frequent speaker at FNCE and has conducted many training webinars for both practitioners and students. Karen most recently chaired the Academy’s Ethics committee.

Her awards and recognitions include: The Academy’s Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award for both Didactic Programs and Dietetic Internships, the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Outstanding Dietitian and the Academy’s Medallion Award.

Birmingham, Alabama

Miles is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, in the Division of Adolescent Medicine.  She is also the director of the UAB Leadership Education in Pediatric Nutrition Program; a training grant funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to train professionals and students in pediatric nutrition and maternal and child health.

Dr. Miles has over 30 years of experience in pediatric nutrition and her expertise has focused on child and adolescent obesity, nutrition challenges of children with disabilities, feeding problems in children with autism and special needs, and management of eating disorders in children and adolescents.