Member Spotlight
As a benefit of membership, WM offers annual opportunities for members to receive stipends and awards. These stipends support practitioners in their desire to strengthen their skills and promotes the role of dietitians in the field of weight management.
2012 Excellence in Practice Management Award
Anne Daly is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, author, consultant and nationally recognized expert in diabetes care and education, obesity and weight management. Anne is board certified in advanced diabetes management and is a national Past-President, Health Care & Education of the American Diabetes Association. She currently serves as Director of Nutrition and Diabetes Education at the HSHS Medical Group, Springfield Diabetes & Endocrine Center in Springfield, IL where she manages an American Diabetes Association Education Recognized Program and a comprehensive weight management/lifestyle change program. Prior to co-founding the Springfield Diabetes & Endocrine Center, Anne served as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
2012 Excellence in Outcomes Research Award
Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN, is an Associate Professor and the Director of Public Health Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She holds a MS in Public Health Nutrition and a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She conducts research in lifestyle interventions for pediatric and adult weight management. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). She has been a member of the WMDPG for four years. While Dr. Raynor has spent most of her professional career working in the field of psychology, receiving the 2012 Excellence in Weight Management Outcomes Research Award is incredibly meaningful as it is recognition of her research from her fellow nutrition professionals.
2012 ASMBS Stipend Recipent
Nicole Chase, RD, LD
Nicole Chase, RD, LD is the co-founder of Urban Nutrition, LLC, a nutrition consulting firm based in Dallas-Fort Worth that provides patient counseling, corporate wellness solutions, and restaurant nutrient analysis. Consulting to bariatric practices throughout the DFW Metroplex, she specializes in adult weight management and bariatric weight loss surgery. Nicole has a passion for working with the bariatric population and is honored to receive the Weight Management DPG stipend to attend the 2012 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery conference in San Diego. She looks forward to the opportunity to network with other bariatric professionals across the country in addition to staying abreast of exciting trends and research in bariatric nutrition.
Public Policy Stipend Winners 2012
Lindsay Schmitz, MS, RD, LDN
Lindsay graduated from the University of Dayton in 2002 with
a bachelor’s degree in dietetics. After graduation she traveled to Scotland and completed a Masters in sports nutrition at the University of Aberdeen. She has been practicing dietetics for 6 years and is passionate about helping people make healthy lifestyle changes that will positively impact their lives. Her experience in counseling has allowed her to to provide individualized nutrition coaching to anyone seeking advice. Lindsay’s areas of specialty include weight management, sport- specific nutrition counseling, maternal and child nutrition, breastfeeding, and pre- and post-bariatric surgery nutrition.
Nealie Tebb
Neal completed a B.A. in Middle School Education at Saint Louis University, and completed her DPD coursework and a M.S. in Nutrition at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. She is currently a 2011-2012 Dietetic Intern at Meredith College. Nealie is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the North Carolina Dietetic Association (Marketing Committee Co-Chair) and the Raleigh District Dietetic Association (Nominating Committee Chair). She has also served as Committee Chair for RDDA’s Less Fork, More Foot 5K race, and local Film ‘Feast’ival events. Nealie’s area of professional interest is in research and development of nutrition counseling programs for weight management and corporate wellness.
2012 WM DPG Symposium Stipend Recipients
Marni Whalen, RD, LN, CDE
Marni lives in Rapid City, SD. Professionally, she is the MOVE! coordinator for the Black Hills Healthcare System-VA medical center since April 2007. The MOVE! program is a weight management program developed by the VA to help veteran’s lose weight and keep it off. For fun, Marni loves competing in triathlons, and takes every opportunity to get out hiking and camping. She is married and has a 2 ½ year old daughter named Keelie.
Megan Mohhammadione, RD, LD
Meagan is the clinical dietitian for the Emory Bariatric Center in Atlanta, GA. This will be Megan’s first WM symposium and she is looking forward to meeting and networking with fellow WM DPG members, especially those also in bariatrics.
Jennifer Lehman
Jennifer graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and has been a Registered Dietitian since 2003. She began her career as Clinical Nutrition Manager at a community hospital in New Mexico. Jennifer became a Certified Diabetes Educator in 2008 and is currently working as the Program Coordinator and a Diabetes Educator at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, Oregon. In additional to working with patients with diabetes, Jennifer also counsels patients on nutrition for bariatric surgery as well as nutrition and lifestyle changes for successful weight management.
Susan Rizzo, RD, LDN, CDE
Susan lives and works in the Chicago metropolitan area providing MNT and Diabetes Education through the Alexian Brothers Health Network. She works closely with the bariatric program and teaches in the American Diabetes Association Recognized Program at the hospital. Following a BA in Spanish and Sociology, her RD internship was completed at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, IL. She obtained her CDE in 2006 and holds certifications in Adult and Child/Adolescent Weight Management. She is a bilingual interpreter at the hospital and is currently pursuing her MBA.
Ning Wang, MS, RD
Ning practiced as a clinical dietitian in the California San Francisco Bay Area for the nine years in pediatrics, weight management, and bariatrics. Since 2011, Ning has been an active participant in the Kids Eat Right Initiative launched by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy Foundation. She is involved in the Academy Foundation RD-Parent Empowerment Project, and she is a recipient of the Healthy Snacking Mini Grant and the WMDPG Kids Eat Right volunteer stipend.
Courtney Tiemann
Courtney completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a M.P.H. and M.S. in Nutrition at Saint Louis University. Courtney now works as a research coordinator/dietitian in metabolism and weight loss research at the Center for Human Nutrition in Washington University in Saint Louis. She joined the WM DPG when she started working in the research setting and has found the membership to be a wonderful asset to this new area of practice.
Kristina Peach Hettiger
Kristina is currently a senior majoring in dietetics at Central Michigan University. From personal experience of seeing a dietitian she learned at an early age the important role nutrition plays in optimizing one’s health. Her interest in the field of dietetics has continued to grow, as has her passion for motivating others to improve their health. Her goal is to establish a career focused on pediatric and adult nutrition support and weight management.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Awards & Recognition
Denice Ferko-Adams, MPH, RD, LDN
We are pleased to announce that Denice Ferko-Adams, MPH, RD, LDN received second place recognition for her Dynamic Initiative in Dietetics Practice and Education display 
entitled “Tech Tools to Expand Services & Increase Validity”. This display was presented during the Dynamic Initiatives in Dietetics Practice and Education session conducted during FNCE 2011 in San Diego. The abstract for the display can be found on the next page.
Academy’s Council on Future Practice is the organizational unit that conducts this session during FNCE. This is the third year for conducting it, which recognizes practitioner contribution to the profession of dietetics. Denice was selected by her peers to receive this recognition. We are requesting that you showcase this member of your DPG as a model for other practitioners.
The Council on Future Practice sponsors this inspirational session for members to showcase their educational innovations. The goal of the session is to provide an outlet for educators and practitioners to present their best ideas and innovations that will keep the profession consistently moving forward. Denice submitted an application and was selected to participate in the event from 40 applications submitted from all over the country. And, she was rated as a second place dynamic initiative by her peers attending this session.
Please join us in congratulating Denice for her contribution to keep the profession of dietetics moving forward into the future. She is a model of excellence for our membership and hope that you will share her story of achievement.
Joanne Arena, MS, RD
We are pleased to announce that Joanne Arena, MS, RD (Windsor Locks, CT) received first place recognition for her Dynamic Initiative in Dietetics Practice and Education display entitled “Incorporating Motivational Interviewing (MI) Training in a Health Care Setting”. This display was presented during the Dynamic Initiatives in Dietetics Practice and Education session conducted during FNCE 2011 in San Diego. The abstract for the display can be found on the next page.
Academy’s Council on Future Practice is the organizational unit that conducts this session during FNCE. This is the third year for conducting it, which recognizes practitioner contribution to the profession of dietetics. Joanne was selected by her peers to receive this recognition. We are requesting that you showcase this member of your DPG as a model for other practitioners.
The Council on Future Practice sponsors this inspirational session for members to showcase their educational innovations. The goal of the session is to provide an outlet for educators and practitioners to present their best ideas and innovations that will keep the profession consistently moving forward. Joanne submitted an application and was selected to participate in the event from 40 applications submitted from all over the country. And, she was rated as a first place dynamic initiative by her peers attending this session.
Please join us in congratulating Joanne for her contribution to keep the profession of dietetics moving forward into the future. She is a model of excellence for our membership and hope that you will share her story of achievement.
2011 Medallion Award Recipient:Linda Delahanty, MS, RD, LDN
Ms. Delahanty has been a member of the weight management dietetic practice group (WM DPG) since its inception and has been a pioneer in the field for over 25 years. She is currently an instructor in the department of medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief dietitian at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Diabetes Clinic and director of nutrition and behavioral research at the MGH Diabetes Research Center. Delahanty has been a co-investigator for the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) and the TODAY (Treatment Options for Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth) study.
This is one of many awards Linda has received including the AcademyF Mary P Huddleson Award, the 2010 Excellence in Weight Management Outcomes Research Award and the AcademyF Award for Excellence in Dietetics Research. In addition to research and clinical practice, Linda and co-author Dr. David Nathan have written the book, Beating Diabetes: The First Complete Program Clinically Proven to Dramatically Improve Your Glucose Tolerance.
The award will be presented to Linda during the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), September 24-27 2011, in San Diego, California. We are thrilled to share this good news with the members of the WM DPG. Linda’s application for this most prestigious award was jointly sponsored by the WM and DCE DPGs. When you see Linda this summer or at FNCE, please extend your congratulations to her!
2011 Academy Excellence in Practice Management Award: Jackie Boucher, MS, RD, LD, CDE
WM along with the Diabetes Care and Education DPG cosponsored Jackie’s impressive application packet. Jackie has held a number of managerial positions throughout her career in dietetics including the initiation of a phone counseling program through HealthPartners in Minneapolis. Starting with two phone counselors, Jackie grew the program to a network of over 60 phone counselors that included registered dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals. In addition to this and other professional successes, Jackie has shared her work and research in the fields of diabetes and lifestyle management and clinical management in over 40 publications. She is now the vice president for education at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and remains incredibly active within Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, DPGs, and other professional organizations such as the American Heart Association. She was the 2010-2011 Awards and Honors Chair for WM and oversaw the promotion, selection, and bestowing of numerous stipends and awards. During this time, the number of stipends doubled from what WM has previously awarded and Jackie led this process from beginning to end. Congratulations and thank you, Jackie!
2011 Excellence in Weight Management Practice Award
Sponsored by Slim-Fast & Unilever
Margaret Furtado, MS, RD, LDN, RYT She has been a registered dietitian for over 20 years, including 4 years in nutrition support, 2 years in clinical management, and 6 years in renal nutrition. Margaret has spent the past 9 years working in the field of obesity medicine, including approximately 4 years as a Lead Dietitian at Tufts Medical Center, 2 years at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Weight Center, and 3 years at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Margaret is one of the co-authors of the Bariatric Nutrition Guidlines published by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), and gives talks related to bariatric surgery and nutrition throughout the world, including Paris, Brazil, and Portugal. She is also co-author of two books: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery,(2009, Alpha Books), and Recipes for Life After Weight Loss Surgery (2003,Quayside Publishing), and has a regular online nutrition blog on Yahoo! Health via her Johns Hopkins affiliation.
