Meet Your Leadership Team

Our Leadership Team is comprised of students and professionals working across all areas of dietetics — from industry, to healthcare, to public policy, and beyond. This group of dedicated volunteers is proud to support members through the following teams:

Member Engagement
Education
Marketing & Communications

Nominating Committee
Business Development
IDEA

Academy Policy & Advocacy
Academy Foundation
Academy House of Delegates

To view position descriptions, click here.

You can contact your leaders using the Academy's Leadership Directory. Click here for the Leadership Directory User Guide.

First time using this system? Click here for a user guide.

DBC 2025 Election Results

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the DBC Executive Committee:

Chair-Elect: Cindy Goody PhD, MBA, RD, LDN

Secretary: Sydney Kurnit RDN, CDN

Nominating Committee Chair-Elect: Darnell Sandford Garcia RD

Nominating Committee: Raeanne Sarazen MA, RDN, FAND

Delegate: Anna Bramanti MS, RD, FAND

Thank you to all of those who ran in this year's election and to those who voted. We're looking forward to the year ahead! I would also like to sincerely thank the members of the DBC Nominating Committee who were tremendously helpful and a true pleasure to work with throughout this process.

DBC 2025-2026 Leadership Team

Deedra Geniesse MS, RDN

Chair

Voting Member

Cynthia Goody PhD, MBA, RD, LDN

Chair Elect

Voting Member

Kathryn Lawson, MS, RD

Past Chair

Voting Member

Sydney Kurnit, MS, RD CDN

Secretary

Voting Member

Jane Rieger, MS, RD, LDN

Treasurer

Voting Member

Anna Bramanti, MS, RD, FAND

Delegate

Voting Member

Kelly Plowe, MS, RD

Nominating Chair

Voting Member

Darnell Sanford Garcia, RDN, LD

Nominating Chair-Elect

Raeanne Sarazen, MA, RDN, FAND

Nominating Committee

Megan Maisano, MS, RD

Nominating Committee

Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND

Affiliate Partnership Director

Christina Williams, MS, RD, LDN

Member Engagement Director

Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, FAND

Membership Research & Analysis Director

Jennifer Fiske, MS, RDN, LD

Grants and Awards Program Director

Tori Schmitt, MS, RDN, LD

Grants and Award Committee

Jenna Andal, MCN, RD

Networking Events Program Director/FNCE Committee

Pooja Vyas, RDN

FNCE Events Chair

Sheila Patterson

FNCE Committee

OPEN - EMAIL US IF INTERESTED

Student Engagement Lead

Gabriella Potievsky, RDN

Business Development Director

Julie Salmen, MS, RD

Marketing & Communications Director

Monica Stewart, MS, RD, LD

Business Insights Associate Editor

OPEN - EMAIL US IF INTERESTED

Creative Designer

Paige Helmling, MS, RD-Eligible

Website and Take 5 Editor

Nikki Nies, MS, RD

Social Media Manager

Alyssa Pyke, RDN

Education Co-Director

Emily Bowman, MJ, MBA, RDN, LDN

Education Co-Director

Ali Webster, MS, RD

Education Committee

Jennifer Seyler, MBA, MS, RD

Leadership Cultivation Programming Director

Nikki Putnam Badding, MS, RDN

IDEA Liaison

OPEN - EMAIL US IF INTERESTED

Policy and Advocacy Liaison

Carla Jamison

Manager DPG/MIG Relations