Executive Committee

2023-2024 Officers and Committee Chairs

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Chair

Cicely Thomas DCN.M.Ed.RDN.LD.FAND has a heart for educating the community in the area of nutrition. She aims to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthy behaviors and advocate for nutrition policies to address reducing health disparities. Dr. Thomas, an ordained Elder of First Apostolic Faith, completed a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition at University of North Florida. She is an advocate and leader in IDEA on many professional platforms and sits on the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians. She is an adjunct professor at Jacksonville State University and has 24 years of employment in public health nutrition and WIC with Northwest Georgia Health District. Dr. Thomas is the owner of Challenge Your Choices Dietetics LLC private consulting.

Beth CordovaChair-Elect

Beth Cordova, MPA, RDN, received both her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and her Master of Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach. She has been employed at the PHFE WIC Program since 2002, serving as a Supervising Nutritionist, Area Manager, and currently as the Dietetic Internship Director. She is currently serves as the Scholarship Chair of the California Academy of Nutrition, Nominating Committee Member of the Public Health Community Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, and a member of the National WIC Association’s RD Recruitment and Retention Task Force. In addition, Beth is a preceptor for visiting dietetic interns, who are completing their community rotation at PHFE WIC. Beth considers it an honor and a privilege to serve future dietetic professionals.

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Past-Chair

Victoria A Warren-Mears PhD FAND is the Director of The Northwest Tribal EpiCenter, a position she has held for 15 years.  Professionally trained as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist she has taught nutrition at both Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Portland. Dr. Warren-Mears holds a PhD from the University of Washington Interdisciplinary Program in Nutrition Sciences. She completed post-doctoral training in Human Investigations at Oregon Health & Science University. She has had a long-standing interest in food systems, food quality and consumer perception of the food system as well as public health messaging.  Dr. Warren-Mears has experience collaborating with the Northwest tribal communities. She served as a WIC and MCH Nutritionist at a local health department for over 10 years. A 35-year member of AND, Dr. Warren-Mears is a past president both Oregon and Washington States.

Treasurer

Kim L. Matwiejow, MS, RD, LD 

IMG_3569.jpgSecretary

Nicole Larson, PhD, MPH, RDN is a Senior Research Associate in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. She is the Project Director for the Project EAT (Eating and Activity over Time) longitudinal studies. Nicole also teaches courses on policy and environmental approaches to promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and coordinates educational opportunities for the REACH (Research on Eating and Activity for Community Health) Applied Epidemiology Training Program. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree at St. Catherine University, completed a dietetic internship at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and completed her graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. Nicole also completed training as part of a Leadership Education in Adolescent Health program and pre-doctoral fellowship in Adolescent Health Protection Training at the University of Minnesota.

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HOD Delegate

Cindy Davis, MPH, RDN, is the Employee Health and Wellness Promotion Specialist for Life & Work Connections at the University of Arizona for 7 years and teaches Public Health Nutrition. Her past employer includes Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where she implemented several nutrition fitness programs. Cindy is a certified Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Gatekeeper instructor through the QPR Institute. Although she is ready to discuss nutrition, she also likes to focus on other elements of wellbeing for better health outcomes. 

Marianella HerreraNominating Committee Chair

Marianella Herrera is an MD from Venezuela based in Framingham, MA. She holds a PhD in Human Nutrition and works as an Associate professor at Central University of Venezuela, an adjunct professor at Simmons University, and is a Visiting lecturer at Framingham State University in the USA. She also works in humanitarian management and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the “Excellence in Public Health/Community Nutrition Award” in 2017 from PHCN DPG. She is a correspondent member of the Venezuelan National Academy of Medicine and is a principal investigator of the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS). Dr. Herrera has more than 100 peer review publications and continues her teaching and research job in the USA, Latin America, and her native Venezuela. She enjoys cooking, swimming, learning languages, and reading a good book. She is married and has 4 grown up "kids" that make her travel to visit them in Madrid (Spain) and Minneapolis (USA). 

Student Representative

Jingyi Wang

Awards Committee Chair

Carol Sloan, RDN, FAND 

Awards Committee Member

VACANT 

Awards Committee Member

VACANT 

Strategic Communications Chair

VACANT

E-blast Coordinator

VACANT

Website Discussion Board Administrator

VACANT

Social Media Coordinator

VACANT

Strategic Communications Chair

Amanda  Kopetsky Fultz PhD, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and researcher whose background and research interests are focused on community and public health nutrition. Previously Amanda was a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance educator and home visit Dietitian. Working in community and public health nutrition inspired her to research. Recently Amanda completed her doctoral training at the University of Delaware and will continue her research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of Pennsylvania where her research surrounds food acquisition behaviors and diet quality. Amanda has been a Registered Dietitian for nine years, was the past PHCN DPG Treasurer, and active within her state affiliate organization.

Alyssa_Baldino.jpgDiscussion Board Coordinator

Alyssa Baldino, MPH, RD is Associate Director of Nutrition Services at Project Angel Food, a community-based organization specializing in medically tailored meals in Los Angeles. She previously worked at a Head Start agency for 4 years. Her areas of expertise and interest as an RD are community nutrition, public health, pediatric nutrition, geriatric nutrition, renal nutrition, foodservice/recipe development.  Alyssa has served as volunteer chair for Los Angeles Dietetic Association for 7 years, and co-currently serving on the public policy committee for HEN and discussion board coordinator for PHCN. 

Website Editor: position open

Awards Chair: position open

DPG Manager: Danielle Harter

Volunteer

Are you a PHCN DPG member? Would you like to get involved with the DPG? We are always looking for volunteers to get involved with one of the DPG Committees. To volunteer to serve on a committee or assist with DPG initiatives complete the online volunteer form here.

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