SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Transitions

1

From the President

2-3

Meet the 2014-2015

NCDA Voting Board Members

4-7

Keeping You Updated

8-9

Appreciation & Recognition

10-11

Let’s Grow

12

NCDA

From the Editor

CONTENTS

Newsletter of the North Carolina Dietetic Association

Summer 2014

Summer is the most active season – a mixture of new

sprouts, blooming flowers and ripening fruit. While we watch the

constant transitions taking place among our gardens and landscapes

we would like to share the many changes taking place in the NCDA

in our summer issue. We are excited to welcome our new President,

Julie Francis, MS, RD, LDN for 2014-2015. Congratulations Julie!

Be sure to read her letter detailing what the NCDA has in store for

the coming year. We would also like to introduce you to the NCDA

Voting Board. Take a moment to know your representatives better

through their personal bios and be sure to reach out to them.

The most recent updates on policy, district issues and

upcoming events are highlighted for you on pages 8-9. Also, don’t

miss the chance to nominate candidates for the 2015 NCDA Awards.

~ Kimberly Kruse

Notes of gratitude are expressed by our past President Paul Moore and

words of appreciation are offered to NCDA board members. Please

extend your regards and thanks by recognizing their work and effort.

And finally, I would like to introduce myself as your new editor for the NCDA newsletter. I am

honored to be accepted in this position and excited to work for this great organization. Please read the

departing letter from your past newsletter editor, Samantha Reiff, along with my self-introduction. I’m

looking forward to the year ahead and meeting many of you in person soon!

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 2 ~ SUMMER 2014

From the President

Julie Francis, MS, RD, LDN

New Management

NCDA is under new management as of August 1st!

We are excited to announce this transition to our new

management company, Capitol Hill Management

Services. Not only is this an excellent financial

decision for NCDA, but we will have dedicated staff

with a multitude of resources to support our every

need. More information will be shared as we

transition and settle in. Please understand that we are

working hard to make a smooth transition and forgive

any delays in response or information during this

transitional period.

New Website

As a part of our transition to Capitol Hill

Management Services, we will also be partnering

with Member Clicks to develop a newly refreshed

NCDA website. Our new website will have the added

benefit of online event registration, which will help to

streamline efforts and truly make our website a go-to

place for all of our member needs.

Regional Meetings

We will again hold Regional Meetings this year, in an

effort to continue to bring the benefits of NCDA

membership to our members. We have confirmed two

meetings to date, and are working on the additional

meetings. The first Regional Meeting will be held in

Raleigh at the Brier Creek Country Club on Friday,

September 12. Our Western Regional Meeting will

take place on November 14 at the Renaissance Hotel

in Asheville. Please mark these dates on your

calendar and plan to attend. Watch for registration

information coming soon!

Virtual Community Webinars

This year, the Virtual Community Webinars are an

added benefit to your District Membership – no

separate membership or payment required! The

Virtual Community Webinars will be held on the

following Fridays at 12 noon: October 10, December

12, February 13, May 8, and January 9. The Virtual

Community Webinars provide 5 additional CE credits

over the course of the 2014-15 member year, so

please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to

attend! We will also be recording the Webinars when

able and will make them available on our website at a

future date.

I hope you are all enjoying summer! With temperatures in the

90’s and beach vacations still on the calendar, it’s hard to believe

that fall is right around the corner. NCDA’s 2014-15 Board has been

busy this summer planning for events and exciting changes taking

place this member year. The 2014-15 member year is sure to be

another exciting year for NCDA! We will continue the momentum

of last year with our Regional Meetings, and we also have some new

changes on the horizon. Below is a quick overview of what we have

in store this member year.

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 3 ~ SUMMER 2014

Consumer Protection Fund

Introduced last year as the Capital Campaign, the

Consumer Protection Fund is in place to provide

financial support to help protect our licensure in NC.

Without licensure the public may be left unprotected

and potentially in harm’s way. The activity in the NC

House and Senate has led to the need to hire a

lobbying group to ensure that we have a voice on the

ground to provide legislators with the message that

LDNs protect the public in a clinically effective and

evidence-based way.

NCDA’s goal is to raise $100,000 over two years to

support our lobbying group, public policy efforts, and

leadership development in these areas. If each LDN

in NC contributes just $25 per year to the fund, we

will meet our goal.

Please consider contributing to

the fund at one or more of our

Regional Meetings or online on

our new website, coming soon!

Show Your Support – Donations accepted

at www.eatrightnc.org.

.

I thank you all for your membership, interest, and

engagement in NCDA. I look forward to the exciting year

ahead for our organization!

Julie Francis, MS, RD, LDN

Regional Meetings - Mark Your Calendar

Raleigh September 12th Location:

Briar Creek

Country Club

Asheville November 14th Location:

Renaissance Hotel

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Kim Iles, RD, LDN:

Kim Iles

is the Co-

owner

and

President of Healthy Diets,

Inc. in Raleigh, NC. She earned her master’s degree in

nutrition from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. In addition to

serving as the current President of the Raleigh District Dietetic

Associated (RDDA), Kim's past roles within the North Carolina dietetic

community include interim administrative assistance for the North Carolina

Board of Dietetics and Nutrition and

Meet the 2014-2015

NCDA Voting Board Members

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 4 ~ SUMMER 2014

Julie Francis is the current NCDA President. She is

passionate about advancing the dietetics profession, and

as a result became involved in the NCDA as a board

member more than 7 years ago. Julie has also been

active at the local level, volunteering and serving the

Raleigh District Dietetic Association in past years. Julie

works as a top-ranked Account Executive for Nestlé

Health Science, currently covering eastern NC and

coastal SC. She loves the flexibility and challenge that

sales offers and is proud to be working in this

nontraditional type of dietetics role with a company that

values RDs and clinical evidence. When not busy with

work or volunteer commitments, you can find Julie

exercising, listening to music - especially live, or doing

something food-related - such as cooking, visiting a

farmer's market, or attending a food, wine, or beer event

somewhere in the Triangle with her boyfriend, Kevin,

and their dog, Franklin.

Kim Iles is the current president-elect for NCDA and

President of Healthy Diets, Inc. She has been in

private practice since 2009 and has grown Healthy

Diets from one location to 4 during that time. Kim is

extremely passionate about licensed

dietitians/nutritionists being an integral part of

healthcare and having a local network to help support

them professionally so in 2011 she joined the NCDA

marketing committee and she has also been a part of

the NCDA legislative committee. She has served as

President of the Raleigh District Dietetic Association

and has was trained through AND’s MNT Business

Boot Camp program to be a MNT business leader and

resource to the North Carolina dietetic community. In

her free time you can find her running, tending to her

chickens and garden, or fixing up her 130 year old

farm house.

PRESIDENT JULIE FRANCIS

PRESIDENT ELECT KIM ILES

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Michelle Rimer, MS, MPH, RDN is the Vice President of Client Solutions for

Discover Wellness, a worksite wellness management company in Hickory. Prior to

joining Discover Wellness, Michelle served as the inaugural executive director for

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Solmaz Institute, an obesity prevention and treatment

program for young adults and adolescents. Before moving to North Carolina,

Michelle held positions with the Navajo Tribe in Arizona, Lands’ End as a corporate

dietitian and several school districts in Wisconsin. She is very involved with

Catawba County Health Partners and is passionate about promoting the LDN

credential in her community. Outside of work Michelle enjoys running, biking,

cooking and spending time with her children.

Drew McArthur, MS, RD, CNSC, LDN is currently the Clinical Nutrition

Manager for Medwest Health System. During his time at Medwest Drew

implemented order writing privileges for Dietitians and helped form a nutrition

support team with Surgery and Pharmacy departments. He was nominated by the

Surgery and Pharmacy departments for the ASPEN 2013 advanced clinical

practice award. Drew joined the NCDA because he believes “this is where the

real changes can be made within our profession and the NCDA is the best

advocate for promoting clinical and community dietetics in our region.”

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 5 ~ SUMMER 2014

SECRETARY DREW MCARTHUR

Nealie is a dietitian with Healthy Diets Inc., in Durham, NC. Nealie completed her

Master of Science degree in Nutrition and her Dietetic Internship at Meredith

College. Her professional interests are in behavioral health, sports nutrition, and the

use of social media to enhance nutrition outreach.

She has most recently served with RDDA as the Nominating Committee Chair, and

her past roles include NCDA Marketing co-chair, Committee Chair for RDDA Less

Fork More Foot 5K, RDDA Planning Committee Member for Professional

Development Partnerships, and Annual “Film Feastival” Events. In her spare time

you can find Nealie conducting vegan cooking experiments in her kitchen, tackling

DIY remodeling projects in her home, and training for her next run.

DELEGATE MICHELLE RIMER

TREASURER NEALIE TEBB

Amanda Hester Oglesby, RD, LDN, SNS has spent 12 years in school foodservice

and is passionate about offering healthy, well balanced meals to all students.

Currently, she serves as Director of Operations with Chartwells Dining Services at

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in Winston-Salem, NC. During her tenure,

Amanda has worked closely with the Southeast Dairy Association to promote and

protect dairy in the school environment and implement Fuel Up to Play 60 in schools

throughout North Carolina. She became involved in NCDA because she believes in

the dietetic profession and promoting health and well- being for all people. In her

free time, she loves to be active and enjoys gardening as well as running, hiking,

biking and spending time with family and friends.

TWIN CITIES DISTRICT PRESIDENT

AMANDA HESTER

OGLESBY

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 6 ~ SUMMER 2014

Frida Hernandez, RD, LDN completed her BS in Dietetics and Dietetic

Internship at Andrews University in Michigan. She moved to North Carolina

where she started working with Piedmont Health Services as a Lead Nutritionist.

Then she transitioned to working as a Corporate Wellness Dietitian with Triad

Care, Inc. where she serves clients through wellness and disease management

programs. Frida especially likes working with patients with diabetes and hopes

to become a CDE in the future.

DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL DISTRICT PRESIDENT

FRIDA HERNANDEZ -BLE

Heather Baron MS, RD, LDN began her career at Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City

after completing her undergraduate degree in nutrition from North Carolina State

University and her Master’s degree in nutrition at the University of North Carolina at

Greensboro. She currently serves the oncology, surgical, and psychiatric units as a

clinical dietitian at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro, and also assists dietetic

students as a preceptor. Heather gained clinical experience in childhood obesity, eating

disorders, depression, and drug/alcohol abuse through her time working at Behavioral

Health Hospital in Greensboro and regularly volunteers as a guest speaker at UNC

Greensboro for an undergraduate nutrition course. Heather joined the NCDA to give

back to the organization that protects the rights of dietitians to continue practicing

and providing the safest, evidence-based, expert nutrition advice. She is hopeful

that her role as President of Greensboro District Dietetic Association will inspire a

new generation of students to become successful dietetic professionals.

GREENSBORO DISTRICT PRESIDENT

HEATHER BARRON

Jenelle Wass, MS RD LDN is a dietitian, teacher, researcher, runner, and a powerful

advocate for realistic lifestyle change and accessible nutrition. She uses her

comprehensive knowledge of nutrition and food to educate people of all ages and

backgrounds through research interventions, community programs, group seminars,

individual counseling sessions, and social media. Currently she is an online

instructor for Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less, a nutrition associate for NC State

University's SNAP-Ed program, and co-owner of Realistic Nutrition Partners. As

President and former Food Insecurity Chair of the Raleigh District Dietetic

Association, Jenelle believes in working to promote the profession while giving back

to the community. She has volunteered as a coach with Girls on the Run of the

Triangle and as a mentor for several different training programs through Fleet Feet

Raleigh. She has completed numerous races of various distances including multiple

half marathons and the Richmond Marathon. Most recently, Jenelle has become a

new mother of a baby girl.

RALEIGH DISTRICT PRESIDENT

JENELLE WASS

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 7 ~ SUMMER 2014

Lynn Winkler, MA, RDN, LDN is the Registered Dietitian and Food Service

Coordinator for PACE @ Home in Newton, NC. Lynn is the current President for the

Western District Dietetic Association. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Family and

Consumer Sciences from Appalachian State University. A career highlight was having

the opportunity to serve as the Registered Dietitian and Wellness Coordinator for a

weight solutions program for the youth of Catawba County called Healthy House

through Catawba Valley Medical Center. Being able to work with children and their

families on adopting a healthier lifestyle and in turn help improve the health of the

Catawba County community was an honor. Lynn was inspired to join NCDA to help

promote the future of our profession in a positive light and to re-connect with other

Dietitians. On a personal note, Lynn enjoys drawing and spending time on Lake

Hickory with family and friends. She currently resides in Hickory, N.C. with her

husband Chris and son Peyton.

WESTERN DISTRICT PRESIDENT

LYNN WINKLER

Heather’s career as a nutritionist/ registered dietitian began in California at Cal Poly,

San Luis Obispo in California. Her very first class in Nutrition set her on the path to

wellness and to being an RD. Before pursuing an internship and registration;

however, she went on to obtain an MA in psychology from Pepperdine University in

Irvine, Ca. She feels that this insight into the human psyche has served her well in

this profession as a nutrition educator, which is ultimately what she believes we do

as dietitians. Winthrop University provided Heather with an avenue for completing

her internship and becoming registered and she began work on this almost

immediately after relocating to Charlotte in 1991. Today she is the Nutrition

Consultant for Monarch NC group homes. Her position as a prn dietitian at

Novant Health Huntersville Hospital allows her to keep her clinical skills up to

date, and being a BCBS Provider is in the works! She feels the opportunity to

work in private practice is a definite career highlight, and says, “I love being in

control of my income!” Serving as the Charlotte Dietetic Association President

in 2014-2015 is a privilege and, absolutely, another career highlight.

CHARLOTTE DISTRICT PRESIDENT

HEATHER BANKS

Appointed NCDA Board Members Bennett Suber: Regional Meetings Co-Chair

Samantha Spain: Regional Meetings Co-Chair

Esther Granville: Virtual Community Co-Chair

Shirley Garrior: Virtual Community Co-Chair

Kaitlyn Cockerham: Awards & Recognition Chair

Rebecca Subbiah: Social Media Chair

Renee Stasko-Bailey: Food Security Chair

Barbara Ann Hughes: State Policy Representative

Lauren Brady: Public Policy Coordinator

Catherine Sullivan: NC Breastfeeding Liaison

Natalie Taft: Consumer Protection Coordinator

Lorraine Matthews: NCDAF Chair

Charla Burill: NCBDN Executive Director

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 8 ~ SUMMER 2014

Our first board meeting of the year has laid out our

activities for the western region. We are given a great

task of bringing two large districts together to connect

with and engage our membership. The board of the

Western District is excited to bring several events to

members this year. Our Western Regional Meeting will

be held on Friday, November 14 in Asheville, NC. This

same weekend (November 14-16), Asheville will be

hosting the first annual national Plant Based Prevention of

Disease (PPOD) conference on the campus of the

University of North Carolina, Asheville. The speaker

line-up is impressive; the executive director of the T.

Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies will speak on

plant-based nutrition. This will be an event not to miss.

Make a productive and enjoyable weekend of in Asheville

by attending both the NCDA Western Regional meeting

and PPOD conference.

Amongst these great events, our region continues to

struggle with how best to serve the members in our area.

The expansive geographic area of our district makes

getting together difficult to say the least. Our goal is to

bring our members together through virtual means in

addition to face-to-face socials and meetings. We have

tried this method of communication during several of our

past events with success. However, there is more work to

be completed on this endeavor.

Under the direction of our president, Lynn Winkler, MS,

RD, LDN, the board’s strategy is to think outside of the box

to bring dietitians together in a creative, collaborative way.

District Updates

Keeping You Updated

This requires constant attention to details and commitment

to the dietetics’ profession, which, the western region is

dedicated to fulfill. With the support of NCDA members,

we suspect this to be an exciting year of events. Our board

is always available for suggestions on how to carry out our

happenings. Please direct any questions or suggestions to

WDDANC@gmail.com.

~ Lauren Brady, MA, RD, LDN & Laura Sexton, RD, LDN

(as published in the RDDA newsletter – used with permission)

Upcoming Meetings

Exciting year ahead! We have tons of events and CEU

opportunities coming up this year!

Your RDDA board has worked hard to plan meetings on a

variety of RED-HOT nutrition topics including:

Health Psychology

Geriatric Nutrition and Food Assistance

Integrative Nutrition/Functional Medicine

Heart Health and the Saturated Fat Debate

And, join us for our member education meeting in May as

we host Chef Vivian Howard, owner of Chef & the

Farmer in Kinston, NC and star of A Chef's Life!

Next Spring, don't miss our job fair and career

expo for students and professional members!

Stay tuned for more information and updates.

(continued next page)

Western District

Raleigh District

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Board Approves NDTR

In July 2013, the Board approved

the Nutrition and Dietetics

Associate (NDA) designation. Since

then, the NDA and associated issues

have generated many discussions.

Recently, the Board of Directors appointed a Task Force

to look more closely at moving to multi-levels of practice,

and Academy members were asked for comments and

recommendations. Thank you to all members who

provided feedback.

The Task Force reviewed all available information

surrounding the NDA designation before reporting to the

Board. The Board accepted the Task Force

recommendation that builds upon the existing DTR

Pathway III and differentiates between degree levels to

obtain the credential Nutrition and Dietetics Technician,

Registered (PhD, MS, BS or AS-NDTR). This

recommendation follows the nursing model (the RN

examination is open to AS-, BS-, and MS-prepared

individuals). Individuals who have earned the DTR

credential could choose to retain this designation or adopt

the NDTR; those with the four year degree likewise could

choose BS-DTR or BS-NDTR.

In the coming weeks, Sonja Conner, President of the

Academy will present an all member video that will

include information on the NDTR. Fact sheets and further

communication will follow.

If you have questions regarding the NDTR designation

please send them to me, your NC delegate, at

michellerimer@icloud.com. I will forward these

questions to Diane Moore-Enos who is the staff person

responsible for the NDTR.

Respectfully,

Michelle Rimer

House of Delegates

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 9 ~ SUMMER 2014

Social Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Upcoming Social Events this Year!

Member Kick-off Picnic - Join us to kick-off the

new year at Lake Johnson! August 24 from 4-6 pm

at Picnic Shelter #4. There will be food catered

from Earth Fare (yum!)- meat and cheese tray,

fruit/veggie tray, and Mediterranean appetizers for

all!

Click here to RSVP.

Second Saturday - Join us as we explore the

Raleigh Food Corridor including pop-up markets,

urban farms, local businesses and more. Second

Saturday is an all-day showcase of new and exciting

food-related projects occurring along the Raleigh

Food Corridor. More info coming soon!

Urban Ministries Stone Soup Event - Join us to

enjoy a delicious bowl of homemade soup

while raising money for Urban Ministries to

continue to fight hunger in our area. More info

coming soon!

Join RDDA!

Haven't joined RDDA yet? What are you waiting

for? You're missing out on all kinds of fun things!

Join us on Facebook at Raleigh District Dietetic

Association for more information on upcoming

meetings and events!

Yours in nutritional health,

RDDA Marketing Committee

Anne Smith & Lauren Wyman

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Appreciation & Recognition

Paul Moore, MS, RD, CSSD,

LDN, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D

Thank you Paul for your service as

the 2013-14 NCDA President and

for your continued support as Past-

President! Paul implemented

several positive changes last year,

including moving to Regional

Meetings instead of one Annual

Meeting and implementing the

Virtual Community. Paul has

provided excellent leadership for

NCDA!

Kim Iles, MS, RD, LDN

Thank you to Kim for being

involved early on in your role as

the 2014-15 President-Elect! Kim

has already connected with and

provided exceptional district

support. She has also been key in

planning the Raleigh Regional

Meeting. We can expect more

great things from Kim to come!

Virtual Community Committee:

Shirley Gerrior PhD, RD, LDN,

Esther Granville RD, LDN, and

Renee Stasko-Bailey RD, LDN

Thank you to Shirley, Esther, and

Renee for planning the Virtual

Community Webinars! These

ladies have already confirmed

dates and speakers for the entire

2014-15 member year. Way to go!

*Would you like to acknowledge

someone in the NCDA Newsletter?

Please send it to

NCDAPresident@gmail.com. We

would love to share exciting news

about what our members are doing

across the state!

Thank You!

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 10 ~ SUMMER 2014

Thank you to each and every member of the NCDA. It was

because of you, members that made a difference, the NCDA had a

HUGELY SUCCESSFUL 2013-2014 member year. As an

organization we accomplished so much. I want to take the

opportunity to highlight a few of our accomplishments from last

year and challenge you to continue to make a difference this year.

Nearly 600 attendees participated in our 4 Regional Meetings

(Thank you Raleigh, Western, Charlotte and Wilmington). This

represents an increase from approximately 230 and 250 members at

our last two Annual Meetings.

10 webinars available through the newly formed NCDA Virtually

Community. Topics ranged from HOD (House of Delegate) issues

to bariatrics to autism

An ENORMOUS presence on social media: approximately 1500

combined likes/followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Start of a member blog on the NCDA website

NCDA applied and was granted CPE Approved Provider

Accreditation status.

This year I challenge you to continue to make a difference! You

can do this as a member by:

- being active in any of the association activities,

- attending at least 2 regional meetings

- being an active member of your local district,

- participating in legislative call to action requests,

- contacting your local legislatures to build a relationship with them

- volunteering for a leadership role at the state or district level!

Thanks again for a great year as your NCDA President!

Paul Moore,

MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D

Insights from my year as the

NCDA President (2013-2014)

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

It is time to start thinking about the annual NCDA

Awards! We encourage you to nominate your peers for

the following awards:

Circle Award

Recognized Young Dietitian of the

Year (RYDY) Award

Recognized Dietetic Technician of the Year

(RDTY) Award

Emerging Dietetic Leader (EDL) Award

Outstanding Dietitian of the Year (ODY) Award

Outstanding Dietetics Student (ODS) Award

Outstanding Dietetics Educator (ODE) Award

Please see the NCDA website for all information

pertaining to the awards.

Nominations for the Outstanding Dietetics Educator

(ODE) award are due by December 1, 2014.

Nominations for all other awards are due by February 1,

2015.

The Awards Chair for 2015 is Katy Cockerham. Please

email her with any questions you may have at

cockerhamke@appstate.edu.

Summer Tweets

@slines tweeted:

The hot #mater patch. @alasjules @Alaskachic907

@redonionspice @BakedAlaskaInOr @eatrightnc

http://t.co/V6lML2Mcr0

Rebecca@OldSalemInc tweeted:

Yum - those look delish! RT @eatrightnc Love these

sun gold tomatoes at farmers market today

http://t.co/yeFFDiEdga

@allaccessintern tweeted:

RT @eatrightnc: Guest Post! Being a Meredith College

Dietetic Intern http://t.co/j5n3cI2Uyp

@FreekehFoods tweeted:

We do too! RT @eatrightnc: love what

@ChefRyanConklin is doing with Hospital food in

Raleigh http://t.co/wjtwVasfua http://t.co/kniVlZBSLR

NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 11 ~ SUMMER 2014

Courtesy of Rebecca Subbiah, RD, LDN

Nominations Please Kaitlyn Cockerham - Awards Chair

SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Thank you Samantha! As I take on this new role as

newsletter editor, many of Samantha’s early recollections of

her apprehensions feel like my own, but I am eager to begin.

My interest in food and nutrition began 18 years ago

when I started my first organic home garden. Amidst my

gardening endeavors my husband and I started our first

construction company in 2000. Now 14 years later, we have

successfully built a sound business with a devoted customer

base, many of whom are now our good friends. During these

same years I went back to school and earned my Nutrition

Science degree with a minor in English, graduating in 2013

from East Carolina University. I just recently completed my

internship hours and expect to take my RD exam within the

next few months. Wish me luck!

I am also the mother of two children and I enjoy

several hobbies: chicken husbandry for over 15 years,

backyard orchardist, beekeeping, food preservation,

published author and photography. (The images in this

newsletter are my own plants and images, omitting the 3

landscapes on page 4.) I’m often asked how I do it all. I

attribute my motivation to a passion to make a difference.

Joining the NCDA and volunteering your time can make an

impact, especially if we can grow the number of nutrition

professionals devoting their time and talents to the NCDA

mission and vision:

Mission - Optimizing North Carolina's health

through food and nutrition

Vision - Empowering NCDA members to be North

Carolina's food and nutrition leaders

Change is disruptive but at the same time it stimulates

growth; like tilling the soil or pruning the branch. As the

season of summer comes to a close and we enter autumn,

let’s ask ourselves what changes we can make to embrace

the NCDA’s mission. What can we do as an organization to

grow and cultivate better health across North Carolina?

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself and

bring the latest NCDA news to you. I’m looking forward to

our year ahead!

~ Kimberly Kruse

NCDA NEWSLETTER SPRING 2014 NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 5 ~ SUMMER 2014 NCDA NEWSLETTER ~ 12 ~ SUMMER 2014

I can vividly recall attending my first Board

of Directors meeting nearly two years ago as the

new, unknown newsletter editor, knowing only one

person (hello, Judy Lester!) and feeling apprehensive

about my abilities, insecure about my network, and

unclear about the expectations. Fast forward to

today and I find it difficult to summarize all I've

learned, to quantify all the talented, supportive, and

professional NCDA members I've met, and to

express all the gratitude I have for everyone who

made this position so rewarding, opportunistic, and

fun.

As I confidently pass the baton to Kimberly,

your new editor, I am preparing to take the RD exam

this summer after finishing my M.S. last year and

more recently my dietetic internship, which I

completed in June. I look forward to staying

involved in NCDA, transferring my editor

experiences into future literary endeavors, and of

course, finding a job within this community of

unbelievably passionate, talented dietetic

professionals. Thank you again to everyone who has

contributed to my newsletters and my unforgettable

experience. Without further adieu...it's all you,

Kimberly! Congratulations and enjoy the ride.

Samantha Reiff, MS

Passing the Baton Samantha Reiff – Preceding Newsletter Editor

Have news or information you would like to share? Please contact me at

kimberlykruse@live.com. Thank you!

Behold the turtle. He makes progress

only when he sticks his neck out. ~ James Bryant Conant

Interested in contributing your time and support?

Visit www.eatrightnc.org