2012-2013 DCMADA Accomplishments
“Serving to improve human nutrition by providing direction for education, scientific
advancement, and quality dietetic practice” has always been part of DCMADA’s mission as a
non-profit organization and Academy affiliate. During the 2012-2013 term, the DCMADA
Board of Directors rededicated itself to this mission and vital role. With the leadership and
support of DCMADA President Dianne Benjamin, the Board collaborated to provide
valuable educational opportunities to members and the public in addition to strengthening
our internal operations.
Food Day 2012 on October 24 provided the first opportunity for this DCMADA Board to
demonstrate its commitment to promoting nutrition, education, and quality practice. The
Council on Professional Issues (CPI), led by Danielle Schaub and Alison Sacks, partnered
with Dr. Joseph Kinner’s “Food for Thought” class at Gallaudet University to host a Food
and Culture Fair that featured nearly 20 booths with local farmers, chefs, and information
about current food and environmental issues. DCMADA’s booth provided Gallaudet
students with an opportunity to learn about nutrition and the many roles that Registered
Dietitians have. Later that day, the Public Policy Committee (PPC) hosted a reception that
brought together the members of the public, DC City Council, DCMADA, and the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, including current Academy President Ethan Bergman. The event
showcased the diverse work of Registered Dietitians and the wealth of resources among
DCMADA members.
The PPC, chaired by Vanessa Hoffman and Maggie Sommers, continued its work educating
policy makers and promoting high-quality nutrition services during the 2013 Public Policy
Workshop. DCMADA members met with the District’s Congressional representatives and
DC City Council members to discuss several pieces of relevant legislation.
Over the past year, the PPC has also addressed licensure for nutrition services, which is
imperative for public safety. Sommers attended an international conference on licensure,
and the PPC developed a letter in response to the Mayor’s proposed consolidation of the
District’s Board of Dietetics and Nutrition (BDN) with the regulatory boards of other health
professions. After the BDN was spared, the PPC sought nominees to put forward for the
vacant Nutritionist member position so that the BDN could become fully functional.
House of Delegates (HOD) Representative Katrina Holt also worked on promoting public
health and safety by strengthening and guiding our profession. Holt participated in the Fall
HOD meeting, which focused on public health nutrition and community nutrition. Holt
assisted in writing the fact sheet that prepared representatives for the meeting, and she
was also named to the task force formed after the meeting. The task force was charged with
developing a plan for members to become more active in public health nutrition and
community nutrition and for the Academy to support this work. Holt recruited me,
DCMADA’s Recording Secretary, to serve as an alternate for the Spring HOD meeting, a
virtual meeting dedicated to raising members’ awareness of food insecurity and generating
ideas for how members and the Academy can be part of the solution.
In addition to working at a strategic level to enhance dietetic practice, DCMADA provided
numerous continuing education opportunities for members. For RD Day, Public
Relations/National Nutrition Month Committee Chair Ellen Griffiths hosted a wonderful
event to both honor and educate Registered Dietitians. The speaker, a pyschodramatist, led
attendees in fun activities to help them work more effectively with patients, clients, and
coworkers alike. President-Elect Nancy Katz coordinated an additional spring leadership
development event that featured two inspirational Registered Dietitians with very different
career paths as well as a writing consultant who had many useful tips for crafting a
compelling resume.
The 2013 annul meeting, “DCMADA on the Move: Evidence-based Practice in Nutrition and
Physical Activity,” offered the opportunity for members to earn six CEU’s. Schaub and Sacks
coordinated this successful event, which was held on May 11 in the beautiful grand
ballroom of the George Washington University Marvin Center. Nearly sixty attendees
learned about binge-eating disorder, artificial sweeteners, the National Organic Program,
food insecurity, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and starting a successful
nutrition business. There were several distinguished speakers, including representatives
from Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture, Feeding America,
and the National Dairy Council. The Registered Dietitian member of the District Board of
Dietetics and Nutrition provided an update on the work of the BDN and licensure issues in
the District. The meeting also highlighted the work of twelve dietetic students and interns
from the University of Maryland, the University of the District of Columbia, and the
National Institutes of Health as part of the annual student poster competition.
DCMADA provided education directly to the public again this past Spring at the annual
NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo. The DCMADA table offered attendees the chance to play a
game that increased their nutrition knowledge. About 400 people played it and entered a
drawing for prizes, and many more stopped by to simply take the free educational
materials and chat with DCMADA members.
DCMADA has a new tool for communicating with the public as well as members: our
redesigned website, www.eatrightdc.org. The Board labored throughout the 2012-2013
term to create a new structure for the website and provide updated content. Kait
Fortunado, DCMADA’s Webmaster, facilitated this process by coordinating the work of the
design team and the DCMADA Board members. Another important means of
communication, the Potomac Post, was given new life by Co-Editors Jean Gutierrez and
Katrina Butner. As you many have noticed, they transitioned the Potomac Post from a PDF
newsletter to a blog featuring both original content and contributions from members. They
have posted about ten stories per month on the blog, and each month, the most relevant
stories were sent to members using Constant Contact.
On top of making these visible enhancements to our operations, the DCMADA Board spent
significant time improving our internal operations. Building on the work of prior Board
members, especially former Treasurer Erika Pijai, the Board finalized seven policies on
such topics as budget proposals, reimbursements, event planning, and communications.
Not only did Katz guide these policies to completion and adoption, she created a committee
in order to draft an additional policy on sponsorship. While not yet complete, this policy
promises to assist DCMADA in reviewing sponsorship opportunities and deciding which
are consistent with the mission of our organization. Together, these policies will allow
DCMADA to operate with greater efficiency and transparency, and they will also be an
invaluable resource for new Board members.
To supplement the policies, Tricia Psota solicited position descriptions from current and
former Board members, providing the basis for what will one day be a comprehensive
resource for Board member transitions. In her role as Emerging
Leaders/Membership/Awards Committee Co-Chair, Psota also continued working on the
awards process procedures while overseeing the announcement, nomination review, and
presentation of the Academy and affiliate awards at this year’s annual meeting. These
awards highlight the significant contributions and achievements of DCMADA members at
all stages of their education and careers.
In addition, Policies and Procedures Chair Kristine Caiafa began drafting updates to the
DCMADA bylaws. The bylaws were in need of an overhaul to make them more consistent
with 501(c)(3) standards, better aligned with the bylaws of other professional
organizations, and reflective of the actual duties of the DCMADA Board positions. The
bylaws are undergoing final review and will be ready for approval soon. Coupled with the
policies, the revised bylaws will make DCMADA a stronger organization that can better
represent its members and present itself to the public.
Treasurer Liz Parker spent her term strengthening DCMADA’s finances. She was successful
in finally resolving an issue with improper tax withholding by the Internal Revenue Service.
She also rediscovered the DCMADA PayPal account, which enabled vendors and annual
meeting sponsors to pay online, and she found forgotten money in the process. Finally,
Parker and the rest of the Fiscal Affairs Committee worked to solicit bids for a new certified
public accountant, which saved DCMADA over $1,000 in tax preparation fees.
In keeping with the push to formalize our operations, the Nominating Committee, led by
Kelly Verdin, drafted its own procedures for conducting elections. The Nominating
Committee held another successful networking and recruitment event this past December.
After recruiting several nominees for the open Board positions, the Nominating Committee
ran a smooth election that resulted in five new enthusiastic and well-qualified members
being chosen to join the Board for 2013-2014.
Overall, the 2012-2013 term was extremely busy and fruitful. DCMADA could not have
accomplished so much without the direction of outgoing President Benjamin, all of the
dedicated Board members, and the many committee members and volunteers who assisted
with all of these initiatives and events. The coming year promises to be just as exciting, so
get involved now!