Chair
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AnnaMarie Rodriguez, RDN, LD, FAND
AnnaMarie has worked as a nephrology dietitian for 25 years in a variety of settings from clinical to pharmaceutical including clinical, sales, education, and renal medical affairs. She is currently an Independent Consultant, the owner of Nutrition Directions LLC, and employed by Pentec Health as a Renal Clinical Retention Specialist. She has served and chaired several boards including the South and Central Texas National Kidney Foundation Medical Advisory Board, San Antonio Council of Renal Nutrition, Renal Practice Group DPG, Wisconsin Council of Renal Nutrition, and Vegetarian DPG Speaker Bureau. Currently she is on the Academy’s Quality Management Committee, the WI/MI/IN/N.CA State Coordinator for VN DPG, a board member of the Plant-based Prevention of Disease organization, the VN DPG Chair, the WAND SE Region Representative, and the Professional Education Chair-elect for WAND. She is a Master Gardener and is focusing on continuing education, in addition to peer reviewing, authoring, and coauthoring additional projects related to CKD and plant-based nutrition.
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Chair Elect
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Alison Ozgur, MAT, MHS, RDN, DipACLM
Alison Ozgur is a registered dietitian nutritionist and wellness expert with advanced training and expertise in whole food, plant-based nutrition. In 2012 she co-authored her first book, Go Beyond Good: The Trail to a Lifetime of Health and Vitality! That same year she was invited to join the online instructor team at the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, where she still teaches today. Her passion and expertise in plant-based nutrition has inspired her to move into a leadership role to further promote the benefits of lifestyle change for optimal health.
Throughout her two-decade career as a registered dietitian, Alison has expanded her love of health and wellness as an author, college instructor, middle and high school health teacher, certified meditation and mindfulness teacher, and registered yoga teacher. Alison completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Western Michigan University. She holds a Master of Health Science degree from Saint Francis University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Concordia University. She is a Diplomate and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
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Past Chair
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Dori Coetzee, MS RDN
Dori is a registered dietitian with a passion to help others strive to a healthier more wholesome lifestyle by teaching them how to change their diet and lifestyle. She prioritizes plant-based nutrition as the primary means to improve health through food. She recently relocated from Los Angeles, California to Dallas, Texas, where she works at a wellness center providing individualized care using the latest evidence-based medical nutrition therapy and motivational interviewing to help patients achieve their medical and health goals. She also works for Market Street, a grocery store chain specific to the Dallas area, as their Living Well manager, educating the public on ways to use food to improve their health. When she is not working, she enjoys experimenting with the development of delicious and fun recipes that are plant-based, and spending time outdoors with her family as a runner. She has a deep connection with food and believes that food should be enjoyable as well as healthful.
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Secretary
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Alicia Henson, RD, CNSC
Alicia is a registered dietitian working as a consultant in the Bay Area and as an adjunct nutrition instructor at College of the Sequoias. She is completing her last semester at UW-Madison for her master’s degree in clinical nutrition. Alicia wrote an article on plant-based diets for people with CKD and its influence on the gut microbiome for VN’s Update in Summer 2021. She enjoys VN’s supportive community and is interested in being a VN DPG leader to work closely with its members.
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Treasurer
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Sheetal K. Parikh, MS, RDN, LDN
Sheetal Parikh has been very passionate about plant-based nutrition since her childhood. She holds two Bachelor of Science degrees and one Master’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. She brings her unique experience and skills in the nutrition world by blending eastern and western cultures with innovative diets. She is specializing in Plant-Based Nutrition, and has been a vegetarian all her life, and promotes vegetarianism and its health benefits. Since 2019 she has been an Author for Vegan/Vegetarian diets for the Nutrition Care Manual for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). She has been involved with setting standards for RD Exam Passing Score Study Task Force and Item Writing Workshop for Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She served in the positions of Advisory Board Committee for Diversity and Inclusion for AND; Florida State Coordinator and Diversity Liaison for Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. She achieved the feat of being a BSDN Advisory Board Member for Keiser University; the institution from which she graduated and won an award for Outstanding Student of the year 2017 from Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. At present, she works as Lead Regional Dietitian in Clinical and Patient Services for Morrison Healthcare and also Counsels Patients and Clients on the importance and advantage of eating Plant-Based foods for their health and the earth’s well-being. She is proficient in creating new plant-based recipes; designing techniques for happy & healthy cooking; preparing appetizing meals for her clients, family, friends, and colleagues. She lives with a motto of “You are what you Eat”.
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House of Delegates
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Lindsay Schmitz MS, RD, LDN
Lindsay is the owner of Live Smarter Nutrition & Wellness, practicing out of The Health Club at Southpointe. She specializes in weight management, plant-forward eating, disease prevention, wellness and educating consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal and home care choices.
Lindsay formerly held positions as a bariatric dietitian at West Penn Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital (Cincinnati, OH). Lindsay also has experience in public health as a manager and lead dietitian for a Woman, Infants and Children office in Cincinnati. She has held leadership positions in both the Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania chapters of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. She graduated from Upper St. Clair High School (Pittsburgh, PA), the University of Dayton (OH) and received her Master’s in Sports Nutrition from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland).
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Nominating Committee Chair
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Dori Coetzee, MS RDN (Interim)
Dori is a registered dietitian with a passion to help others strive to a healthier more wholesome lifestyle by teaching them how to change their diet and lifestyle. She prioritizes plant-based nutrition as the primary means to improve health through food. She recently relocated from Los Angeles, California to Dallas, Texas, where she works at a wellness center providing individualized care using the latest evidence-based medical nutrition therapy and motivational interviewing to help patients achieve their medical and health goals. She also works for Market Street, a grocery store chain specific to the Dallas area, as their Living Well manager, educating the public on ways to use food to improve their health. When she is not working, she enjoys experimenting with the development of delicious and fun recipes that are plant-based, and spending time outdoors with her family as a runner. She has a deep connection with food and believes that food should be enjoyable as well as healthful.
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Nominating Committee Chair-Elect
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Samantha Wildman, MPH, RDN, CSR
I have been working in the outpatient dialysis industry for 20 years now, at Satellite Healthcare. I am compassionate about environmental public health and recently pursued my MPH at San Jose State University, graduating in June 2021. I am very excited to be part of this practice group. I believe all of us can benefit greatly from a more plant-based diet to improve our health outcomes and help slow climate change. I will bring a positive and diverse perspective to our leadership.
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Appointed VN DPG Committee Members
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State Coordinator Chair
Katie Ellison, MS, RDN, LDN
Membership Chair
Katie Ellison, MS, RDN, LDN
Speaker's Bureau Chair
Ashley Lombardi, BS, RDN
Student Member Coordinator
Emily Ostrow
Newsletter Editor
Adrianne Osano
Meredith LaFrance
Newsletter Staff
Riana Hoagland
Communication Chair
Manju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, FAND
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Newsletter Reviewers
Barbara Ravid, MA, RDN, CSR
Catherine Conway, MS, RD, CDN, CDE
Debbie Lucus, RD, MS, CDE
Hollie Gelberg, PhD, RD
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Sudha Raj, PhD, RD
RD Resource Chair
Stephanie Swavely, RD, CSO, LDN
Bonnie Birnbaum, RD, CSR, CDCES
Policy and Advocacy Chair & Historian
Catherine Conway, MS, RD, CDN, CDE
Justine Violet Meyer, MPH, RD, CSG
Sponsorship Chair
Open Position
Social Media Chair
Madeline Butler-Sanchez
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Research Chair
Open Position
Webinar Chair
Elizabeth Osorno
Diversity Liaison
Parul Kharod, MS, RD, LDN
Jen Nguyen, RDN
Network Rep. to VRG
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Volunteer Coordinator
Jane Maus
DPG Manager/Administrator
Adriana Legreid
Web Site Manager
Kaylen Hickman
Web Editor
Adriana Legreid
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