Leadership Team

Leadership Team

CV-Well has launched with a team of leaders in place who are dedicated to forwarding its mission and helping its members achieve their professional goals. More info coming soon!

If you are interested in serving on the Executive Committee or a Specialty Committee for the current or upcoming term, more info can be found here.

To contact your leaders, use the Academy's Leadership Directory. Click here for the Leadership Directory User Guide.

Executive Committee

Lynn_HeadshotLynn Cialdella Kam, PhD, MA, MBA, RDN, CSSD, FACSM

Chair

Show Chair Bio

I am blessed to be the Director of the Food Utilization and Energy Lab (FUEL) team for Warfighter Performance Department, Naval Health Research Center in San Diego. The FUEL team is focused on investigating practical nutrition solutions to support Warfighter performance and health and providing evidence-based nutrition data to support policy decision. In my free time, I enjoy spending my time with my husband and our fur babies, taking Orange Theory Classes, and swimming, dancing...anything active and enjoying good food!

Parul A Kharod, Chair, Headshot ImageParul A. Kharod, MSC, RD, LDN

Past Chair

Show Past Chair Bio

Parul Kharod, MS, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Food & Nutrition and a Master of Science degree in Dietetics.

She works as a Clinical Dietitian with Outpatient Nutrition Services at WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh, NC

She serves as the Chair of the CV-Well DPG. She serves as the Assistant Diversity Liaison for VN DPG and the IDEA Committee for NC Affiliate.

Jennifer Bleiweis, RDN, LD/N, NBC-HWC

Chair

Show Chair-Elect Bio

Jen Bleiweis, RDN, LD/N, NBC-HWC is currently working in her private practice providing nutrition and wellness coaching for individuals and groups. She also consults for the Douglas Williams Executive Health at UF, Alachua County Employee Wellness Program and Empower Lifestyle Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. Her approach to coaching is client centered and goal oriented. Her background includes a BSHE from the University of Georgia in Dietetics and an Internship at the VA Hospital in San Diego. She also completed her training for Health and Wellness Coaching at Duke University Integrative Medicine and became a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach in 2021. She is a proud Mom of three and a Grandma to Teddy. She enjoys traveling with her husband of 36 years, Mark and walking the beach with her Golden Retriever, Molly.

Jennifer_HeadshotJennifer Burris, PhD, RDN, CNSC, CSSD, CDCES

Secretary

Show Secretary Bio

Jennifer Burris PhD, RD, CSSD, CNSC, CDCES is a Registered Dietitian and part-time faculty in Nutrition at California State University Channel Islands (Calabasas, CA) and Saddleback College (Mission Viejo, CA). Jennifer’s research focuses on the integrated role of nutrition, physical activity, and chronic skin disease, particularly acne, to promote patient wellness. In addition to teaching and research, she is a Sports Nutrition Consultant for the Ventura County Fire Department in California.

Kelly LeGros StricklerKelly LeGros Strickler, MS, RDN

Treasurer

Show Treasurer Bio

Kelly LeGros Strickler, MS, RDN is a dedicated Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with extensive experience in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, specializing in cardiovascular health, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). With a foundation in evidence-based nutrition therapy, Kelly empowers individuals to take control of their health through sustainable dietary and lifestyle changes.

Jen_Nguyen_dark_bg_cropped_small.jpgJen Nguyen, RDN, CDN, NASM-CPT

IDEA Liaison

Show IDEA Liaison Bio

Jen Nguyen, RDN, CDN, NASM-CPT, is currently Director of Nutrition at Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen where she is a founding member of the nutrition programs and services. She is also an Associate with Dr. Wendy Bazilian, assisting with media and professional presentations, interviews, book publications, and other large-scale projects. Years prior to becoming a dietitian, she became a certified personal trainer and taught private, group, and virtual exercise classes and was a sports nutrition intern with collegiate and professional athletes. Currently, she works with individuals in disease prevention, community wellness, and ultra-endurance sports. Jen received her Bachelor of Science in Food Administration and Dietetics with an option in Nutrition and Dietetics, minor in Hospitality Management at California State University, Long Beach, and completed her dietetic internship at Cornell University.

Jen held leadership positions with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at the local and national level. More recently, serving as the 30 and Under Director for the AND Foundation. Jen is the recipient of the 2022 Young Dietitian of the Year Award for the NYSAND and 2016 Outstanding Didactic Student for the CAND.

Jen is a Southern California native, and now resides in Upstate New York with her partner, Rob and boxer, Kiwi. For fun, she loves cooking, gardening, trail running, hiking the Adirondack mountains, and attending live music events.

Larson Meyer_HeadshotEnette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM

HOD Delegate

Show HOD Delegate Bio

Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM is a professor at Virginia Tech where she directs the Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism Laboratory.  Her research focuses on how nutrition influences the health and performance of athletes/active individuals, with recent interests including intentional weight gain and the importance of vitamin D, iodine and other micronutrient in sports/exercise performance and overall health. Enette has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters, is the author of “Plant-Based Sports Nutrition” (Human Kinetics, 2020), and has served on several International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus panels. She is an Associate Editor for Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and the Science and Medicine of Football, serves on the Academic Advisory Board for the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition and as a member of the International Testing Agency Health & Clinical Expert Advisory Group. Her personal interests include road cycling, flat-water kayaking, resistance training, gardening, yoga, cooking and wine tasting. She is the proud mother of three recent college graduates, two of whom played collegiate soccer.  Enette completed her dietetic training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and her doctoral/postdoctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Carrie_Hamady_CV-Well_Member_Engagement_Chair.jpgKristi M. Crowe-White, PhD, RD

Member Engagement Chair

Show Member Engagement Chair Bio

Kristi Crowe-White, PhD, RD is a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Alabama. She received her PhD at the University of Maine where she held a doctoral fellowship with the National Science Foundation. Her dietetic training was completed at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Dr. Crowe-White’s research focuses on understanding the influence of bioactive food compounds and functional foods on clinical outcomes of cardiometabolic disease. Further, her lab examines the role of bioactive food compounds and dietary patterns on gut microbial composition and gut-derived metabolites on cardiometabolic disease and aging. Dr. Crowe-White has funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute and the Office of Dietary Supplements, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics among others. As a result of this body of research, she co-authored the first ever dietary guideline on bioactive food compounds (flavan-3-ols) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper on Functional Foods. Additionally, she serves as a media spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists to advance the scientific understanding of nutrition in the prevention of chronic disease.

Taylor_Bloedon-CV-Well_Education_Chair.png

Kavita Hariram Poddar, PhD, RD, CD, LDN, CLS

Education Chair

Show Education Chair Bio

Kavita Poddar worked as a dietitian in India, then came to the United States for higher education. She earned her PhD in nutrition from Virginia Tech and worked as a post-doc at Johns Hopkins before moving to Wisconsin. Kavita has lived in Wisconsin since 2011 and working at UW Health since 2013. She is trained in health promotion and disease prevention with emphasis on lifestyle changes that include dietary modifications in obese and type II diabetic individuals. She has strong skills sets in developing and designing, planning and implementing clinical trials in research setting. Additional skills include data management, analysis and manuscript development. She is experienced in providing advanced level care in clinical nutrition across different age group.

Liz Kiertscher_Communications_ChairLiz Kiertscher, MS, RD, LD, CPT, CWPM

Communications Chair

Show Communications Chair Bio

Liz Kiertscher is passionate about health and wellness and has worked in this space for over 15 years. She currently works as an Assistant Vice President of Precision Health for Lockton Dunning Benefits acting as a subject matter expert in population health, weight management and advanced primary care strategies for clients. Liz previously worked onsite managing an employee wellness program for a large school district with over 8,000 employees. Liz has a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. Liz is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian as well as a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Wellness Program Manager with experience in the gym setting and as a clinical inpatient and outpatient hospital dietitian. She likes to share her passion for nutrition and wellness with others and previously taught nutrition as an adjunct professor at Dallas College for over 12 years. Liz volunteers her time in leadership roles with dietetic associations currently with CV-Well DPG, and previously with Northeast Region of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

CV-Well Leaders

Manju Karkare HeadshotManju Karkare, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, FAND

Leadership Cultivation Co-Director

Show Leadership Cultivation Director Bio

Manju is a nationally recognized leader having served the profession in a variety of ways from affiliate, DPG/MIG to national level. She currently serves on the Academy Foundation Board of Directors and Legislative and Public Policy Committee among other DPG volunteer positions. Manju has an activist spirit and a passion for expanding equitable access to MNT. Her integrative and functional nutrition private practice focuses on prevention, wellness, gut health, and weight management.

Mary FinckenorMary Finckenor, MA, RDN, CDCES, BC-ADM, CSSD

Webinar Co-Coordinator 

Show Webinar Co-Coordinator

Mary is a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of experience in cardiometabolic and diabetes care at Morristown Medical Center’s Cardiac Rehab program. Known for her dynamic, engaging presentation style, she makes complex nutrition and pharmacology topics accessible and actionable. Mary has spoken at numerous national, state, and local conferences and is a sought-after speaker for corporate audiences across the greater New York metropolitan area.

Adrian LeQue, MS, RDN, LD, CD, FAND

Volunteer Cultivation Director

Show Volunteer Cultivation Director Bio

I work as a Nutrition and Wellness Mentor for a large senior care community,  providing wellness programming for both seniors and staff. I also provide nutrition care primarily in the short-term rehab area, while writing menus and providing oversight for nutritional services.

I am the outgoing president of the Wisconsin affiliate of the Academy and look forward to volunteering more with DPG's, as I love the value they bring to our membership. 

Marsha Moore Kenner, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES

Webinar Co-Coordinator 

Show Webinar Co-Coordinator Bio

As Registered Dietitian for over 35 years, I have worked in a wide variety of settings, including: acute care, cardiac rehab, cancer care, health promotion, academia, and outpatient nutrition. In 2021, I became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Over the years, I have held several positions on the boards of both state affiliates and dietetic practice groups of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I feel blessed to love what I do!

Brent_HeadshotBrent Jonathan Fountain, PhD, RD, FAND

Nominating Committee, Chair-elect

Show Nominating Committee Chair Bio

Brent Fountain currently serves as Vice Provost and an Extension Professor of Nutrition at Mississippi State University. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, he served as State Nutrition Specialist for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. In addition to his responsibilities with Academic Affairs, he serves the university as Faculty Athletics Representative to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). He holds degrees from East Central Community College, Mississippi College, and Mississippi State University. Dr. Fountain is a Registered Dietitian, a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is also a past president of the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, getting outdoors to camp and hike, and playing guitar.

Connie HeadshotConnie Diekman, M.ED, RD, LD, FADA, FAND

Nominating Committee, Chair-elect

Show Nominating Committee, Chair-elect Bio

Connie Diekman is a Food and Nutrition Consultant in St. Louis. A former Director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St Louis, Former President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Former Chair of the American Heart Association Missouri affiliate, and Former Chair of the WMDPG.
A television nutrition reporter for close to 15 years and for 15 years was the voice of the “Eating Right” minute on Chicago radio station WBBM.

Sharon_HeadshotSharon Smalling, MPH, RD, LD

Nominating Committee

Show Nominating Committee Bio

After 42 years of practice with an emphasis on cardiac and pulmonary rehab, outpt MNT and media, I retired in Aug 2022.  I served on the SCAN EC as co-director of the CV Well subcommittee, nominating committee and chair, and symposium chair.  I also have been on the task force developing the Picture Your Plate cardiac rehab nutrition survey.  The past 2 years I have been a mentor in our newly established Mentoring Program.  I look forward to participating on the nominating comm again.

Jen_HeadshotJen Messer, MS, RDN, LD, CLC

Nominating Committee

Show Nominating Committee Bio

Jen Messer, MS, RDN, LD is a New Hampshire-based registered dietitian with a master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science and a background in psychology and education. She is a certified lactation counselor, former La Leche League leader, and immediate past president of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As a third-career dietitian, Jen brings a unique perspective to her evidence-based practice, with interests in cardiovascular health, sports nutrition, and the integration of movement and nutrition across the lifespan.

Taylor Bloedon, PhD, RD, CSSD, NBC-HWC

Content Expert 

Show Content Expert Bio

Taylor Bloedon, PhD, RD, CSSD, NBC-HWC, is a Professor in Kinesiology with an emphasis on nutrition, exercise, and health promotion at Cal Poly Humboldt. Taylor has experience in various community and university settings, working to enhance lifestyle behaviors, health, and well-being. Her research focuses on examining the integration of nutrition, lifestyle behaviors, and exercise strategies for improving and maintaining mental and physical health, enhancing sports performance, and preventing and reducing chronic disease.

Geeta_Sikand-Cv-Well_PAL_and_Education_Committee__Content_Expert.jpegGeeta Sikand, MA, RDN, FAND

Policy & Advocacy Leader

Show Policy & Advocacy Leader Bio

Geeta Sikand is a national speaker, Director of Nutrition, Preventive Cardiology Program at University of California Irvine and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Cardiology Division). Geeta is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and a Fellow of the National Lipid Association (NLA). Ms. Sikand is a registered dietitian and a clinical lipid specialist.

Ms. Sikand serves as the Cardiovascular Nutrition Content Expert for the Academy’s Cardiovascular Health and Well-being dietetic practice group. Ms. Sikand is Co-Chair of the NLA Nutrition Task Force and coauthor of the “2015 NLA Recommnendations for the Management of Dyslipidemia.” Ms. Sikand serves on the NLA Board of Governors. Ms. Sikand is Co-chair of the NLA South Asian Work Group. Ms. Sikand’s area of research is in the area of dietary strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction and outcomes of medical nutrition therapy in the management of dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic risk factors including improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, BMI and A1c.

Ms. Sikand has been honored with many national and state awards including the 2020 NLA’s 2020 President’s Service Award, Academy’s 2020 Excellence in Weight Management Outcomes Research Award and the Academy’s 2019 Medallion Award. She was honored for her leadership, public policy and community service and for her medical nutrition therapy outcomes research for patients with dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic risk factors. In 2019 Ms. Sikand received the Academy’s Excellence in Cardiovascular Practice Award, Academy’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indians in Nutrition and Dietetics Member Interest Group, 2013 Academy’s Distinguished Service Award, 2001 Mary Huddleson Award for making the highest research contribution to the dietetics profession At the state level, Ms. Sikand was the recipient of the California Academy’s 2019 Dolores Nyhus Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award, and the 1997 California Academy’s Excellence in Outcomes Research Award.

KESenkus_Headshot__8_small.jpgKatelyn E. Senkus, MS

Pathways Associate Editor, Research

Show Pathways Associate Editor, Research Bio

Katelyn E. Senkus, MS is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Human Nutrition at The University of Alabama. Her research objectives support cardiometabolic health by elucidating the relationships among dietary bioactive compounds, oxidative stress, and inflammation, as well as vascular function. Furthermore, she investigates variables that may mediate the beneficial effects of nutrition interventions, such as obesity and the oral microbiome, on the aforementioned measures, permitting the differentiation between intervention responders and non-responders. Katelyn has received funding from agencies such as the Colgate-Palmolive Company, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

Herbert_Headshot_2020_small.jpgShannon Herbert, MS, RD

Pathways Associate Editor, Practice

Show Pathways Associate Editor, Practice Bio

Shannon Herbert, MS, RD is a registered dietitian, yoga instructor, and second year doctoral student in the Nutrition and Dietetics program at New York University (New York, NY). Her research interests lie in understanding how lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity) may impact chronic disease, with the hope of developing lifestyle interventions that support and promote lifelong well-being. Her research is focused on exploring and developing lifestyle interventions for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Shannon aims to explore the experiences of women with PCOS, with a focus on their relationship with food and their dietary intake patterns. Shannon received her bachelor of science degree in Global Public Health & Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as her master of science degree in Clinical Nutrition, from New York University. She completed her dietetic internship at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, NY.