Election
An official election is being held for members to vote for candidates interested in serving on the 2023-2024 KAND Board of Directors.
To participate in the election, please:
- Review the slate of candidates below.
- Confirm you are an Academy member and have selected Kentucky as your affiliate.
- Submit your ballot by Friday, March 31, 2023, using the button below.
President Elect – Lauren Roberson, PhD, MS, RD, LD
Candidate Bio
Lauren has been practicing as a Registered Dietitian for almost 9 years. Currently, she teaches the next generation of dietetics professionals as Program Director and Assistant professor at Murray State University. As a Kentucky native, she completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Dietetics at the University of Kentucky. Practicing in a clinical setting for a couple of years, she was in awe of the protocol in Westernized medical practice to give patients a serious, life-altering diagnosis and discharge them home with a packet of papers with the expectation that they could manage their condition. Time and again, patients were readmitted for exacerbating one condition or another. This realization drove her to pursue her PhD in Health and Strategic Communication as communication was the part of her training that was lacking. With that training and expertise, she now enjoys doing community-based interventions geared towards improving the nutrition status of low-resource audiences. Recent work has included improving malnutrition screening protocol and nutrition education for older adults participating in the Senior Nutrition Program in Kentucky.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
Lauren is most enthusiastic to be considered for this position because of all of the potential. As RD’s in Kentucky, we have an awesome opportunity to support one another and play to each other’s strengths to make great things happen! She has served on the KAND Executive Board for 5 years now and has witnessed firsthand the potential when we come together for a common purpose. Our profession, now more than ever, is in desperate need of advocates. With the mandate that a Master’s degree is required to sit for the registration examination as of January 1st, 2024, our profession is seeing a decline. While individuals may be interested in nutrition, they may no longer seek to pursue a career in it due to the education requirements and discrepancy in pay between RD’s and other healthcare professionals with comparable training. It is up to us to show other healthcare practitioners, legislators, and the public all that we bring to the table. There are many inequities in dietetics practice. It’s time to take a stand collectively and to start improving the landscape of the profession for ourselves and future generations.
Secretary – Jaeana A. Tooson, RDN, LD
Candidate Bio
Jaeana Tooson, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Coordinator at Kentucky Bariatric Institute, formerly known as Georgetown Bariatrics and Advanced Surgical Services in Georgetown, KY. She graduated from the Didactic Program in Dietetics at The University of Kentucky and became a registered dietitian in 2020, just 6 weeks before her son was born and nearly 1 year after her husband became a registered dietitian. Tooson is interested in becoming board certified in Adult and Pediatric Obesity and earning her Master’s in Public Health in the future. Tooson enjoys spending time with her husband, Jevincio and her 2 children, Isaac and Peace.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
Following the isolation of the pandemic, Jaeana is ready to bolster her professional portfolio and skill set. She is honored to run for the KAND Secretary position and hone her strengths in professionalism and leadership while connecting with and giving back to her community. Jaeana has benefited greatly from the expertise and generosity of other dietitians and peers, and she is excited to offer her time in service to the profession in this capacity.
Delegate – Susan Wilson, RDN, LDN
Candidate Bio
I recently joined the pharmaceutical industry as the Regional Business Manager for Central and
Eastern Kentucky and Southern Indiana. While not a traditional path for a dietitian, my history as
a GI dietitian plays an integral part in this specific role. Prior to this, I was the Outpatient
Pediatric Gastroenterology dietitian with Norton Children’s Medical Group and University of
Louisville Physicians. I had the pleasure of working closely with children and families to manage
the medical nutrition needs of gastroenterological, surgical, urological, and other diagnoses. I
was part of multiple multidisciplinary clinics as well including the Eosinophilic Esophagitis clinic,
G-tube Clinic, and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Clinic.
I served on the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics board for 6 years as President (3
year commitment), the Annual Conference Chair, the Diversity Liaison, and as the fundraising
chair. I served on the Louisville AND board for 2 years as the Nominating Chair.
I am honored to have been named the 2020 Most Outstanding Dietitian of the Year award for
the state of Kentucky by our National Organization, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a
once-in-a-career achievement. This year I will also be serving on the KYSPEN board.
While with University of Louisville Physicians (ULP), I served on the Wellness Committee
helping to promote better nutrition and lifestyle to the ULP and U of L Hospital employees. With
my current employer, I currently serve on the Values Ambassador Committee to promote
compliance and ethical decision making.
Membership Chair – Madisson Veatch-Smith, RDN
Candidate Bio
Madisson Veatch-Smith has been a Registered Dietitian since 2015. She graduated from Purdue University and finished her internship with Ball State. Madisson is currently a dietitian for Baptist Health Medical Group Floyd Bariatric Surgery. Madisson Has volunteered with KAND since 2020 as the PR/Media Chair. Madisson is the current President of the Louisville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
Madisson would love to be the next Membership Chair. She enjoys networking with dietitians and engaging new an existing members. Madisson would love to be the next membership chair for KAND.
Membership Chair – Mikayla Cupp, RDN, LD
Candidate Bio
My name is Mikayla Cupp, RDN, LD. I am a Registered Dietitian that has been practicing in the outpatient nutrition clinic at the Lexington, Kentucky VAMC since 2019. In my current role as the outpatient Lexington VA MOVE! dietitian, I provide weight management and bariatric-focused nutrition education and counseling to veterans in both individual and group class setting. I happily serve as a preceptor for the University of Kentucky Hospital dietetic internship where I am able teach and connect with many future RD’s and positively give back to the dietetic profession. Over the last few years, I have been actively involved in multiple VA-related committee’s and projects, but am interested in expanding my professional involvement within our local dietetics community by running for the KAND Membership Chair position this upcoming year.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
Through my years of professional experience as a nutrition counselor and preceptor, I have developed strong interpersonal communication skills that allow me to genuinely connect with interns, coworkers, and patients. I have been able to increase our weight management clinic’s follow up rates by building sound rapport and trust with my patients with use of empathetic listening, understanding, and provision of thoughtfully tailored recommendations and education. I have also taken on leadership roles to successfully increase participation and satisfaction within our VA Women’s Health Program and MOVE! Program through various process improvement and promotional projects. I have high confidence that my experiences and attributes mentioned above, paired with my great enthusiasm for involvement in KAND will translate well within the Membership Chair role. Although my past experience with KAND and knowledge of academy-related benefits & services may be currently limited, I am quick to learn and excited to share this information with others. If elected as Membership Chair, I would utilize my strengths to help elevate the involvement and experiences of RD’s in Kentucky by building and retaining lasting professional connections and advocating for KAND membership and opportunities. Thank you for your time and consideration – I look forward to getting involved and helping out in any way I can.
Membership Chair – Anne Crecelius, RDN
Candidate Bio
I graduated from the University of Kentucky Coordinated Program and have worked as a registered dietitian in Kentucky since. I started my career as a clinical dietitian in Louisville and have had the opportunity to work in many different fields of nutrition. Most recently, I am the Nestle Health Science Representative for the state of Kentucky.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
I have seen dietetics grow and change over the many years I have been a registered dietitian. Working throughout the state, I have heard the challenges we are facing, and with strong leaders we can continue to teach students, healthcare workers, and the public about the importance of nutrition in our lives. There is a lot of misinformation about nutrition and being seen as the experts is critical to continue to move forward. I want to be part of this effort and give back to my profession which has given me so much.
Nominating Committee – Tori Zeigler, RD
Candidate Bio
My name is Tori Zeigler and I am currently a clinical dietitian working at Saint Joseph Hospital. I graduated from EKU in 2018 and completed my dietetic internship in August 2019 through the University of Kentucky DHN program. I have been at Saint Joseph Hospital for the past 3 years covering critical care and long-term acute care patients. I love being able to positively impact a patient’s hospital experience through individualized care and education.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
I am interested in joining the KAND board because I would love to expand my knowledge and involvement in the dietetic community. I still have so much to learn in our field, and I think this is a great opportunity to connect with and learn from other Kentucky dietitians.
Nominating Committee – Nasreen Omran, MS, RD, LD
Candidate Bio
Nasreen currently works as the learning coordinator for the Bridge Scholars Program at the University of Kentucky and as a clinical dietitian at Saint Joseph Hospital – Lexington. Nasreen has a passion for educating and mentoring the next generation of nutrition professionals in both the classroom and clinical setting. She believes mentorship plays an important role in personal and professional growth, and credits much of her professional development to exceptional mentorship! In her free time, Nasreen enjoys lifting weights, reading, and spending time with her cats.
Why do you want to volunteer in this role with KAND?
Nasreen’s interest in this position is rooted in her desire to encourage an environment of diversity and inclusivity. Her goal is to inspire individuals with unique perspectives to become stewards of the field of dietetics.