Board of Directors
2024-2025 SC Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Board of Directors
(*) voting members are marked with an asterisk
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President* Jill Leshner has served as a registered dietitian recruiter for Compass Group since 2022. She recruits RDs for clinical, school and wellness roles nationwide. She has a Bachelor's in Nutrition and Dietetics from Marywood University in Scranton, PA, where she completed a coordinated program. She has 10 years of experience in food service management in universities, hospitals and long-term care. Jill has served as the secretary and public policy liaison for CTDA. |
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Secretary/Treasurer* Olivia Myers', RDN, LD, background as a dietitian and ecogastronomy has shaped a career that has oscillated between restaurants, hospitals and agriculture, and led to her work today at Lowcountry Street Grocery (LSG) in Charleston, SC. She founded GroceryRx in 2017 with the intention of merging good food and healthcare, knowing that high-quality, nutrient-dense food is the basis of wellness and disease prevention and treatment. Olivia’s experience around food has taken many shapes; from homesteading, to years of cooking in a variety of settings, to counseling native populations in Alaska, to managing nutrition and food at a therapeutic wilderness program, to working clinically with inpatient and outpatient populations at leading hospitals.
Olivia sits on local and state-level committees to promote the expansion of “food is medicine” strategies across the state and to move the dial on medical reimbursement for these programs. She has led on the board of the Charleston Trident Dietetic Association for 5 years, serving as Secretary, President and IDEA Liaison.
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President Elect* Abbie Hebron has been working in Charleston, SC as a pediatric dietitian for the past four years, currently as a member of the pediatric oncology team at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (MUSC). She moved to South Carolina from St. Louis, MO after graduating with her BS from Missouri State University. Since, she has also earned her MS in Dietetics from the University of Rhode Island and now practices as a CSP and CNSC. Most recently, she has become a therapy dog handler at SJCH, where she is able to spread joy and provide support during nutrition assessments and educations with the help of Cher, a sweet and sassy Golden Retriever. Abbie has been serving on the local CTDA board for four years, and is looking forward to her year as president this upcoming year. In her free time, Abbie enjoys baking, traveling, hiking, and playing tennis (or Pickleball as of recent) with family and friends. |
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Delegate*
Molly Jones serves as the South Carolina Healthy Schools Program Manager for a national non-profit organization, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation. In this position, she has learned how to virtually collaborate and communicate with statewide community partners and geographically dispersed team members. Her previous experience as a Telehealth Dietitian with Sodexo at the Medical University of South Carolina allowed her to master the art of virtual nutrition counseling and to literally meet patients where they are. Starting in 2012 as one of the first dietitians to pilot the Outpatient Telenutrition program at MUSC, Molly has seen a complete transformation of how telehealth is perceived by patients and providers, especially since the rapid adoption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to her contributions and leadership, she was recognized as the Charleston-Trident 2018 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year and 2015 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year
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Immediate Past - President Erin Seprish earned her B.S. in Human Nutrition at Winthrop University following her M.B.A. at Charleston Southern University. She completed her Dietetic Internship at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, SC. Erin currently works for Sodexo as a Clinical Nutrition Informatics Specialist Dietitian. In this role, she serves as a dietetic informatics expert to hospitals throughout the country supporting their food service initiatives. She is also embracing the role of a new mom after welcoming her baby boy in March 2023. Erin has served as President of her local district, Charleston Trident Dietetic Association, and as the Marketing Chair for SCAND. |
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Catawba Pee Dee District President* State Policy Representative-Elect Alexa Espinal is a member of the Catawba Pee Dee district dietetic association, and looks forward to serving as SCAND’s Nominating Chair and Continuing Education & Webinar Chair this year. Alexa is an adjunct professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, teaching undergraduate courses in nutrition assessment and orientation to the nutrition and dietetics profession, as well as a Diet Tech at Encompass Health Rehab Hospital of Rock Hill. She is an NDTR, holds a master’s in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Alabama, and will soon finish the ISPP dietetic internship through Meredith College.
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Charleston Trident District President* Natalie Rucks, RD, grew up in Minnesota and completed her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics along with an additional degree in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She moved to Charleston in 2020 to complete her dietetic internship at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Natalie currently works as a clinical dietitian at MUSC, treating adult neurology, burn, and general surgery patients. Natalie has been involved with CTDA since her first week in Charleston and is excited to be serving as CTDA President this year. In her free time, you can find her reading, traveling, shark tooth hunting, or playing kickball!
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Columbia Midlands District President*
Katherine Watts, RD, earned her B.S. in Human Nutrition at Winthrop University and completed the Dietetic Internship at Winthrop in 2022. Katherine completed her internship rotations in her hometown of Florence. Since then, she has worked with bariatric surgery patients at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia. She enjoys providing education and counseling to patients in this setting.
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Piedmont District President* Nominating Chair-Elect Reece Dawson
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Membership Chair / New Member Liaison Keely Hudgins
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Nominating Chair Jennifer Hunt has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for over a decade and works in private practice serving women, families and kids in the Greenville area and throughout South Carolina. She helps women recover their energy, re-engage with hunger and satiety cues, and regain a sense of trust in her very good body. Jennifer works with kids and families in establishing healthy family feeding practices, teaching positive food language and using creative strategies to help selective eaters expand their palate. With this vision in mind, Jennifer created and runs Curious Kids Cooking & Food Science Camp every summer for elementary aged kids as a way to help them explore food and science through learning, engaging their senses, fun science experiments and tasty recipes. She has gained further education in the area of PCOS and helps women who are looking to address the root causes of their symptoms, manage hormones and improve fertility. She is a graduate of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics from Texas Christian University. Becoming a mama to 2 little girls and being married to an amazing guy who also happens to be a reluctant veggie eater has helped Jennifer develop more empathy for the complexities of taking care of yourself and your family well. She finds great joy in helping other moms nourish their body, feed their families well and love the woman in the mirror. |
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Scholarship and Awards
Rachel Werkheiser, MS, RD, LD transitioned to the field of dietetics as a second career after working several years in the finance/accounting industry. She completed her undergraduate nutrition coursework at Tennessee Technological University, and then fulfilled her dietetic internship at East Tennessee State University, where she also earned a master’s in Clinical Nutrition. Rachel joined Sodexo in 2013, where her diverse roles have included work as a clinical dietitian in a community hospital setting, coverage of medical and surgical ICUs as well as a GI surgery floor at a regional health system hospital, and outpatient dietitian in an ambulatory oncology center. Rachel has served as Clinical Nutrition Manager in the community hospital setting and at a Level 1 trauma center and academic medical university. Her skills include project and program management with expertise in organization, communication, and change management. Rachel currently provides project support to the Sodexo Nutrition Leadership Team and is passionate about clinical nutrition and advancing the role of RDs to improve the quality of life of the populations they serve.
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Special Programs Coordinator Katie Lybrand, RD, has served in several roles with SCAND including President and Secretary/Treasurer. Katie lives in Greenville, SC with her Husband, Daniel, and daughter, Hazel. She works at Prisma Health - Upstate at Greenville Memorial Hospital and specializes in Oncology Nutrition.
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Special Programs Coordinator Jessica Morrison RD, LD is a Registered Dietitian with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. Jessica currently works as a clinical dietitian at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her moms, friends, and cat, Rascal. |
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Public Policy Coordinator Michael C. Williams, DBA, MBA, RD, CDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Executive Chef with over 20 years of foodservice experience. Throughout his career, Michael held various leadership roles in foodservice, including being an Executive Chef, Clinical Nutrition Manager, Sales Marketing Associate, Director of Food & Nutrition, Regional Director of Operations, and Vice President of Nutrition, Wellness, & Culinary. Michael also taught Organization Management of Food Service Systems, Organizational Behavior in Food Business Systems, Food Systems I, and Food Systems II at the university level. Michael is a certified ServSafe Instructor/Proctor, a former Board Member of The Association of Healthcare Food Service of NY (AHF-NY), and a published author.
Dr. Williams received his Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition from Johnson and Wales University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and a Doctorate of Business Administration with a Specialization in Leadership from Walden University
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Nutrition Services Payment Specialist
Jeremy Ponds, MS, RD, LD is the owner of Path of Life Nutrition, a nutrition practice with locations in Lexington & Newberry that provides functional nutrition counseling, diabetes education and health coaching for individuals of all ages. Jeremy is a licensed dietitian nutritionist with extensive undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate training in clinical, integrative, and functional nutrition. He uses a holistic approach to coach clients and families towards better health through nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
Jeremy brings his own experience of personal health struggles with chronic fatigue, “mystery illness” and digestive disorders to every client he serves, offering a unique perspective of savvy, compassion and empathy for clients struggling to find answers and recover good health.
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State Policy Representative
Melinda Boyd, DCN, MPH, MHR, RD, FAND, completed two undergraduate degrees: Muhlenberg College (BS in Biology) and Cedar Crest College (BS in Nutrition) before completing her dietetic internship with Sodexho (Mid-Atlantic). She is a registered dietitian in both the US and UK. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (MPH) and the University of Oklahoma (MHR). She has also completed a doctorate of clinical nutrition (DCN) from Rutgers University. She completed her advanced level training for the program in the areas of gastrointestinal disorders and women’s health, with an emphasis in PCOS.
Melinda is part time faculty at Cedar Crest College, teaching MNT in the dietetic internship and other courses in the MHS degree program. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor at a variety of online schools, with courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has recently started back teaching in person at Greenville Technical College. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of culturally appropriate patient care. In addition to servings as the State Policy Representative for SCAND, she is also the Chair of the Cultures of Gender and Age Member Interest Group (COGA MIG).
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Consumer Protection Coordinator
Rowan Goodrich, MS, RD, LD has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for over 16 years. During this time, she has worked in a variety of settings. She has worked in clinical nutrition and critical care and also served as the Executive Director for a large volume caterer for senior and child meal programs. Currently she works as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for the South Carolina Department on Aging. Her responsibilities include overseeing the Older Americans Act federally mandated senior nutrition programs and Evidenced-Based Health Promotion and Disease Prevention programs. Her aim is to ensure older South Carolinians have access to nutrition and wellness services to promote healthy aging in place. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has served on the policy committee for the Columbia Midlands Dietetic Association for the past 3 years. She is also a member of the City of Columbia Food Policy Committee, the SC Nutrition Action Coalition, and Healthy Palmetto.
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Public Policy Partners Coordinator Sarah Kelly Rowe, MS, NDTR earned her B.S and M.S degrees in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. She is a credentialed NDTR and will soon complete the Winthrop University dietetic internship program with rotations located in Charleston, SC. During her educational career, Sarah Kelly found numerous opportunities to engage in the field of nutrition and dietetics including serving on the nutrition student advisory board and working as a graduate assistant for the department of Human Nutrition. She also completed a study abroad program in Florence, Italy, where she studied culinary nutrition. While working on her master’s degree, Sarah Kelly conducted a thesis project on the management of allergies in breast-fed infants and presented her findings at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Denver, CO. |
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Licensure Liaison Olivia Trapp, MS, RDN, LD is serving her second year as the Newsletter Editor for SCAND. She completed her undergraduate degree at Furman University and went on to complete her M.S. in Food, Nutrition and Culinary Sciences at Clemson University. She spent 3 years as a clinical inpatient dietitian before moving to primary care where she now serves pediatric and adult populations. Currently, Olivia is working with the SCAND Licensure Task Force on changes to our SC Dietetics law. |
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Annual Meeting Chair Ashley Mulkern, MS, RD, LD completed her Bachelors in Dietetics, Masters in Nutrition Sciences and dietetic internship through the University of Cincinnati. During her time with the university, Ashley published research on the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI). Post graduation, she explored the nutrition focus areas of Sports Nutrition with company, Infinit Nutrition, Long Term Care with Claxton Dietetic Solutions, and Critical Acute Care with Dietitians on Demand. Upon moving to South Carolina, she took a role as the dietitian for the University of South Carolina Dining Services which led her to her current position as Regional Sales Manager for Medtrition in North and South Carolina. Ashley has a passion for many areas of dietetics and enjoys her current role that allows her to dive into those many different areas each day. She has helped numerous acute and long-term care facilities roll out IDDSI and adapt to new medical nutrition science in the industry. She has served as the Hunger Panel Chair for the Greater Cincinnati Dietetic Association and is currently serving at both the state and district level in SC. |
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Annual Meeting Chair-Elect Susanna Slukhinsky, RD
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Continuing Education Chair - Vacant |
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CPE Liaison Leah Price, RD |
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Annual Meeting Past Chair Jessie Hoffman, PhD, RD is a new Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at Winthrop University. She holds a Masters in Nutrition from UNC-Greensboro and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Kentucky. After completing her PhD she completed her dietetic internship through Iowa State University. Her dietetic and research expertise are in gastrointestinal conditions and the gut microbiome.
Currently, her research focuses on the impact of psychological stress and dietary factors (i.e. dietary fiber) on gastrointestinal health and the gut microbiome. Additionally, Jessie is passionate about scientific and nutritional science communication, and does so regularly through social media. From breaking down nutrition science to busting myths that are so prevalent in today's society, she strives to empower individuals to become responsible consumers of social media content and experts on their own bodies.
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Sponsorship Chair
Courtney Fuller is an accomplished clinical dietitian and clinical nutrition manager at Conway Medical Center, located in Conway, SC. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, where she also successfully completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Courtney has a passion for diabetes management, she currently co-directs the Conway Medical Center Diabetes Support Group and is working towards obtaining her Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) certification. Outside of her hospital responsibilities, Courtney's impact extends to the local community by conducting nutrition workshops at Sea Haven for Youth, a local non-profit organization providing a safe space for youths in crisis. Courtney considers herself as a life-long learner and is currently in the Conway Medical Center & Costal Carolina University Healthcare Leadership Academy where she will obtain a professional certificate in healthcare leadership upon course completion. This is Courtney’s first year serving on SCAND and she is looking forward to her role as Sponsorship Chair.
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Academy Foundation Liaison Brooke Brittain obtained a B.S. degree in Health Promotion from Coastal Carolina University, a M.S. degree in Food and Nutrition from Florida State University and a Culinary Certificate from the University of South Carolina. Brooke has worked in community nutrition for about sixteen years. She is a registered and licensed dietitian as well as a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Lactation Counselor. Brooke is currently the Program Manager for Public Health Nutrition & Outreach with Clemson University. Through this position she designs and oversees program planning, implementation and training related to nutrition/health in rural environments. She is a team leader for Clemson Rural Health and works with Land Grant Local on various food insecurity projects. Previously she was the Program Coordinator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). With this program she provided nutrition education to all ages in a variety of settings in twenty-one different counties in the state of South Carolina. Brooke has been the Education Chair, President Elect, President and Nominating Chair for CMDA. She has served as a District Leader, Special Projects Co-Chair and the Scholarships and Awards Chair for SCAND. Brooke won the award for Emerging Dietetic Leader in 2017 for SCAND and CMDA and received the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year award for CMDA in 2014. She was the Vice President and the Nutrition Section Chair for the South Carolina Public Health Association (SCPHA). In 2018, she received the SCPHA President’s Award and then in 2020 received the SCPHA Voice of Public Health Award. Brooke has been a speaker at various conferences and universities and has also been featured in various media platforms over the years. She held a monthly radio segment on 96.3 FM with Don Frierson and The Urban Scene for a year. Brooke was also featured in six cooking segments with SC celebrity Marcus Lattimore at First Choice Community Center. |
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Abstracts Chair
Ellen Gallman is a dietitian and nurse practitioner. She is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina and Clemson University. She has been a doctorate prepared nurse practitioner for a little over 7 years, a nurse for 10 years, and a registered dietitian for 20 years. Ellen has a wide range of healthcare and teaching experience, and currently works as a nurse practitioner at OPTUM Health for the Clinical Documentation Review Team. She enjoys spending time with her husband who is a CRNA and new puppy, and has a son who is a Sophomore at Clemson. Ellen also enjoys cooking, playing golf, and all things Clemson
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Diet Manual Editor Emily Barrett, RD, LDN, has been working in the Charleston area for over the last 25 years focusing on home infusion and long term care. As the clinical dietitian at Bishop Gadsden on James Island, her role as a RDN over the last 19 years has concentrated on rehab, long term care, assisted living, dementia, outpatient nutrition, nutrition special projects and leader of the QAPI program. She is a graduate of the SC Leading Age Leadership Academy; Past President for MASPEN, Advisory Board member for the Trident Tech Culinary Program and the SCAND Diet Manual Editor. |
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Marketing/Social Media Coordinator
Tori Davey currently works as an Enteral Sales Rep and dietitian for Lincare in North Charleston, South Carolina where she provides tube feeding regimens and education to patients in need of enteral feedings. She has always had a passion for social media and how it impacts the world of dietetics. Tori also serves the CTDA Board as the Nominating Chair.
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Marketing/Social Media Coordinator-Elect Laura Dority, MS, RD, LD is a Registered Dietitian with both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Dietetics. Laura is currently the National Clinical Manager at Functional Formularies where she gets to show her true passion for the importance of “food as medicine”. Laura strongly supports the idea that food plays a role in preventative medicine but also can be incredibly important in healing. Prior to her current job, Laura specialized in pediatric neurology for 14 years. Laura is on the board of directors for the Keto Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports pediatric epilepsy. |
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Newsletter Editor Alex McNair, MS is a dietetic intern for Morrison Healthcare at the Medical University of South Carolina. She completed her undergraduate studies at Clemson University in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition. This past December, she earned an M.S. degree in Food, Nutrition, and Culinary Sciences from Clemson. She was diagnosed with celiac disease at 10 years old which sparked her initial passion for nutrition. Since coming to Clemson, her passion for nutrition has grown through several of experiences including working for the registered dietitian in Clemson Dining. During her time at Clemson, she published a systematic literature review titled “Food Allergy on US College and University Campuses: A Systematic Literature Review”. She is currently working on research related to food pantries in the United States and their ability to accommodate those with diet-related needs. As she pursues her dietetic internship, she will be working part-time as a formula tech at the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. Her goal is to become a registered dietitian in collegiate dining. Some of her hobbies include cooking, pickleball, and running. She is running her first full marathon in December! |
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