A message from the new GSDA president

Angel PlanellsIt is truly an honor and privilege to serve as president of the Greater Seattle Dietetic Association. I encourage you to take a chance to visit our updated website. It is pretty awesome. You can also check out your member benefits. Before I continue with this message, please allow me to send some gratitude first:

Thank you to each and every GSDA member—we truly appreciate all of you.

Thank you to our departing board members who have dedicated their time and effort to the cause:

  • Debora Robinett (treasurer)
  • Jessica Bratrude (nominating committee)
  • Katy Figel (newsletter, past president)
  • Layla Ghassemian (Bastyr student rep)
  • Amanda Van Duren (SPU student rep)
  • Alison Kouba (membership)
  • Lilly Wang (continuing education)

Thank you to our new board members for joining us on this adventure:

  • Jenna Perry (membership)
  • Alyssa Siegel (treasurer)
  • Hannah Maxbauer (newsletter)
  • Caitlin Robinson (UW student rep)
  • Emahlea Jackson (SPU student rep)
  • Kelsy Baker (Bastyr student rep)
  • Ginger Hultin (nominating committee)
  • Celez Suratos (continuing education)
  • David Weinman (continuing education)

Thank you to our returning board members for their continued service and dedication:

  • Marissa Beck (fundraiser/past president)
  • Christy Goff (president elect/public relations)
  • Jaclyn Morimune (secretary)
  • Rebecca Levens (nominating committee)
  • Kelsey Perusse (nominating committee)
  • Teresa Brennan (speaker’s bureau)
  • Carrie Dennett (media/communications)
  • Katrina Hoch (legislative)
  • Chris Vogliano (legislative)
  • Emily Haymond (membership)
  • Lauren Rice (public relations/former UW student rep)

All of these volunteers help to make this organization great, so thank you again to each of our board members.

Looking ahead

My goal as a national media spokesperson is to always promote the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist as the food and nutrition expert. My goal as President of GSDA is to maximize our exposure in the local community. We are the food and nutrition experts, but does the local community know that 1) we are a resource, and 2) that we exist.

One way for us to increase our exposure is to develop a community/media guide that features GSDA members. Once this media guide is developed, we will send it to every news station, school, athletic clubs, gyms, and corporations in the greater Seattle region. For this goal to become a reality, I need a few non-board members to be able to step up and do something for the cause. The Academy already has a media guide and we have permission to use this as a guide, but make it local for our area.  If you would like to help out with this project, please email me personally at acplanells@gmail.com.

The second way for us to increase our exposure is through community outreach. We can give back to the community, while having exposure for our members and our profession. Two up-coming events can be great opportunities to give back and gain exposure. The first event is the Seattle/King County Clinic which takes place 10/26 through 10/29.

The second event is one year from now. The Special Olympics USA national games will take place July 1-6, 2018 in Seattle at UW. There will be a call for health professionals and having a presence can be a great way to spread the gospel of optimal health and wellness through nutrition.

How great would it be for us to have GSDA at both events? This will allow us to highlight our organization and be shown as a resource for the community. Look for more information from us later.

With that being said, please have a great summer, and we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming board meeting or GSDA event.

Cheers,

Angel Planells MS, RDN, CD
GSDA President 2017-2018