Letter from our President
Hello MAND members and welcome to the summer newsletter. It is my pleasure to serve
you this year in my role as President. On June 4th, the MAND Board held it’s yearly transitional meeting. New Board members were welcomed and oriented to their positions. I am so appreciative of their service and would especially like to welcome new board members Erika Grant, Anh Thu Truong, Jane Sylvestre, and Mary Emerson. And I’d like to welcome back all of our returning Board members; we are especially thankful for your dedication to the profession and especially to our organization.
Our committees are busy planning activities for the membership; stay tuned for opportunities to gather with your MAND colleagues through educational offerings like webinars, or fun activities like our very own book club. We always welcome member ideas! Feel free to reach out to myself or any board member with any requests or suggestions you may have.
As we head into summer, the last thing I’m sure many of us want to think about is the return to school; however, how exciting is it to hear that LD 1679, An Act to Address Student Hunger through Expanding Access to Free School Meals, passed in both the House and Senate! This is a giant step toward reducing food insecurity in our school children. MAND will continue to monitor these important public policy initiatives and will update you as details emerge.
A special thanks goes out to Kristine Kittridge, our 2020-2021 President and Heather Healy, our Past-President for all of their efforts during the past year. Both were instrumental in guiding MAND through the pandemic and also ensured that we were able to continue with our annual conference and other member services; I have big shoes to fill! I wish you all a wonderful summer- enjoy our great Maine weather and I hope to see you all very soon.
Mona Therrien DCN, RD, LD
2021-2022 President
Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Member spotlight– Susan Sullivan, DSC, RD
Tell us about yourself! What are some of the favorite things about your current job(s)?
I have been a registered dietitian for 37 years (yikes!), first working as a clinical dietitian at Massachusetts General Hospital, then earning my doctoral degree in Nutrition from Boston University, and moving to Maine to work at the University of Maine. My first position at UM involved being Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and teaching nutrition courses to dietetics students. More recently, I have added administrative roles to my career including Associate Director of the School of Food and Agriculture and, starting in August, I will be the Associate Dean of Instruction for the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture at UMaine. Aspects of dietetics that I have particularly enjoyed have been- critical care nutrition (for the intellectual challenge), one-on-one counseling (for the joy of the helping relationship), working in hospitals (for the collegiality), and teaching and advising nutrition and dietetics students (their enthusiasm is energizing). Skills gained in nutrition counseling translate well to advising students. I also enjoy working on teams to achieve common goals, whatever the setting.
Why did you choose to practice in Maine?
Maine has been a great place to live, work and raise my two children. I appreciate the natural beauty and down-to-earth lifestyle. I have been impressed by the dietetics community in Maine and, in particular, the Board members of the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. There are, and have been, many talented and hard-working leaders advocating for the profession and offering opportunities to MAND members for continuing education and networking. As I start my term as president-elect of MAND, I will keep in mind lessons learned from excellent MAND leaders, current and past. We should still mention the name Katherine Musgrave once in a while; I was on the Board during one of her two terms as president.
What are your favorite hobbies or pastimes when you’re not working?
I love to eat and I love to be outdoors. So, my favorite memories often involve eating outdoors. I once had an excellent dinner while traveling by train across Alaska; it doesn’t get much better than that!
Do you have any advice for new dietitians, dietetic interns, or students?
I like to encourage students in our nutrition and dietetics program to talk with doctors in their future careers. Our ability to make nutrition recommendations for patients is enhanced by learning from doctors and understanding their medical perspective. Increasing awareness among doctors of our skills and practice is critical as well. Also, I advise students to keep current on the scientific literature related to their practice area; evidence-based practice is the fundament– client-centered care is the finesse. Best wishes for future career success!
MAND BOARD 2021-2022
Together the executive board of directors, board, and committee members contribute to fulfilling the mission and vision of MAND. We welcome those new to the board or entering a new position! Our appreciation goes out to those who volunteered their time and expertise in the past year; it takes our combined efforts to make it happen.
MAND updates
MAND is hosting a photo contest July 11-August 21. Each week will have a theme and we want to see what Maine Nutritional professionals are up to this summer! Each week, post a photo for the theme of the week, tag the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on social media, and use the hashtag #MANDsummerfun and you will be entered into a drawing for free entry into MAND’s annual conference.
July 11-17: Maine Eats - Let’s see what fun Maine foods you are eating this summer.
July 18-24: Maine Treats - Share what fun Maine treats you are enjoying!
July 25-31: Maine Landmarks- What great Maine landmarks are you visiting?
August 1-7: Maine Trails- Let us see what Maine trails you are enjoying
August 8-14: Maine Outdoors- What great places are you visiting this summer?
August 15-21:Maine Hidden Gems- Share your favorite hidden gems! This could be a place to eat, a place to relax, or a place to shop or any best kept secret you love to see!
Calling all volunteers!
The MAND conference planning committee is currently looking for additional volunteers to assist with planning our annual spring conference. Duties would include one virtual meeting each month until the conference, assistance with generating ideas, and generally helping organize the event. Minimal commitment but fun and so valuable! If interested, please contact Sarah Gilbert, RD at sgilbertrd@gmail.com or eatrightmaine@gmail.com for other volunteer opportunities.
MAND award winners 2021
Each year MAND awards recognition to our members in the nutrition and dietetics field for outstanding contributions to our profession. Congratulations to our colleagues receiving these awards for the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 2021!
Public policy panel update
Add Your Support to the #ACTnowforMNT Campaign!
As nutrition experts, we need to use our voices to ensure our communities have access to the care they need to live a long, healthy life. Please take a few minutes to join the Academy’s #ACTnowforMNT campaign, which is raising awareness and support for the passage of the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act. This bill would expand access to nutrition care, allow health care professionals to refer their patients for MNT and foster health equity. To learn more about the campaign and to add your support, click here.
2020-2021 Public Policy Recap
State Advocacy
Testimony: Testimony provided on behalf of MAND in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Legislative Videos conducted by the MAND State Policy Representative, Leslie Ouellette. Conversations detailing the impact of COVID-19 for nutrition professionals.
Community Nutrition with Kate Yerxa & Alexandra Gayton
Private Practice with Patsy Catsos
Federal Advocacy Quarterly Advocacy
Q1 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020
Q2 - Consumer Protection & Licensure
Q3 - Dietary Guidelines; Licensure; Appropriation
Q4 - FY 2022 Allocations; Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Updated Advocacy Tools- Available at eatrightpro.org/advocacy
State Legislative Tracking Map - Tracks active state legislation that may be relevant within Academy Public Policy Priority Areas .
Updated Action Center - Action centers available for both Academy Members and Non-Members, with enhanced social media sharing tools.
HOD UPDATE
Proposed Bylaws Amendment Fact Sheet: Article XV, Amendments, Section 1 and 2
The Academy Board of Directors (BOD) recently proposed some changes to the Academy’s Bylaws to Article XV, Amendments, Section 1 and 2. Per the current Academy Bylaws, all Academy members have the opportunity to provide their input on the proposed changes. As your Delegate, I encourage you to respond to the survey by the July 31, 2021 deadline. I also encourage you to read the following information before completing the survey.
What changes are being proposed?
Article XV, Amendments, Section 1 and 2: The proposed amendment would shift responsibility for voting on changes to the Academy Bylaws from the House of Delegates (HOD) to the Board of Directors (BOD). It also clarifies the notice of any proposed changes goes to the entire Academy membership.
What is the rationale for these changes?
The primary reason for proposing the change is to modernize the Academy bylaws to align with current “best practices” in association governance. These sections of the bylaws have not been changed since 2000. According to Illinois law, the BOD has the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the association.
While we recognize some associations establish the HOD as their voting body for the bylaws, through market research the BOD identified there has been a movement among non-profit associations to vest that authority in the BOD. It is now considered “best practices” in non-for-profit governance for the BOD to vote on bylaws amendments in their role of oversight of the association and in alignment with their legal responsibilities.
How will member input be used?
Members are given a 45-day comment period from the time the proposal is sent to the HOD (June 14, 2021) to provide their input on the proposed amendment. Comments from members and any other relevant information are used by the HOD Leadership Team to draft a motion to present to the HOD for deliberation and voting. Delegates will be given a deidentified version of all comments received for review and consideration.
Who votes on the proposed Bylaws amendments?
Per the current Academy Bylaws, the HOD will vote on the proposed Bylaws amendments. The HOD uses the “Knowledge-Based Strategic Decision-Making” process and “Representative of” model in which they take a holistic approach to decision-making. Delegates gain a knowledge base while bringing their own ideas and their members’ ideas to the table. They take into consideration all they have heard from all sources, maintain an open mind, ensure they understand the entire issue, and then make decisions based on the best interests of the profession. Bylaws amendments must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting membership of the HOD.
For more information:
Rachael Hall, MS, RD, CSG, LD
What’s New: The Academy
June 30 Application Deadline: Nutrition Care Manual® Board of Editors
The Clinical Content Strategy Team seeks candidates for Board of Editors positions for the Nutrition Care Manual®. These are volunteer positions for a three-year term, eligible for renewal, beginning August 1. The application deadline is June 30. Learn More
July 14 Live Webinar: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025: Working Together to Help Older Adults Make Every Bite Count
In a July 14 live webinar, experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will present the second in a series exploring the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The webinar offers 1 CPEU. Learn More
July 28 Live Webinar: Safe Nutrition Practices in the NICU
In a live July 28 webinar, pediatric nutrition experts will discuss multidisciplinary approaches to safe NICU practices. The webinar offers 1 CPEU. Learn More
August 17 Live Webinar: Nutrition Management of Thyroid Disease
An August 17 live webinar will examine the role of the thyroid in nutrition care, including medication management and a review of dietary needs for thyroid conditions. The webinar offers 1 CPEU. Learn More
Live and Virtual: Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam Hands-On Training Workshops
The Academy’s live, virtual NFPE training provides skills, techniques and expert guidance an RDN needs to accurately provide a nutrition diagnosis of malnutrition. Over 90% of participants report increased knowledge and comfort with performing the assessment following the two-day workshop. Upcoming dates: Adult NFPE workshops will be held July 12 to 13 and September 23 to 24; a pediatric workshop will be held July 8 to 9. Ten CPEUs are available for each workshop. Learn More
Join Academy’s New Telehealth Discussion Board
Are you delivering nutrition-related services via telehealth or thinking about doing so in the future? Join the Academy’s new Telehealth Discussion Board to network with fellow members in focused areas of practice and practice settings. Learn More