Thank you Phyllis for all you do to serve fellow dietitians, students, interns, and Utah residents. We are honored to spotlight you today!
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What is your current position in your DPG and what does it involve?
Currently, I function as the Treasurer of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics DPG 10 which is the Public Health Community Nutrition Practice Group (PHCNPG). I’m serving a 2 year term which began in June of 2013. It has been really exciting for me to serve in this Treasurer position which is responsible for the preparation of the annual PHCNPG budget, approval of the collection and disbursement of all PHCNPG funds and the reporting of the financial status of the DPG to the Executive Committee (EC) at least quarterly. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides outstanding support to the DPG Treasurers in the form of an Online Financial Reporting System, as well as an Online Expense Reporting System.
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What do you enjoy most about your DPG affiliation?
What I enjoy the most about this Treasurer position is helping my colleagues receive their financial reimbursement in a very timely manner. Many of our EC members and general DPG members give so much of their time, talent and resources in providing valuable services and activities. And, I want to make sure that they receive reimbursement for their services as quickly as possible.
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Have you served in any other positions for UAND or the Academy? If so, what were they?
Yes, I served as UAND Reimbursement Representative, Legislative Network Coordinator and President from 2001 to 2010. It was great serving the UAND members in these positions, as well as growing professionally in the areas of leadership, organization and advocacy work.
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What is your current “day job”?
Currently, I work as the State Nutrition Coordinator for the Utah WIC Program and I have been in this position since May 2002. In this position, I manage the overall nutrition and breastfeeding components of the Utah WIC Program, including the supervision of the state WIC Registered Dietitian team. And, I also function as the state nutrition liaison between the regional USDA WIC office in Denver and the local WIC agency staff.
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What was your first job as a dietitian?
My first work experience was in private practice providing clinical dietetics support for several clinics and physician groups including High Risk Hyperlipidemia Specialty Clinics, Oncology Clinics, an ENT Head and Neck Cancer Clinic and an Eating Disorder Clinic.
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What is your favorite recipe or food tradition?
Being from Memphis, Tennessee, I have a strong affinity for southern cuisine and especially Memphis Barbecue which is world famous!
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If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
Living in this information intensive age, it is so amazing how many email communications I receive every day. At times, it seems like it takes longer and longer to address all of these communications effectively. And, it would be great to have a super power to process and follow up on all of these instantly.
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What advice do you have for young dietitians?
The advice I would give young dietitians is to be open and flexible in every work situation. A work trait that all of my supervisors, over my career, have described in me that they really value is flexibility. The ability to be flexible, such as changing your daily schedule on a moment’s notice or re-scheduling a training at the last minute or working in a new office environment without any notice, is greatly appreciated by management.
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What do you wish you would have known when you first became a dietitian?
I wish that I had known the value of a second credential that could enhance the nutrition knowledge that I obtained after completing the RD requirements. In 1985, I completed my Master’s Degree and passed the RD exam and about 8 years later began working in the Memphis WIC Program. At that time, the WIC Program was emphasizing breastfeeding promotion and support and I had no formal education or training in lactation management. On the job, WIC supported lactation education for me and later I obtained a second credential, the IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), in 2001. And, it has been very rewarding combining nutrition and lactation knowledge to help breastfeeding mothers and infants.
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Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
When I first began working in the Memphis WIC Program in 1993, I thought I would work there for only a couple of years, but I continued to work in WIC until 1999. In August of 1999, my husband and I moved to Salt Lake City and I began working in the Salt Lake County WIC Program. Then, in 2002, I accepted a position in the State WIC office and I have now worked in WIC for over 20 years. Hopefully, I will continue to work in WIC over the next 5 years, embracing new technology and new approaches for reaching the vulnerable, at risk WIC populations. The greatest reward of working in WIC has been observing the many positive health outcomes for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, as well as infants and young children.
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What is your dream job?
A dream job would be working, in a creative, innovative environment with sufficient funds, using mobile technology, to expand interactive access for all to nutrition services that can have a positive impact on the nutritional status and overall health of the population at large. This would result in a profound effect on individual and community health due to the broader public having immediate access to nutrition services and accurate nutrition information, supporting healthy food choices every day while maintaining a healthy weight over a lifetime.
A specific example of this type of work might be the implementation of online/mobile produce stores that would allow consumers to shop for fresh produce, while engaging a virtual application which would provide a 3D image of a nutrition professional. This 3D human image could speak and give the consumer basic nutrition facts about each fruit or vegetable the consumer wants to buy and could also provide preventative nutrition information about the fresh produce the consumer has selected for purchase. Immediately after purchase, the fresh fruits and vegetables would be robotically delivered to the consumer’s home via small drone like carriers which would drop the purchase on the consumer’s front porch.