President – Jenna Martin – Elected 2022-2025
Jenna Martin, MS, RDN, LDN is a lecturer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her training varies across the lifespan from pediatrics to geriatrics. She has been a member of KAND since 2015 and served as Secretary 2020-2022. As President, her goal is to ‘raise the bar’ by enhancing the membership activities and Board experience. She will support the Board to provide the most benefits the organization, the profession, and the community. Jenna also serves as the Co-Chair for Communications and Marketing for the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group (PNPG) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
President-Elect – Alex Gardner – Elected 2023-2026
Alex is a Knoxville native who has been a member of KAND since her Freshman year of college. Over the past few years, she completed her dietetic internship in Denver, Colorado, started a private practice specializing in fertility, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition, founded a nonprofit with the mission to improve the holistic health of women and children, and completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Tennessee as a funded Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Leadership Trainee. Her goal is to support the organization in whatever capacity it needs and to empower and support local dietitians.
Past President/Bylaws – Kelly Holbert – Elected 2021-2024
Kelly Holbert, CLC is a high risk nutritionist at Knox County Health department in the WIC program. Having spent her entire career in WIC, Kelly is passionate about public health and protecting the nutritional well-being of the nation’s most at-risk women, infants, and children. She obtained her BS in Nutrition and Master’s of Public Health Nutrition at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Kelly has also obtained her Certified Lactation Counselor certification and is passionate about breastfeeding education. In her personal time, Kelly enjoys baking, reading, needlepointing, and trying new restaurants with her husband, Michael.
Secretary – Sarah Lisson – Elected 2022-2024
Sarah completed her BS at East Carolina University and her MS, MPH, and dietetic internship at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. After starting her career in K-12 and hospital food service in Texas, she moved back to Knoxville in January 2021. In her current role at the Knox County Health Department, she coordinates community breastfeeding promotion initiatives and provides assessment and counseling services in the Centers of Excellence Clinic. Sarah is excited to reconnect with the Knoxville dietetics community and looks forward to helping others do the same in her role as Secretary!
Treasurer – Madelyn Howe – Elected 2022-2024
Madelyn Howe is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the Knox County Health Department. She completed her BS, MS and MPH degrees at UT Knoxville. Go Vols! She currently coordinates Healthy Habits programming for early care and education centers, as well as food and nutrition security initiatives that focus on healthy food access for all. Madelyn serves as the KAND Treasurer, and looks forward to supporting the organization for another year. She is excited to connect with the Knoxville dietetics community, and is looking forward to a fun year!
Nominating Chair – Abigail Ford – Elected 2022-2024
Abigail Ford is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the Knox County Health Department. She coordinates the Nutrition Education Activity Training (N.E.A.T.) program, a childhood health promotion initiative that partners with students after school. Abigail is excited to serve on the KAND Board of Directors again this year. She hopes to grow the membership, recruit qualified, enthusiastic professionals to the Board, and collect valuable feedback that will help improve the organization.
Nominating Chair-Elect & Membership Directory – Kori Daniel – Elected 2023-2025
My name is Kori Daniel, and I graduated from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, earning a Master of Science in Nutrition after earning my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a minor in Food Services System Management from this university as well. I have served as a Registered Dietitian for over nine years, and I have worked as a Renal RD with Fresenius Kidney Care for almost eight of those years. As this year’s Nominating Chair-Elect, I will strive to build KAND membership, network KAND in our community, and advocate for our profession. I have been married for six years to my husband, Matt (together for almost 18 years). We’re proud parents of Ansley Rose, our precious daughter. We are also cat parents to Rachel, Mason, and Jackson. I have the best twin sister, Kaci, and I am an aunt to the sweetest nephew, Camden Bell.
Nominating Member – Lauren Chavez- Appointed 2022-2024
Lauren Kirk Chavez MS, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian Consultant and Vice President of Clinical Services at Claxton Dietetic Solutions, LLC. She has performed various responsibilities during her career in clinical nutrition, staff management, food service management, system development, and client relations. She has worked in numerous healthcare settings including Skilled and Rehab Facilities, Long Term Care Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, and Acute Care Hospitals. During her internship, many of her rotations were completed at the Mountain Home VA and this is where she first found her passion for gerontological nutrition. Lauren served as the first Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (TAND) Student Representative during the first year of her internship and in this role promoted student engagement in furthering the dietetic profession through education and advocacy. Lauren strives to continue to grow KAND membership, advocate for the dietetic profession, and aid in empowering members.
CPI Chair/Sponsorship – Jennifer Finley – Elected 2023-2025
Jennifer Finley, MS, RDN, LDN, is an assistant professor and DPD director at Carson-Newman University. She is excited about networking with RDNs in the area and helping to grow the KAND organization!
Awards and Scholarship – Kylie Serratos – Appointed 2023-2025
Legislation/Advocacy – Cori Sweet – Elected 2022-2024
Cori Sweet serves as the Legislative/Advocacy chair. Cori is a dietitian with a background in clinical nutrition and an MPH from the University of Tennessee focused on health policy management. Her current role as the Policy, Systems and Environmental Change Specialist for UT Extension; SNAP-Ed gives her perspectives into community barriers to food access and food security across Tennessee. She is active in both SNEB and APHA and serves as the communications co-chair for the APHA Food and Nutrition Section. Cori is excited to serve KAND in the Legislative/Advocacy role at such an exciting time when nutrition security is a legislative priority and innovative solutions to address food access.
Volunteer Reporter & Historian – Morganne Brown – Appointed 2022-2024
Media Chair – Brittany Carson – Appointed 2022-2024
NNM//Media Spokesperson – Lee Murphy – Appointed 2022-2024
I am so excited to be back involved in KAND and will work hard to continue the promotion of RD/RDNs as THE leading nutrition and health experts in our communities!
Webmaster – Amanda Taylor – Appointed 2023-2024
Amanda Taylor, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and Chief Operating Officer of Claxton Dietetic Solutions, LLC. She completed her undergraduate degrees in Culinary Arts and Culinary Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University, followed by her Dietetic Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2014 Amanda relocated to the Knoxville area with her now husband and started her career in food service management in the acute care setting. She soon realized, however, that long-term care was her passion. Since moving into the long-term care consulting sector she has served as a Consultant RD, Clinical Trainer, and Director of Clinical Operations, all preparing her for her current role. Amanda has always had a passion for supporting the growth and development of other RDs, which she continues to do in her current role, however has also found a love for business development and operations. In her role with KAND she looks forward to making new connections with the local community of RDs in order to expand her reach of supporting those in our field, as well as to aid in the growth of KAND membership and the dietetics profession.
Student Delegate – Liz Hydzik – Appointed 2023-2024
Liz Hydzik is a current University of Tennessee-Knoxville student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, focusing on Dietetics. She is the current president of the Undergraduate Nutrition Student Association at UTK and has also volunteered with the N.E.A.T. program through the Knox County Health Department. Liz is excited to work with KAND to help grow the membership and hopes to introduce KAND to more students in the Knoxville area.