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Outstanding Dietitian of the Year:
Lisa Beth Sherman, MEd, RDN, LD Lisa has been very active in SNDA, serving in many positions including president and treasurer (5 terms). She was a past Nevada Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year. “Lisa is an extremely hard worker and that even though she has a busy work and volunteer schedule she manages to always make the SNDA meetings and is now on our Food Day Committee.” Through her work at the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services, Lisa has helped shape public policy related to how nutritional needs of the mentally ill are met in this State. Lisa was appointed by the State of Nevada Director of Health and Human Services and the State of Nevada Chief Medical Officer to help coordinate a new satellite foodservice program for newly released mentally ill prisoners. In this voluntary position, Lisa has expanded her job duties to help obtain grants for the State to improve the nutrition of low income families. This year Lisa also accepted the responsibility to be the State of Nevada Designee for the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists. She has also given back to our profession by establishing a Service Award in 2001 at UNLV. For the last fifteen years she has donated $500 each year. This award is given to a junior or senior candidate admitted to and in present pursuit of a program of dietetics with the intent to practice in the field of dietetics who demonstrates strong leadership skills and commitment to serve and advancement of the profession. Each year, faculty select a deserving recipient who has shown outstanding contributions to the Student Dietetic Association. Emerging Dietetic Leader of the Year: Monica Kyung-Mi Gomez, RDN Monica has been active with NDA and SNDA since 2005. She started as a student member and was awarded Outstanding Dietetic Student in 2008. Monica was treasurer of NDA from 2011-2013. She has specialized in renal nutrition, and she is currently working in renal nutrition at the Veterans Administration Hospital. “I have had the privilege to work closely with Monica; she is an excellent resource in renal nutrition. She is very dedicated to her work and goes above and beyond for other dietitians. Monica is knowledgeable in her field of practice and skilled as a dietitian. Monica is a great dietitian with a passion for her patients. She is a great resource and leader in the practice of dietetics.” “Monica Gomez has proven to be a committed team member in this organization and in the profession through her continuous self-improvement efforts and achievements well beyond the expectations of her call of duty to her patients.” Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year: Damon McCune, RDN Damon has been active in SNDA first as a student leader and then as president-elect, and now as president. He has helped bring in a variety of dynamic speakers, has helped promote businesses owned and operated by fellow dietitians, and he has encouraged student members. After completing his dietetics training, he completed his master’s in exercise physiology, and he is now working on his PhD. He first began teaching nutrition at UNLV as a graduate student, and he is now the Director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics. He has developed several new courses, and is a frequent guest lecturer with UNLV athletic teams. He created a nutrition program at UNLV for a kitchen that feeds ~ 80 football players breakfast 4-5 days a week using a team of nutrition students who volunteer to prepare high quality meals for the football team. He is currently working with contractors to build a more efficient food preparation area, and he is working with the University to raise outside funds to support this program. This program has already received attention from other sports programs at UNLV who are now also requesting nutritional interventions for their athletes thereby creating future opportunities for dietitians interested in working with athletes. “Damon just loves nutrition and dietetics. He truly wants to help non-professionals achieve their health goals and is driven to be an outstanding mentor. Because of Damon, the level of student enthusiasm for nutrition has just skyrocketed.” “In all aspects, Damon is so deserving of the RYDY award. Talent, dedication, passion. Those are just a few words to describe Damon’s role as a leader in Nutrition & Dietetics.” Outstanding Dietetic Student (Didactic Program) Brandy Keebler Brandy has her AAS degree from TMCC in Culinary Arts, and she will complete her BS in Nutrition from UNR this spring. “Brandy has very strong critical thinking skills, can problem solve quickly, and invests significant time in her academic pursuits. She also has a delightful demeanor and excellent oral and written communications skills. I would rank her among the top 10% of students I have taught during my 25+ plus years as a dietetic educator.” Brandy has many years of professional and managerial experience in food preparation and food service in a variety of settings from Juvenile Services to Caughlin Athletic Club to Starbucks and Subway. She is the owner of a personal chef business that provides a broad variety of services including in-home prepared meals, cooking lessons, private dinner parties, and small catered events. In addition to being a member of AND, Brandy is a member of the School Nutrition Association and the US Personal Chef Association. She has many volunteer experiences that include creating The Best Ever Cookbook, a children’s snack cookbook for Step 2, a private non-profit in Northern Nevada dedicated to the recovery of chemically dependent women and their children, and participating in the UNR School of Medicine Student Outreach Clinic with first and second year medical students. “Brandy’s knowledge in nutrition and culinary expertise combined with her professionalism, friendly demeanor and communication skills will make her an excellent dietitian. Brandy demonstrates excellence in her academics, work and community service activities. Brandy is a student who has an obvious passion for learning and nutrition and she is enthusiastic about advancing her education and the dietetics profession.” Outstanding Dietetic Student (Dietetic Intern) Kim Rumble Kim completed her undergraduate training in dietetics at UNLV with a GPA of 3.93, and then went on to successfully complete her dietetic internship through the UNLV program. Her supervisors and mentors describe Kim as a fantastic team player and leader, one who helps others without need of recognition. Kim requested some challenging rotations for her internship and was highly successful in completing them all. She has done volunteer work and independent study that are above and beyond requirements, and she is known for her kind and caring demeanor. “Kim exemplifies being a great student who exhibits ambition and leadership. She goes above and beyond in any task that she is given and always completes every task with a smile and a great attitude. She is proactive in her quest for knowledge and grasps complex concepts with ease. Not only is she able to grasp these concepts, but she is also able to immediately explain them in a way that her colleagues and patients can better understand.” |
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