Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

06/21/2026

VAND is honored to celebrate Lesley McPhatter MS, RD, CSR, recipient of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2026 Excellence in Policy Initiatives and Advocacy Award.

This national award recognizes Academy members who demonstrate extraordinary leadership and significant impact in advancing nutrition policy. Her sustained commitment to policy leadership, active engagement in grassroots advocacy across the Commonwealth, and success collaborating with government representatives to advance legislation that promotes health have made a meaningful difference for our profession and the communities we serve.

Lesley will be formally recognized by the Academy this fall at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in San Antonio, where she will be celebrated for her excellence within the profession.

Congratulations Lesley.

06/09/2026

Meet Equip , a pioneering virtual eating disorder treatment program, and one of VAND’s sponsors.

Built by clinical experts and people with lived experience, Equip’s treatment is designed to help people achieve sustainable recovery. Dietitians can earn free CE credits and learn more from the eating disorder experts at Equip, both live and on-demand via TPN.health. See upcoming events by visiting www.equip.health/VAND.

06/09/2026

📣 We Want to Hear From You!

As VAND plans future webinars, your feedback is invaluable. Help us better understand your interests, preferred topics, speakers, and scheduling preferences by completing our brief webinar feedback survey.

Your input will help shape programming that is relevant, engaging, and meaningful to Virginia dietetics professionals.

⏱️ The survey takes just a few minutes to complete.

🔗 https://forms.gle/ArB1dqGnSERHrriZ9

Thank you for helping us create educational opportunities that support your professional growth and practice needs!

We want to make this year’s webinars as valuable and relevant as possible for our members. This survey should take less than 3 minutes to complete. Thank you for your feedback!

05/25/2026

What will the future of nutrition licensure in Virginia look like?
The Virginia Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics is proud to host a powerful webinar featuring two national leaders in licensure advocacy and policy from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Learn how the Model Practice Act can serve as a roadmap for modernizing licensure in Virginia while protecting the public and advancing the profession.

This session will cover:
✔️ Why licensure matters
✔️ The MPA dual-path framework
✔️ Advocacy strategies to build support for future legislation

🎤 Speakers:
• Charla Burill, JD, RD
• Lisa Eaton Wright, MS, RD, LDN

📅 Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, engage, and help shape the future of our profession in Virginia. June 2nd at 12 pm EDT.

👉 Register now: http://bit.ly/4wH7Hin

05/11/2026

Stay on top of the trends and research while networking with peers who share your passion and understand your current challenges. Learn more about eh valuable benefits of Academy membership.

New members or those who are returning after a pause in membership, can use code VA25FREE through 5/25 to remove the application or reinstatement fee.

Join here: https://www.eatrightpro.org/member-types-and-benefits

05/04/2026

New members or those who are returning after a pause in membership, can use code VA25FREE through 5/25 to remove the application or reinstatement fee.

04/27/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 VAND Award Winners!
Outstanding Dietitian of the Year: Ana Abad-Jorge, EDD MS RDN FAND
Emerging Dietetics Leader: Alison Hall, MS, RDN, LD, CPT
Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year: Kimberley Wilson, MS, RDN, LDN
Recognized Dietetic Technician of the Year: Dianne A. Danielson, NDTR, CBS
Outstanding Dietetics Student- Dietetic Intern: Emmalina Villa Jennings
Outstanding Dietetics Student- Graduate Program: Laurel Romano, MS, RD
Graduate Scholarship Recipient: Victor Boahen, RD

04/27/2026

Big THANK YOU to our Public Policy Team for their hard work on Federal Advocacy Day on April 16th! Our team met with 4 Virginia Representatives and 2 Senators to talk about the MNT ACT and CONNECT Act, among other key bills.

Pictured below left to right in the 1st photo: Lauren Fay, Nicole Brown, Nicole Pruitt, Jennifer Walsh, Brianna Mullenix, Cindy MacIntyre, and Angie Hasemann-Bayliss; left to right in the 2nd photo: Angie Hasemann-Bayliss and Jennifer Walsh with Representative John McGuire.

04/24/2026

THANK YOU to the sponsors of our 97th Annual Education Conference. Our meeting would not have been as successful without your support. We truly appreciate your commitment to the education and professional development of Virginia dietitians.