Who We Are
Board of Directors
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
A decade or so ago, I had served briefly as my NDA’s rep to ICDA, which introduced me to the organization. I met the person who is now ICDA Board Chair, Dr. Giuseppe Russolillo, at the Portuguese Nutrition Association conference in Lisbon several years later. So, when I was invited in 2022 to put my name forward for consideration for the Board, I didn’t hesitate a second.
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
I want to use whatever skills I may have to help the Board follow its strategic plan, to offer value to ICDA’s member NDAs, and foster a spirit of global cooperation in nutrition and dietetics.
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
My older sister is also a dietitian, and so her being in our profession made me aware of dietetics & nutrition as a career option. She took a different career path, serving as a university professor for over 30 years, whereas my specialty is nutrition informatics, which is the intersection of technology, nutrition, and information. I have served in several leadership roles in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA), most recently on its Nominating Committee, which I will chair in 2023-24.
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
International contribution of The Japan Dietetic Association
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
Establishment of a dietician system in developing countries
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
Appointed president of The Japan Dietetic Association to promote practical activities in nutritional research.
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
I wanted to be on the board so that I could play a role in strengthening the profession across the world, to build excellence and to support countries where nutrition and dietetics is an emerging profession
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
To provide value to our NDA members so they can make a difference to the populations they serve.
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
I am passionate about food and social justice. I want all people to have access to healthy food irrespective of their circumstances – being a dietitian means I understand systems biological, health, food, social, cultural and can work across these systems to change the world!
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
Entering an international board can offer numerous benefits and opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as , global perspective, networking, skill development, leadership development, influence and impact, personal growth and fulfillment, learning opportunities, reputation and credibility, influence decision, bridge building. The most important attraction to me was the possibility of contributing to my profession as a Mexican dietitian.
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
My purpose is to support the National Dietetic Associations by providing accurate and helpful information, answering questions, and engaging in meaningful conversations. I aim to assist with knowledge, problem-solving, and decision-making across my experience about international accreditation. Give my best in the projects that correspond to me, such as the International Commission for the Accreditation of Dietitian and Nutritionist Education (I-CDEA).
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
My sources of inspiration were: Helping others, science and evidence based practice, variety of work settings, promotion of preventive care, collaboration and interdisciplinary approach. Today I am a certified dietitian in my country, with more than 40 years working as a university professor and researcher. I collaborate in different scientific societies positioning our profession as a dietitian, and I am proud to represent my country as a member of the Board of Directors in the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (ICDA). Also, I feel grateful for this great opportunity to serve my beloved profession.
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
I have been a member of the ICDA Board of Directors for many years. I joined the board when I won the bid in Japan in 2008 to organise the International Congress of Dietetics in Granada in 2016.
Since then I have been working with great enthusiasm for the profession in the world within the framework of the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations.
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
Currently, I chair the ICDA and my main objective is to raise the profile of the dietitian/nutritionist profession in the world, to cohesively unite the National Dietetic Associations representing the profession and, most importantly, to support initiatives that promote the highest standards of quality in professional practice and education programmes by promoting a profession based on ethics, evidence and sustainability.
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
I have always wanted to take care of people’s health.
Nutrition and dietetics was a great discovery for me, and I am also passionate about cooking.
I am enthusiastic about the profession of dietitian/nutritionist and I think that we are professionals who are playing a very important role in the world.
Currently, I work as a professor of a university programme that trains dietitians/nutritionists at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain), I also chair the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and since 2019 I am the president of the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations where I work with passion for the profession around the world.
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
I have been an active member within the British Dietetic Association for more than a decade; more recently this included serving four terms as member of the BDA Council which during my tenure evolved to become the Board of Directors. I was then invited in 2022 to put myself forward for consideration to join the ICDA Board of Directors, which to me was an amazing opportunity to be able to work with fellow dietitians at an international level, to learn from other dietitians through sharing best practice and to support other dietitians, internationally.
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
I have in mind a few objectives for my time on the ICDA board: to work together to increase membership of the ICDA, by raising the profile of the ICDA, and help illustrate the value of membership. To encourage sharing within and for the benefit of the dietetic community, globally, and together to foster a culture of learning from each other.
To add the profile and presence of ICDA support to initiatives that are helping dietitians internationally, both now and in the future, to increase the credibility of those initiatives, and to drive up participation.
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
I had been interested in being a dietitian for almost as long as I can remember! I did spend some time shadowing a dietitian before I applied for dietetics at university, but I had already decided, by then, that dietetics was going to be my field of study, and ultimately, my career. The impact of dietetics is immense and cuts across so many different specialities and industries: initially I worked within the national health service, before branching out to work within the clinical nutrition industry, performing several different roles, during which time I also had the opportunity to work with some amazing charities, such as Carers UK. Lately I have returned to clinical practice and have embraced working once again within the healthcare sector (NHS and private healthcare).
For me patients and carers are a huge inspiration – though throughout my dietetic journey I have met and worked with some truly inspirational dietitians, too – and everything we do as dietitians whatever it may be, is with the patient and carer at the centre. Working with others to help improve nutritional care provision and to drive towards equity in care is what sums it up for me.
Question 1. What attracted you to being interested in joining the board?
Growing up as a ‘third-culture kid’, I have a deep appreciation for cultural and regional differences and value the opportunity to learn from other countries’ experiences. ICDA provides a forum for dietetic associations to learn from and grow with each other with the ultimate goal of elevating the dietetic profession worldwide.
Question 2. What do you hope to achieve in your time on the board?
I look forward to 1. contributing to a successful International Congress of Nutrition and Dietetics in Toronto, Canada in June 2024, 2. developing meaningful partnerships with other international associations to further ICDA’s work, and 3. leading discussions on the future of the profession that are built upon ICDA’s ongoing assessment of “Dietitian-Nutritionists Around the World: Their Education and their Work”
Question 3. What inspired you to be a dietitian and where you are today?
I’ve always loved everything about food: making it, eating it, talking about it and watching it grow! Becoming a dietitian was a natural extension of this love, only deepened by an understanding of food’s power to promote health and well-being.
Teiji Nakamura
Japan
Danielle Gallegos
Australia
Carole Middleton
United Kingdom
Judith Rodriguez
United States
Giuseppe Russolillo
Spain
Corinne Eisenbraun
Canada
Elizabeth Solis
Mexico
Role
- The elected Board of Directors is responsible for the management of ICDA in accordance with the requirements of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, the ICDA Articles and the By-laws approved by the Members of ICDA and Government of Canada.
- The minimum number of Directors is 4 and the maximum is 9. A director may be elected for any number of terms.
- The Secretary is an officer of ICDA appointed by the directors from amongst the directors.
- The Chair of the Board of Directors is an officer of ICDA appointed by the directors from amongst the directors.
Election of Directors
- Members may nominate their official Representatives to stand for election to the ICDA Board of Directors.
- Nominations are invited from all Members in the years when vacancies are anticipated, in accordance with a formal official Call for Nominations.
- Directors are elected by official Representatives at an annual meeting of Members, generally for a four-year term beginning immediately following the annual meeting when elected.
- A profile for each qualified candidate is circulated with the Notice of Annual Meeting where the election is scheduled to take place.
Official Representatives
Role of Representatives of National Dietetic Associations:
- Keep the national dietetic associations profile up to date
- Represent ICDA to the national dietetic associations
- Represent the national dietetic associations to ICDA
- Participate in each annual meeting of official Representatives
- Encourage your national dietetic associations to participate in ICDA activities (e.g. country articles for ICDA newsletter, standards development, studies, International Congress of Dietetics)
Selection:
The Board of Directors of each national dietetic associations appoints one official Representative.
Affiliations
Asian Federation of Dietetics Associations (AFDA) was formed in 1990 as a means to support and advance the profession of dietetics in Asia. AFDA activities align with ICDA objectives such as studies of the work and education of Dietitians and Nutritionists and raising the standards of education and the profile of Dietitians and Nutritionists in the region. The Asian Federation of Dietetic Associations hosts a congress every four years, providing more opportunities, between the International Congress of Dietetics, for Dietitians and Nutritionists to exchange knowledge and perspectives about dietetics education and practice and providing a venue for ICDA representatives to meet with leaders of the dietetics profession in Asia.
European Federation of Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) was established in 1978. The aims of EFAD are to:
- Promote the development of the dietetic profession
- Develop dietetics on a scientific and professional level in the common interest of the member associations
- Facilitate communication between national dietetic associations and other organisations – professional, educational, and governmental
- Encourage a better nutrition situation for the population of the member countries of Europe.
DIETS2 – Dietitians Improving Education and Training Standards is a key initiative of the European Federation of Associations of Dietitians that is engaging the expertise of a large and diverse Network of partners and through innovative use of information and communications technologies to enable dietetic students to learn about enquiry-based learning, Life Long Learning and how to reach new environments to support better nutrition. DIETS2 aims to improve access to courses, work standards and the means for postgraduate dietitians to record progress towards supporting change in nutritional health. ICDA is an Associated Partner in the DIETS2 Network and will actively contribute to and collaborate in the work of the Network as it develops.
Health Professionals Global Network (HPGN) is part of the new Global Knowledge Gateway supported by the World Health Organization and by leadership in the professions to maximize the potential of all health professionals through a virtual network, foster inter-professional collaboration, and contribute to the global health agenda. ICDA representatives are participating in the HPGN virtual network to ensure Dietitians and Nutritionists are part of early discussions on a framework of action.
International Union of Nutritional Sciences founded in 1948 to promote advancement in nutrition science, research and development through international collaboration at the global level and to encourage communication and collaboration among nutrition sciences through modern communications technology. IUNS has consultative status with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF and linkages with international science organizations; ICDA is recognized as an affiliated body. Current overlapping objectives are evidence-based nutrition and dietetics practice and promotion of the International Congress of Dietetics and the International Congress of Nutrition.