Dairy Advocates

Abigail Copenhaver

Abbey Copenhaver is a mom, registered dietitian, dairy farmer and runner/triathlete from the Finger Lakes region of NY. She is the owner of Farmstead Nutrition & Consulting, focusing on agricultural production, food technology, nutrition and fitness related services. In addition, she teaches at Finger Lakes Community College’s as a part of their 2-year Nutritional Science program. Abbey and her husband farm with 4other couples on 2 dairy farms; Ivy Lakes Dairy & Gorham Dairy.

Abbey practices with a farming, food and fitness approach. As a Registered Dietitian and foodie she believes food should fuel your body and taste buds! This approach encompasses the connection between agricultural food production, nutrition and physical activity to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN

Althea Zanecosky is a registered dietitian/licensed nutritionist and has proudly been connected to the dairy industry for over 40 years.  Althea earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Penn State University and a MS in nutrition from Drexel University.  Althea was a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 9 years and has continually served on local and Pennsylvania dietetic and nutrition education board of directors.    Althea is a nutrition consultant to the food industry and an adjunct college nutrition professor.  Althea also enjoys working several hours weekly at her local library.

Beth Stark, RDN, LDN

Beth Stark, RDN, LDN is a seasoned nutrition expert with extensive experience in nutrition communications, program development, brand ambassadorship, traditional and social media, and consumer health and wellness marketing.

After more than a decade as a retail dietitian, Beth transformed her “side hustle” into the dietitian career of her dreams—partnering with like-minded brands, people, and organizations as Beth Stark Nutrition to create nourishing recipes for everyday life and engaging content that inspires healthy and happy living. Her recipes, articles, blog, and video content contribute style, value, and flair to client websites, social media platforms, broadcast media segments, and e-newsletters.

As a media-trained dietitian, Beth regularly appears in on-set and virtual broadcast news segments and contributes expert quotes for nationally-recognized print and digital publications. She also serves as a brand spokesperson, delivers presentations and webinars, and hosts interactive cooking demonstrations.

Beth received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State University (go Nittany Lions!) and completed the Aramark Metro New York dietetic internship program.

Clancy Cash Harrison, MS, RDN, FAND

As a hunger fighter, registered dietitian, TEDx speaker, and international thought leader, Clancy Harrison challenges the way food insecurity is approached and discussed. Her mission to demolish the stigma around food access places her on the cutting edge of advocacy.

Clancy is the founder of the Food Dignity® Project, a strategic program for leaders who want to shift how they approach nutrition outreach by making healthy food access a priority. She transforms the lives of thousands of people through her work with corporations, non-profit organizations, and universities.

Currently, Clancy is an advisory board member for the Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics Food Insecurity EPIC program, Ambassador of the National Dairy Council, and the President of the Al Beech West Side Food Pantry.

You can tune in weekly with Clancy at The Food Dignity® Podcast.

Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RDN, CDCES, CDN

Constance Brown-Riggs—an award-winning registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and former spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is the author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World; The African American Guide to Living Well With Diabetes, which received the Favorably Reviewed designation from the American Association of Diabetes Educators; and Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes.

Over the course of her career, Constance has established herself as an expert in nutrition, diabetes, and the cultural issues that impact the health and health care of people of color. Her work has appeared in books for health professionals and health care consumers, and she has been a featured expert in national magazines such as Essence, Real Health, Diabetic Living, and Diabetes Forecast. She also is a regular contributor to Today’s Dietitian, also serving on the magazine’s advisory board, and to BlackDoctor.org.

You can follow Constance on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Deanna Segrave-Daly, RDN

Based outside of Philadelphia, Deanna Segrave-Daly, RDN, is a food-loving dietitian who co-owns Teaspoon Communications, a food–focused nutrition communications group that has consulted with a variety of national and regional health and food organizations for over 12 years.

Deanna writes, develops recipes and dabbles in food iPhoneography and videography for her popular blog, Teaspoon of Spice. She also regularly live streams on Teaspoon of Spice’s Facebook page along with her business partner, Serena Ball, where they are known as “two dietitians who love food as much as you do.”

Spanning two decades of recipe development, traditional and social media communications experience, Deanna has honed her culinary nutrition skills in the Mediterranean lifestyle and has co-authored two books, the recently released Easy Everyday Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: 125 Delicious Recipes from the Healthiest Lifestyle on the Planet and the best-selling The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.

In 2021, Deanna launched The Kitchen Mamas Cook-Ins – virtual cooking classes to “keep it real in the kitchen” -with food blogger, Jessica Braider of The Scramble.

Deanna has a B.S. in Nutrition and a B.S. in Marketing both from Penn State. Her 14-year old daughter and tricky eater husband keep her inspired to create appealing, good-for-you family cuisine at home in Havertown, PA where they live with their two rescue cats.

Diana Rodriguez

Diana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who earned her Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Herbert H. Lehman College in New York City. She completed her Dietetic Internship with Wellness Workdays and discovered her passion for private counseling throughout her graduate studies and internship. As a New Yorker with Dominican roots, Diana understands the importance of food in our culture and how nutrition plays a role in a person’s health goals, whether it be weight loss, weight gain, weight maintenance, or general nutrition. She is the owner of Diana Rodriguez Nutrition PLLC, where she empowers her clients to make permanent behavioral changes with a focus on building a better relationship with their cultural foods. She focuses on nutrition recommendations that are digestible, effective, and realistic. Diana does this by helping her clients develop long-lasting habits that last a lifetime.

During her spare time, she enjoys going for long strolls exploring NYC, watching movies, hiking during the warm months, and enjoying a glass of wine in a cozy, intimate restaurant.

Ellen Karlin, MMSc, RDN, LDN, FADA

Ellen Karlin is a nutrition consultant with a vast professional and personal knowledge and expertise in helping food allergic patients manage their food allergies and improve their eating habits.  She has worked both in private practice and at the Comprehensive Asthma and Allergy Center in Maryland for over 30 years. Ellen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Medical Science degree in nutrition education from Emory University. Ellen is a fellow of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

A nationally recognized speaker, she has delivered numerous lectures and workshops on the topic of food allergy. She was the technical reviewer for the 1998 ADA publication “Food Allergy”, author for the Food Allergy section in the ADA’s 2009 Nutrition Care Manual and technical reviewer for the Food Allergy section in the ADA’s 2010 Pediatric Nutrition Care Manual. She was the technical reviewer for the chapter on food sensitivities in the 2010 ADA Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. She was the co-author of “Dental and Oral Considerations in Pediatric Celiac Disease” published in Journal of Dentistry for Children, May 2016 and has contributed to a variety of other resources.

Heather Mangieri, RDN, CSSD, LDN

Heather is a nationally recognized expert in Nutrition, Wellness & Human Performance, a registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, a board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics and the author of Fueling Young Athletes (Human Kinetics.) She has over 20 years of professional experience in Wellness, Sports Nutrition/Adolescent Sports Nutrition, Weight Management & Disordered Eating. Her company, Heather Mangieri Nutrition, provides food, fitness and nutrition consulting services for organizations, companies and clients.

Heather is passionate about translating nutrition science into practical, easy-to-understand messages that resonate with consumers. She served as a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics for 8 years and built a solid reputation as a trusted source of food, fitness and nutrition information. She’s been quoted in hundreds of national and local publications, including TV, radio, print and electronic. She uses her expertise to share science-based messages for the media, industry and brands that she trusts. She resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her three children.

Jake Sankal

Jake is in his fifth NFL season with the Washington Football Team as the Director of Sports Nutrition and an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Prior to joining Washington, Sankal worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the Cleveland Indians organization from 2010-2015. Sankal is a Registered Dietitian (RD), Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), and holds certifications with USA Weightlifting and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS, RSCC). Sankal initially earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the College of Wooster, where he played baseball and helped guide the program to the NCAA Division III Tournament in all four seasons of his collegiate career. In addition, he holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in exercise science from Cleveland State University. He currently resides in Ashburn, Va., with his wife and daughter.

Jessica Garay, PhD, RDN, FAND, CSCS

Jessica Garay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at Syracuse University. Dr. Garay’s academic training is in the area of sports nutrition and her research interests focus on women’s health issues, specifically for pregnant women and female athletes. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and has worked at the Food Bank of Central New York, Washington (DC) Cancer Institute, and in her private practice, Major League Wellness. In addition, Dr. Garay is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and group fitness instructor.

Julie Lopez, RD

Julie Lopez, RD, is a New Jersey based registered dietitian and chef nationally recognized as a food and nutrition expert. Julie’s passion is to educate others about nutrition through food and giving them the tools, they need to build confidence in the kitchen. It’s her mission to help others appreciate all the delicious ways foods can be prepared.

She is the creator and owner of ChefJulieRD.com, as a culinary nutrition consultant, spokesperson, recipe developer, educator, and culinary instructor. Julie works with food companies, brands, and commodity boards developing recipes and culinary nutrition communication strategies. Julie published her first cookbook “The Healing Soup Cookbook”.

Julie is also the co-founder of Culinary Nutrition Studio, which provides culinary nutrition education to healthcare professionals, through webinars, cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and self-paced courses.

She currently resides in New Jersey with her official recipe taste tester (her husband), daughter Emma, and their corgi, Wally.

Learn more about Julie at ChefJulieRD.com and connect with her via @ChefJulie_RD on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Kathy Border, Med, EdD, RD

Kathy Border has over 25 years of experience designing and implementing nutrition education programs for diverse audiences and is an advocate for bringing nutrition education programs to underserved communities.

She currently serves as Department Chair and Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY. She earned her doctoral degree at D’Youville in Health Education, completed her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, interned at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and received her MS in Nutrition Education from Framingham State University.

Her dietetics career includes positions in acute care, industry, public health nutrition and higher education and is proud of her past position as Nutrition Educator with New England Dairy and Foods Council! She has held numerous leadership positions within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as Delegate, New York State President and dietetic educator representative.

Kathy lives in South Wales with her husband Charlie. In their spare time, they keep busy enjoying the outdoors, entertaining friends, caring for a variety of demanding animals and keeping tabs on their three adult children!

Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND

Keith-Thomas Ayoob is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City where he has maintained a clinical practice for over 25 years, specializing in obesity, child nutrition, and family dynamics.  Much of his work also focuses on motivational counseling.

Dr. Ayoob sits on a number of advisory boards, including the Academic Advisory Board of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit of the National Advertising Review Council.  In addition, Dr. Ayoob chairs the Scientific Advisory Board for NuVal, a nutrition profiling system and consumer education tool, which he also helped develop, and which is now in over 2000 supermarkets across the US.

Dr. Ayoob helped formulate a highly regarded global nutrition policy for the Walt Disney Corporation in 2006 and updated those landmark guidelines in 2012.  These guidelines were widely acclaimed and were endorsed by the White House and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Dr. Ayoob currently writes a weekly column for MedPage Today, called “The Edible Rx”:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Blogs/EdibleRx/
and for the Doctor’s Tablet blog at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine:
http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/author/keith-ayoob/

 Dr. Ayoob is a strong advocate against fad dieting and in 2004 he testified before Congress against the marketing of diet pills to children.  He co-authored the American Dietetic Association’s position paper on food and nutrition myths and misinformation.

Dr. Ayoob received his doctorate degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College, his Master’s from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and he did his undergraduate work at the University of California at Davis.

Laura Ligos, MBA, RD, CSSD

Laura Ligos is a registered dietitian & board certified sports dietitian who resides in Albany, NY. She believes in a food first approach and focuses on optimizing the health and wellness of active people She has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences from Cornell University and went on to complete her Dietetic Internship and MBA at Dominican University. She started her own private practice & brand “The Sassy Dietitian” to help be a credible resource for those looking to improve their health and prevent chronic disease through real food.

Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN

Molly Morgan, RD, CDN, CSSD

Molly is a Registered Dietitian, author, and owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions. She has extensive experience in the area of sports nutrition and corporate wellness. Including working with Fortune 500 companies, national brands, and professional sports teams. Molly has authored three books including: Drink Your Way to Gut Health (2015), Skinny Size-It (2014), and The Skinny Rules (2011).  Molly worked with the Ottawa and Belleville Senators (NHL/AHL hockey) as their nutrition consultant for 14 seasons, where she created and developed custom nutrition plans for players along with interactive workshops. Additionally, she works with Binghamton University Division 1 Men’s Basketball team on nutrition plans and delivers custom workshops. Molly has been a blogger for MensFitness.com and routinely works with the media.  Molly completed her degree in clinical dietetics at the State University at Buffalo and is a Board-Certified Sports Specialist Dietitian.

Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT

Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT, is a registered dietitian, yoga, and fitness instructor based at the Jersey Shore. She specializes in corporate wellness, nutrition communications, and helping provide simple, actionable mealtime solutions from planning to preparation. A prior career as an advertising executive fuels her mission for promoting self-care to busy professionals. Mandy is known as the FOOD + MOVEMENT® Dietitian for her fun and flexible approach to maximize body and mind performance through lifestyle and mindset changes that integrate rather than deviate into our busy daily lives.

Learn more about Mandy at www.mandyenright.com.

Stevie Lyn Smith, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDN

Stevie Lyn is a Registered Dietitian and avid endurance athlete. Her mission is to help educate and coach athletes on how to fuel their goals while not sacrificing their health. As a board-certified specialist in sports nutrition, Stevie Lyn has helped hundreds of athletes and active individuals fuel to improve their performance, energy levels, and recovery without feelings of guilt or restriction. Drawing from her experiences growing up as a team-sport athlete to completing ten full ironman distance triathlons and countless other endurance and ultra-distance races, she knows firsthand how important nutrition is to be a healthy athlete. She has contributed to Runner’s World Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bicycling Magazine, Triathlete Magazine and the InsideTracker blog. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering to help empower others through organizations such as Girls on The Run, We Finish Together, and Back on My Feet. When she is not swimming, biking, or running you can find her outside exploring new trails or on snowshoes with her dog.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND is the founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition, where she provides nutrition and food safety consulting services for individuals, restaurants and food brands. She is a Wall Street Journal best selling author of 7 cookbooks, including her latest The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook (Oct 2020). For over 12 years she has been the nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com, and founding contributor to their Healthy Eats Blog. Toby is a regular contributor to U.S. News and World Report Eat + Run blog, Shape.com, Sparkpeople.com, and has her own “Ask the Expert” column in Today’s Dietitian Magazine. She has been quoted in hundreds of publications and has also appears on television. For 11 years she was an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and currently is an adjunct at CUNY Hunter School of Public Urban Health in New York City. Previously, she taught Foodservice for 10 years at the Art Institute of New York City.

Toby trained as a clinical dietitian at New York University. Through ongoing consulting and faculty positions, she has established herself as one of the top experts in culinary nutrition, food safety, and media communications. In 2018, Toby was awarded by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics the coveted Media Excellence Award.