"You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things." - Mother Teresa
I have seen my leadership skills grow during my time at UNCG. As students, we were challenged to complete many papers, assignments and exams as a group. I have always felt comfortable working as a team, but stepping up as a leader for assignments was really a push outside of my comfort zone. After each assignment we were provided feedback from our peers regarding our contribution to the project. I believe that a good leader can take constructive feedback and use it as an opportunity for growth. A good leader takes initiative. I experienced this first hand when a group I writing a paper with was approaching the deadline. I took the initiative to identify what needed to be done, communicated this with the group, then delegated tasks. We worked much better after everyone had their own part to do and together we received an A. I feel my confidence has increased immensely from the skills and competencies I developed through my masters work. I am more comfortable in my leadership skills now, and have even taken on a leadership position as the Wellness Coordinator at my job.
To me, being an effective leader is an art. I believe that a strong leader is someone who leads by example, empowers others and unites different people around a single vision. I pride myself on my abilities to adapt to change, to seek common ground and to persevere, all qualities that are important in strong leadership. As I continue to grow as a leader, I will strive to find new opportunities and challenges, especially ones that allow me to gain the aforementioned qualities. I will continue to take what I have learned through my experiences as a volunteer, a student, a community member and as a public health educator and use them to become a better leader.
Professional Presentations:
Fighting food insecurity is a passion of mine. As I grow and develop as a public health leader, I plan to share my experiences with others so that we can work together to end hunger. I have had the opportunity to present my work with the Partnership Pantry on several occasions. Because many food pantries are located in churches, I was invited to educate church leaders about how they can offer healthier foods. I encouraged their congregations to donate healthier foods (no- salt/sugar added canned foods, whole grains, frozen fruits/vegetables, etc) and for churches to have a shelf dedicated to healthier foods. Last Spring, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics heard about the healthy food pantry and invited my colleague, Sheri Vettel, and I to share our innovative approach to addressing hunger and chronic disease(s).
Fall 2014: Presented Improve the Health of Your Local Community through Health Food Pantries and Shared Use Agreements at the Partners in Health and Wholeness: Faith and Health Summit. I co-presented with Sheri Vettel MPH, RD, LDN and Danielle Hewson.
This was my first professional public speaking opportunity. Although I was nervous, people were very receptive and asked a variety of different questions. After we spoke, a church leader approached us about speaking to their congregation about healthier food donations. I gained confidence after this presentation and felt proud that I was able to share something that I am so passionate about.
Spring 2015: Invited to participate in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Learning Collaborative for Innovative Registered Dietitians in Non-Traditional Healthcare Settings in Chicago, Il.
I was honored to be invited to Chicago to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to share our innovative way of addressing food insecurity. Although this presentation was in front of a smaller audience, they were all established/successful healthcare providers and I was a little intimidated. It was during this presentation that I realized that I am more of an expert in food insecurity than I had once though. After the presentation many providers approached me to learn more about our programs mission and successes.
*Update: I have been asked to present at the Community Care of North Carolina 2016 Innovation Forum: transformative strategies for 21st century healthcare- poster session in Raleigh, NC. Sheri Vettel MPH RD LDN and I will be sharing information about the Partnership Pantry on April 18th, 2016. See the poster we created below.
Recent Professional Meetings Attended:
As my portfolio highlights, I enjoy learning and staying abreast on all the changes in nutrition, public health and specifically food insecurity. I have had the opportunity to attend several continuing education meetings locally and nationally. I have learned that networking and sharing my passion for food security has connected me with others sharing a similar passion. This has allowed me to connect with different community organizations and develop partnerships. Together, I believe that working synergistically with others addressing food insecurity will only benefit our community. Below are a short list of professional meetings I have attended.
Greater High Point Food Summit; 2016
High Point, NC continues lead the United States in food insecurity. I attended this meeting to learn about all the great resources that are available for my patients living in High Point. At this meeting I learned about an app that people living in High Point can download called the High Point Food Finder. This free download uses your phones GPS to locate the closest food pantry, community garden or hot meal site. This is a wonderful resource I shared with the rest of my organization, and will continue to share with others addressing food insecurity. Also at this meeting, I was asked to briefly share the Partnership Pantry's mission and provided a list of how other food pantries can offer healthier foods. I was invited to continue these discussions as part of the Greater High Point Food Alliance. Since the meeting I have been sharing the Food Finder App with my patients and am currently applying for grants to help us create a similar app in Greensboro.
Guilford County Collaborative on Poverty; 2016
On April 1st, many SNAP (formerly food stamp) recipients will lose their benefits if they are not working/volunteering 20hours/month. An exemption that was passed in Guilford County before the recession hit is now expiring so many able-bodied adults without dependents will lose their SNAP benefits unless they meet certain qualifications. I attended this meeting to learn how these changes will effect my patients and my community. I learned what organizations are accepting volunteers and who they should contact. As of now, there are no grants/ additional government funds for local food pantries so I am expecting that many food pantries are going to be in desperate need of food. Since this meeting, I have been educating my community and especially my patients. I feel now, more than ever my community needs food resources.
*Please see my resume (home page) for a complete list of professional awards, trainings and certifications.
I have seen my leadership skills grow during my time at UNCG. As students, we were challenged to complete many papers, assignments and exams as a group. I have always felt comfortable working as a team, but stepping up as a leader for assignments was really a push outside of my comfort zone. After each assignment we were provided feedback from our peers regarding our contribution to the project. I believe that a good leader can take constructive feedback and use it as an opportunity for growth. A good leader takes initiative. I experienced this first hand when a group I writing a paper with was approaching the deadline. I took the initiative to identify what needed to be done, communicated this with the group, then delegated tasks. We worked much better after everyone had their own part to do and together we received an A. I feel my confidence has increased immensely from the skills and competencies I developed through my masters work. I am more comfortable in my leadership skills now, and have even taken on a leadership position as the Wellness Coordinator at my job.
To me, being an effective leader is an art. I believe that a strong leader is someone who leads by example, empowers others and unites different people around a single vision. I pride myself on my abilities to adapt to change, to seek common ground and to persevere, all qualities that are important in strong leadership. As I continue to grow as a leader, I will strive to find new opportunities and challenges, especially ones that allow me to gain the aforementioned qualities. I will continue to take what I have learned through my experiences as a volunteer, a student, a community member and as a public health educator and use them to become a better leader.
Professional Presentations:
Fighting food insecurity is a passion of mine. As I grow and develop as a public health leader, I plan to share my experiences with others so that we can work together to end hunger. I have had the opportunity to present my work with the Partnership Pantry on several occasions. Because many food pantries are located in churches, I was invited to educate church leaders about how they can offer healthier foods. I encouraged their congregations to donate healthier foods (no- salt/sugar added canned foods, whole grains, frozen fruits/vegetables, etc) and for churches to have a shelf dedicated to healthier foods. Last Spring, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics heard about the healthy food pantry and invited my colleague, Sheri Vettel, and I to share our innovative approach to addressing hunger and chronic disease(s).
Fall 2014: Presented Improve the Health of Your Local Community through Health Food Pantries and Shared Use Agreements at the Partners in Health and Wholeness: Faith and Health Summit. I co-presented with Sheri Vettel MPH, RD, LDN and Danielle Hewson.
This was my first professional public speaking opportunity. Although I was nervous, people were very receptive and asked a variety of different questions. After we spoke, a church leader approached us about speaking to their congregation about healthier food donations. I gained confidence after this presentation and felt proud that I was able to share something that I am so passionate about.
Spring 2015: Invited to participate in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Learning Collaborative for Innovative Registered Dietitians in Non-Traditional Healthcare Settings in Chicago, Il.
I was honored to be invited to Chicago to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to share our innovative way of addressing food insecurity. Although this presentation was in front of a smaller audience, they were all established/successful healthcare providers and I was a little intimidated. It was during this presentation that I realized that I am more of an expert in food insecurity than I had once though. After the presentation many providers approached me to learn more about our programs mission and successes.
*Update: I have been asked to present at the Community Care of North Carolina 2016 Innovation Forum: transformative strategies for 21st century healthcare- poster session in Raleigh, NC. Sheri Vettel MPH RD LDN and I will be sharing information about the Partnership Pantry on April 18th, 2016. See the poster we created below.
Recent Professional Meetings Attended:
As my portfolio highlights, I enjoy learning and staying abreast on all the changes in nutrition, public health and specifically food insecurity. I have had the opportunity to attend several continuing education meetings locally and nationally. I have learned that networking and sharing my passion for food security has connected me with others sharing a similar passion. This has allowed me to connect with different community organizations and develop partnerships. Together, I believe that working synergistically with others addressing food insecurity will only benefit our community. Below are a short list of professional meetings I have attended.
Greater High Point Food Summit; 2016
High Point, NC continues lead the United States in food insecurity. I attended this meeting to learn about all the great resources that are available for my patients living in High Point. At this meeting I learned about an app that people living in High Point can download called the High Point Food Finder. This free download uses your phones GPS to locate the closest food pantry, community garden or hot meal site. This is a wonderful resource I shared with the rest of my organization, and will continue to share with others addressing food insecurity. Also at this meeting, I was asked to briefly share the Partnership Pantry's mission and provided a list of how other food pantries can offer healthier foods. I was invited to continue these discussions as part of the Greater High Point Food Alliance. Since the meeting I have been sharing the Food Finder App with my patients and am currently applying for grants to help us create a similar app in Greensboro.
Guilford County Collaborative on Poverty; 2016
On April 1st, many SNAP (formerly food stamp) recipients will lose their benefits if they are not working/volunteering 20hours/month. An exemption that was passed in Guilford County before the recession hit is now expiring so many able-bodied adults without dependents will lose their SNAP benefits unless they meet certain qualifications. I attended this meeting to learn how these changes will effect my patients and my community. I learned what organizations are accepting volunteers and who they should contact. As of now, there are no grants/ additional government funds for local food pantries so I am expecting that many food pantries are going to be in desperate need of food. Since this meeting, I have been educating my community and especially my patients. I feel now, more than ever my community needs food resources.
*Please see my resume (home page) for a complete list of professional awards, trainings and certifications.