Message from Incoming President
It is such an honor and privilege to now serve as the Greater Seattle Dietetic Association (GSDA) President. I’m excited for the 2021-2022 year as we have so much in store for you!
My name is Brianna Ballard, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves connecting with people over food. Everyone has to eat, so why not enjoy it together? I have experience working in dynamic positions with university dining and retail grocery. My enthusiasm and passion for leadership, continuing education, and the dietetics profession grows every day. Serving on the GSDA board has been an amazing opportunity to interact with the nutrition leaders of the Seattle Community and support the profession through learning and networking opportunities.
My vision as President is to help empower individuals to develop their careers, build relationships, and promote sustainable eating. I’m looking to support professionals advancing their leadership skills, encouraging students to enter the dietetics field, and promoting healthy community eating and living.
This year is all about opening doors and creating access. That’s why we’re going virtual. That’s why our membership is all-inclusive. That’s why we’ve launched scholarships! See a pattern? We hope these actions show you our dedication to serve the greater Seattle area and advance our dietetics profession.
Virtual Platform We went virtual last year as a response to the global pandemic. By doing so, we had so many marvelous individuals attend that normally wouldn’t, whether it be the stress of traffic or parking meters. We were able to connect with more people by meeting virtually. So this year, we want to continue this offering to reach everyone interested!
New Membership Model We are now offering all-inclusive memberships. We wanted to make attending events as seamless as possible, that’s why all events are included in the cost of membership. No need to take out a credit card for every event now, it’s as easy as clicking one button! Sign up for your membership here.
Scholarship Awards We also launched a scholarship program awarding students and Registered Dietitians free GSDA membership. Interested in learning more? Visit this page for details.
As a local association of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, we plan to model the Academy’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) Action Plan within our organization. As we have a new Diversity Chair, the work doesn’t stop there. Diversity and Inclusion are integrated throughout our organization, including in our events, communications, and membership recruitment. GSDA has made Diversity and Inclusion a core focus.
I hope you join our organization as a member and help us further our mission. I look forward to seeing you soon!
-Brianna Ballard, MS, RDN