Board Members
To contact any board member, please fill out our contact request form.
Voting positions are indicated by an asterisk*
President*
Sheryl Lozicki, MBA, RDN
Sheryl is the System Manager of Clinical Nutrition and Wellness for Trinity Hospitality Services, a national healthcare system. She is also the Editor in Chief for the Nutrition Care Manual of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has a diverse work background and is focused on growing and developing individuals and teams to maximize their potential, program development, and overall performance. She has previously served as the President-Elect, Public Relations, and Marketing Director for MiAND, and the President of Dietitians of West Michigan.
President-Elect*
Leatta Byrd, MA, RDN
Leatta is a Nutrition Educator, Emeritus, Michigan State University Health, and Nutrition Institute. She has previously served as President of the Southwest Michigan District Dietetic Association and is a past MiAND Board Secretary–Treasurer. Leatta has been the MiAND Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Director for the past four years, and in that role, she was responsible for establishing community partnerships, marketing, and educating minorized and socially disenfranchised STEM, middle and high school students about the field of dietetics. Leatta is an advocate for culturally responsive nutrition and community education programs. She is the owner of a nutrition consultant business, Seraphim Nutrition LCC.
Secretary-Treasurer*
Nick Pomante, MS, RD
Nick began his career in private practice where he provided nutrition counseling to those seeking to manage chronic conditions, weight, or improve sports performance. He then began working in corporate wellness, serving as the Employee Wellness Coordinator and Student Wellness Coordinator at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) where he planned health and wellness programs and services for the university community. He now serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the Dietetics program at EMU where he works to secure supervised practice placements for dietetic students. Nick enjoys working with preceptors from around the country to design quality educational experiences. He brings his expertise in the areas of organization, communication, and leadership to the Secretary-Treasurer role.
Secretary-Treasurer-Elect
Kayla Bridges
Delegate*
Julie Orth, MS, RDN, CSP
I’m dedicated to improving our profession by connecting with dietitians from all areas of practice, listening, and encouraging professionals and students to achieve their professional goals, as well as encouraging involvement in the Academy at all levels including local and state as they are able to serve.
Membership Director*
Meghan Wilkinson, MS, RDN, CNSC
Meghan is currently the Dietetic Internship Director at Western Michigan University. Previously, she worked as an inpatient clinical dietitian in the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area for many years. She received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and completed her Master’s degree and dietetic internship at The State University of New York at Buffalo. Before joining the MiAND board, Meghan held many leadership positions including serving on the MNDI Board of Trustees and as a past President of SWMMDA. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family and experiencing the 4 seasons of Michigan. Meghan is looking forward to her new role as membership director and connecting with RDNs from across the state.
Membership Director-Elect
Andrea Lopofsky, RD, CNSC
Andrea has worked for Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) for 9 years in various roles. She is currently part of the Nutrition Support Service and provides ICU coverage. She earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and moved to Chicago for her internship, where she lived for almost 9 years before moving to west Michigan. Andrea now lives in Ada with her husband and their 3 children. She enjoys running, reading, and being outdoors in her free time.
PR/Marketing Co-Coordinator
Shelby Miller, RDN
Shelby currently works for Trinity Health, building menus and coding allergens for safe patient feeding. Previously, her focus was clinical, working in neuroscience, psychiatric medicine and oncology, also covering the outpatient ALS and ketogenic clinics. She received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and finished her internship at Dominican University in River Forest, IL. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and exploring Michigan.
PR/Marketing Co-Coordinator
Ellen Smartt, RDN
Ellen completed her MS in Clinical Dietetics and BS in Clinical Exercise from Grand Valley State University. She has 5 years of experience in nutrition counseling and education for the general and athletic populations. She is passionate about nutrition counseling, growing local sustainable food systems, and community nutrition. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapids, growing vegetables, and visiting local farmers’ markets.
Newsletter Co-Coordinator
Julie Poole, MS, RD
Julie works as a nutrition educator in the Traverse City Area Public Schools. She has previous experience as a clinical dietitian at the University of Michigan Medical Center and as a dietitian/health educator at a school-based health center in Ann Arbor. Julie previously served as the MiAND professional development chair for 5 years and is currently enjoying her role as the newsletter co-director. Additionally, she serves as the secretary and newsletter editor for the Northern Michigan Dietetic Association. Julie obtained her Bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Michigan State University and completed the combined internship and Master’s degree program in clinical nutrition at Rush University Medical Center.
Newsletter Co-Coordinator
Nominating Committee Chair/Past President*
Mark Thiesmeyer Hook, MPH, MS, RD, ACSM-EP
Mark is the owner and founder of Better Living Fitness in Ann Arbor. Better Living helps clients maximize health and vitality with individualized exercise and nutrition solutions. Mark serves as a preceptor for the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Madonna University’s dietetic programs. His passion is to improve the public health of Michigan, and he is proud to have passed dietetic licensure during his presidency. Mark lives in Ann Arbor with his husband, Matt, and their rescue dog, Doug.
IDEA Director*
Elena Bogliani, MS, RDN
Elena is a clinical dietitian with specialized training in oncology nutrition and diets for gastrointestinal diseases, and the owner of a private practice. Elena earned her degree from Eastern Michigan University after transitioning from a previous Master of Science in Engineering and a corporate career in Marketing and Communication. Beyond conventional nutrition, Elena holds the title of a graduated herbalist from David Winston’s Center of Herbal Studies, integrating herbal remedies into her practice. Elena’s belief in the fundamental role of nutrition as the baseline for health equity drives her practice. She views nutrition education as a necessary step towards creating a more equitable healthcare landscape, recognizing the importance of informed dietary choices.
IDEA Director-Elect
Public Policy Director*
Michelle Gilleran, PhD, MS, RDN
As a dietitian and educator, I strongly feel that donating my time, expertise, and experience is a crucial way of giving back to the field of nutrition and dietetics. I have experience educating in higher education, curriculum development, providing medical nutrition therapy, and conducting quantitative and qualitative research. Though I am new to the field of public policy, I am committed to advocacy and public policy efforts that aim to improve the health of Michiganders and advance the profession of dietetics here in Michigan.
Public Policy Director-Elect
Sahar Kraydi, MA, RDN, LDN
Being a passionate dietitian, mom, and nutrition communications expert who helped multiple clients rediscover the joy of eating and build healthy lifelong lifestyles, I strongly believe in the need to provide dedicated focus on creating and enhancing public policies to improve our community health and health equity.
State Policy Representative
Vacant
Nutrition Services Payment Specialist
Emily Welles, MS, RD, CDCES
Emily is a faculty member and supervised practice coordinator for Grand Valley State University Applied Food and Nutrition/ Clinical Dietetics programs. She also owns a virtual private practice, Emily Welles Nutrition LLC, focused on disordered eating and eating disorder care. Emily completed her education at Michigan State University, University of Michigan Hospitals, and Grand Valley State University. Emily has been involved with Dietitians of West Michigan and the Michigan Eating Disorder Alliance (MiEDA) for many years. Emily is passionate about advancing the profession and training students as the next generation of RDNs!
Consumer Protection Coordinator
Heather Dover, MS, RDN
Heather is the Coordinator for Undergraduate Research in the Provost’s Office at Michigan State University (MSU). She holds a Master of Science in Food Safety from MSU. Prior to her work in undergraduate research, Heather served as a research assistant/laboratory manager in several departments across the MSU campus. She has also served as a dietitian for community mental health services in Michigan and Texas. Heather has been a member of the Michigan Academy’s annual conference planning committee for over 5 years, is past president of MiAND, and is a past president of the Lansing Dietetic Association.
Professional Development Director*
Diane Delhey, MS, RDN
Diane has worked at Bronson Methodist Hospital for the past 27 years as a cardiovascular/critical care dietitian and helped establish the outpatient HF Clinic. She received her BS from MSU and went on to do her dietetic internship and MS at MGH in Boston Massachusetts. Diane has been active in both the district and state levels of MiAND for the past 25 years and also has served as a trustee and President of MNDI.
Professional Development Co-Director
Stephanie Schacher, MS, RDN, FAND
Stephanie currently works for Covenant HealthCare providing care throughout the lifecycle in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Her passion area is pediatric care, especially nutrition counseling. Stephanie received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Central Michigan University and completed her dietetic internship in the Great Lakes Bay Region through Central Michigan University. She has been an active Academy member since starting her education and recently completed her term as Chair of the Member and Student Advisory Committee. She is looking forward to continuing the excellent work of MiAND in this role! In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, and traveling.
Awards Chair
Cassie Whiddon, MS, RDN
Cassie is the Wellness Manager for Eurest at DTE Energy and a Part-Time Lecturer for the Dietetics program at Eastern Michigan University, her alma mater for her BS and MS degrees. Past areas of practice include acute care clinical, foodservice, clinical management, and corporate wellness. Cassie served as the Communications Chair for the Clinical Nutrition Management DPG and as the Academy Delegate for Michigan. She loves spending time with her son, fiancé, and 3 pups, as well as gardening, food preservation, cooking, and relaxing with a good sci-fi or fantasy book.
Poster Co-Chair
Connor Bailey, MS, RDN
Connor has assisted with posters for the last 2 years as a student and is proud to be a poster co-chair this year. He completed his Master’s in Clinical Dietetics at Grand Valley State University in April 2024 and passed the RD exam in June. In the next 5 – 10 years, he hopes to specialize in some area of dietetics or start a private practice. His interests include working out, spending time in nature, and hosting board game nights for friends and family.
Poster Co-Chair
Tabor Gleason, MS, RDN
Tabor is a dietitian working with Laker Food Company at Grand Valley State University, where she mainly supports college students. She earned her master’s in clinical dietetics and bachelor’s in clinical exercise science at GVSU. Previously, she served as a student liaison for MiAND. Tabor is an NSCA-CPT and coaches fitness classes in her free time.
Non-Voting Members
Executive Director
Megan Armstrong, RD
Megan has been a clinical dietitian for 7 years at Corewell Health Weight Control Centers specializing in weight management/bariatric surgery. She has a bachelor of science in Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy where she was a student-athlete for 4 years. Megan worked in sales, events, and marketing before pursuing a career in dietetics. She earned her post-bachelor’s certificate in dietetics at Wayne State University and is currently pursuing an MA in Nutrition and Food Science.
MNDI President
Tina Miller, MS, RDN, FAND
Tina is an Assistant Professor and Graduate Dietetic Coordinated Program Director at Madonna University. Tina has over 30 years of experience teaching food and nutrition concepts to students, patients, and consumers. Her passion is mentoring dietitians and dietetic students to grow in the dietetics profession. Tina has served in many leadership roles with the MiAND including Past-President.
Website Manager
Mary Width, MS, RD, FAND
Mary is a Professor-Teaching and the director of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at Wayne State University. She has managed the website for MiAND for over 15 years and has held many leadership positions in SEMDA including president, membership chair, and website manager. She is the co-author of two books, The Essential Pocket Guide for Clinical Nutrition and The Essential Guide to the Nutrition Care Process.
Social Media
Lindsey Fick, RD
Lindsey is a psychiatric clinical dietitian at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has held leadership positions with the Dietitians of West Michigan as National Nutrition Month and PR coordinator and now President-Elect. Lindsey enjoys living on the west side of Michigan and hiking the many trails with her husband, 1-year-old and dog, Mowgli.