Georgia Hammerli, RD, LDN NSAND’s Nominating Committee-Chair 2018-2019 Works at: Addolorata Villa as the Nutrition Care Manager for Unidine Hobbies: Walking, Fitness, Cubs, Cooking, Cemeteries, Genealogy What do you do in the field of dietetics? I jokingly say I am in “Waist Management”, but my title is “Nutrition Care Manager” for Unidine, a Food Contract Management Company. My current position is at a Senior Living Community. There, I am responsible for ensuring the menu meets all IL nutritional criteria; that the residents are on the appropriate diet and are consuming adequate p.o. intake; completing nutritional assessments; writing Care Plans. And I help to manage the Dining Staff; oversee kitchen and dining room cleanliness and that IDPH regulations are followed. Did you always know you wanted to be a dietitian? No, I started out in Advertising/Marketing! Changed because there were too many deadlines! What inspired you to have a career in nutrition? I was in a Culinary Arts Program and took an elective “Nutrition 101.” The instructor of the nutrition class, who was an RD, took me aside one day and told me I’d be a great Dietitian and that I should check out a local University‘s Dietetics Program. I did. The rest is history. What's a fun fact about you? A colleague and I won 1st place in the “Chopped” Competition at the 2016 IAND Spring Assembly! We had to use limited ingredients found in a community Food Pantry. We were up against 3 other Teams and won with ‘Sweet n’ Sour Chicken Meatballs over Rice Pilaf!’ What is your best advice for younger dietitians on how to network with experienced dietitians? Join your local dietetics organization; attend meetings; get involved! There is usually networking time at meetings, where you could approach other members and ask them about their career, etc.
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Maddie Martini, MS, RD, LD; NSAND President Elect Works at: Unidine (at Brookside Care Center in Kenosha, WI) Hobbies: I co-coordinate my local improv comedy group, the Picard Players - we practice weekly, perform quarterly, and donate all our proceeds to charitable causes. I also love to try new foods and restaurants, host themed dinner parties, riff on bad movies, and attend live theatre as often as possible. What do you do in the field of dietetics? I am currently the only RD at my 150-bed skilled nursing facility in Kenosha, WI. I see residents for nutrition assessments and follow-ups throughout the day, which includes everything from adjusting tube feeding regimens to providing nutrition education to someone heading home for the first time in months. It’s a lot of work and the caseload is high, but I enjoy it! Did you always know you wanted to be a dietitian? Actually, I started college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison wanting to be a choir teacher! I always loved food, but didn’t think about a career in nutrition until I attended a seminar led by an outpatient RD. The prospect of helping people find the right foods to fit their lifestyle was incredibly appealing to me (and still is)! What's a fun fact about you? Once, I (and three friends) held a 14-hour marathon of the Lord of the Rings movies (extended edition), complete with a Hobbit-style menu based off of specific scenes. Some highlights included actual Lembas bread, “Samwise Gamgee’s Coney Stew,” and “Mount Doom Cinnamon Lava Cake.” So worth it. What is your favorite food? Such a hard question! It’s a three-way tie between: fresh-from-the-garden cherry tomatoes; Vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowls called “bun” (cold noodles and vegetables with lemongrass-marinated protein and a tangy sauce to pour over top); and a dish from Renga Tei in Skokie called Salmon Oyako-don, which takes a piece of grilled salmon and places it on a bed of steamed rice with julienned cucumber, fresh salmon roe, and a slice of lemon. There’s nothing else like it! What is your favorite memory from your career thus far? Honestly, starting my career has been my favorite thing! It felt like it took forever to finally get going as an RD. Now that I have, I am enjoying just about everything. And I’m hoping to hold on to that feeling as long as possible. Name one thing an RDN could do to benefit the dietetics profession in general. The nature of the dietetics field is that the research is always shifting, so it’s important that we as professionals keep an open mind and seek out learning opportunities wherever we can find them. Then by bringing back what we learn and applying it to our own areas of practice, we can help to contribute to the notion that dietetics practitioners are essential in providing evidence-based care. Where did you complete your internship? I completed my MS+DI through Eastern Illinois University, with my clinical rotations taking place primarily at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, IL. Twitter: @maddiemartinird |