Annual Meeting Speakers
Emily Arkin, MS, RDN, LD
Emily Arkin is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Washington, D.C. Her
group practice, RD Emily & Team, specializes in eating disorders and medical nutrition therapy
for gastrointestinal disorders, blood sugar concerns, and other illnesses across various life stages.
She cares deeply about helping clients discover (or rediscover) joy in food while managing
chronic conditions. Emily has worked at IOP and PHP levels of care for eating disorder
treatment and is a member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
She is involved with GI OnDemand and also a member of Dietitians in Gluten and
Gastrointestinal Disorders (DIGID), a dietetic practice subgroup within the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics. Under DIGID, she contributes to the “Disordered Eating” working
group that is developing MNT resources for GI dietitians who encounter eating disorders in their
practice.
Faye Berger Mitchell, FAND, MS
Faye Berger Mitchell recently completed her masters’ degree in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (2022). Combining her unique blend of nutrition and medical cannabis expertise, Faye’s private practice and consulting business focuses on helping patients get well, feel well and be well. Her passion is educating the public and allied health professionals about the risks and benefits of medical cannabis.
Faye’s entrepreneurial spirit produced a variety of self-created businesses. Faye built and maintained a thriving nutrition private practice and consulting business in the DC metro area in the late 1980’s for more than 25 years. She helped colleagues start practices through workshops, private coaching, speaking, and her Be Your Own Boss Starter Kit. Past publications include Making Nutrition Your Business – Private Practice and Beyond (ADA 2011) and American Dietetic Association Guide to Private Practice (ADA 2004).
She has presented on medical cannabis to a large psychotherapy group and the Suncoast AND. She currently writes a monthly blog post about CBD for Innova Market Research, and her article titled The Safety of Cannabis and Breastfeeding for CRx, a science-based Green Valley cannabis publication, will be published in their spring issue
Matthew Bond
Matthew Bond is a graduate student in Nutrition and Dietetics at King's College, Pennsylvania and creator of the nonprofit website MeatlessMarch.org. He has worked as a tutor and student mentor in DC Public Schools and as a teacher trainer in the U.S. Peace Corps. Mr. Bond holds a Bachelor's degree in Arabic language and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and has also studied at the University of the District of Columbia and at Montgomery College in Maryland. He currently supports military health research at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD as a Program Coordinator with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF).
Seth Goldman
Seth Goldman is Co-Founder of Eat the Change®, a planet-friendly snack brand that helps people ‘Snack to the Future™’. Eat the Change® recently launched Just Ice Tea, a line of organic bottled tea to go along with the company’s mushroom jerky and carrot snacks. Seth and his co-Founder, Celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn are also co-founders of PLNT Burger, a plant-based quick-serve restaurant that offers delicious burgers, sandwiches, fries, and soft-serve.
Seth is also the Co-founder of Honest Tea and Chair of the board of Beyond Meat. He has been widely recognized for his entrepreneurial success and impact, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in Greater Washington, the Washington DC Business Hall of Fame, BevNET Person of the Year, and Partnership for Healthier America’s CEO of the Year. Seth and his wife, Julie Farkas, have also launched ETC Impact, which is a donating $1.25M over three years into non-profit organizations that educate and inspire consumers to make climate-conscious choices with their diet.
He is a graduate of Harvard College (1987) and the Yale School of Management (1995) and is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Seth and Barry Nalebuff are the authors, along with graphic artist Soongyun Choi, of The New York Times bestselling comic book, Mission in a Bottle.
Chelsea Halsman, RD
Chelsea Halsman is the Registered Dietitian at Eastern Shore Hospital Center. An 84 bed
psychiatric health facility under the jurisdiction of Maryland’s Behavioral Health
Administration and Maryland Department of Health. She is also the founder of Nutritional
Metamorphosis, which provides nutrition services to individuals with eating disorders
stepping down from HLOC on the Eastern Shore of MD, DE, and VA.
Chelsea is passionate about bridging the gap between nutrition and modern medicine in the
treatment of psychiatric disorders. As someone who has both personal and professional ties
to mental illness, she is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals living
with mental illness and their loved ones through hands-on nutrition education programming.
She works closely with psychologists & psychiatrists to provide the highest quality of
treatment.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Nutritional Science from Morgan State University
and completed a dietetic internship at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She is working
on her Masters of Education Degree in Health Education and Promotion with a
Concentration in Eating Disorders at Plymouth State University. Chelsea is serving out the
duration of her position as the secretary for the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Foundation. She hopes to continue to make positive strides in the nutritional psychiatry
field.
Chris Hoffman
Chris Hoffman owns a 250-acre farm which raises pigs and broiler chickens. He serves as the Vice President of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and is a Trustee for Penn State University. Additionally, he was selected as the 2019 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year through the National Pork Board, representing farmers nationwide.
Chris and his wife, Selina, are first-generation farmers from McAlisterville, Pennsylvania. Chris began his career working for companies that manage pig farms across the state, and early on, he grew to love the animals. He also liked the prospect of the freedom and farming lifestyle a family business offered.
Liz Jalkiewicz, RDN, LDN
Liz has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for over 15 years working in various roles
including long-term care, retail, and marketing & communications, but most recently, she has
pursued her dream of entrepreneurship. Liz enjoys teaching and empowering other dietitians
to share their powerful messages and stories with the world by self-publishing on Amazon in
order to have greater impact and wider reach, while also generating passive income. Through
her business, Liz provides editorial services for RDNs including writing, editing, and
proofreading, and she offers her signature online course, Click to Publish, for dietitians on how
to self-publish on Amazon. Liz is the owner of Liz Jalkiewicz Nutrition LLC and author of The
Dietitian Editor blog.
Liz is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Food and Culinary
Professionals (FCP) dietetic practice group where she currently serves as the On the Menu
Editor. She graduated from Montclair State University in New Jersey where she received her
Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and complete her Dietetic Internship at the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Liz resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, two
children, and their dog, Rocky.
Brandy Leno, RDN, LDN
Brandy is a community dietitian at Moveable Feast—a nonprofit in Baltimore providing medically tailored meals and nutrition education to those experiencing food insecurity and chronic illness. She has undergraduate degrees in Culinary Arts and Human Ecology, with a concentration in Dietetics, and completed her dietetic internship with the University of Maryland, College Park. Brandy also has experience in older adult nutrition and eating disorders. In her current position, she loves being able to take a client-centered approach when providing nutrition therapy and giving cooking advice that is culturally relevant and delicious.
Matt Walker
Information coming soon!