Aloha HDA members and fellow colleagues,
I am excited, honored and privileged to serve as your president for the coming year. There is a lot to look forward to. HDA will be celebrating 75 years as an organization made up of food and nutrition professionals. Indeed we have much to celebrate. In 2012 we finally achieved our goal of the implementation of dietitian licensure, the Academy has empowered registered dietitians to get the much deserved recognition as the nutrition experts by making a bold move to change the name of the national association to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics otherwise known as AND. Dietitians may also use the newly designated credential RDN which stands for “registered dietitian nutritionist”. This title designation encompasses all that we do in our daily work and in our profession.
I invite you to meet your HDA leadership and board of directors by visiting the HDA website. HDA has been very active as an organization. HDA and its members have participated in numerous community events, health fairs, professional coalitions, as well as formed key partnerships while attending the Physical Activity & Nutrition (PAN) Summit. Additionally, I would love to hear from those of you who are currently involved in any food or nutrition related initiatives. Our Hawaii community and our board members need to become more aware of all the good work that is being done by HDA members across the state.
We are always looking at ways to increase member involvement and ways to provide growth as well as professional development opportunities for our members. Organizations such as HDA know the importance of preparing and cultivating our future leaders. HDA has developed a mentorship program to serve this purpose.
The board has a number of committees working on some very exciting projects. Committees needing your help and talents include our Website, Public Policy Panel, Fundraising and Spring Conference planning committees.
Please consider running for office or getting involved at a level that is workable for you.
One of the goals of the board is to increase volunteerism and our visibility as nutrition experts in and among the community. HDA continues to develop and build new partnerships with organizations who share a common vision to promote health and wellness. As a result of increasing recognition and visibility, our website committee has a vision to give the HDA website a much needed face lift. The goal is to enhance our website in an effort to reach a wider audience while providing our members with a website that is streamlined, intuitive, user friendly, informational, current and fun.
The HDA board meetings are always open to all HDA members. On behalf of our board members and leadership, I invite you to join us. Board meetings are held bimonthly at Castle Medical Center in the administrative conference room. A list of dates will be made available on the HDA website.
In celebration of 75 amazing years, your HDA board of directors is planning a special event in addition to the annual spring conference in recognition of the rich history of our organization. We welcome your submissions of pictures past and present, HDA memorabilia of all kinds, and any stories you wish to share with your fellow colleagues. You may contact Ann Ditzler, committee chair and immediate past president via email as listed on our website.
As an organization of more than 300 members made up food and nutrition professionals, I am honored to share in our continued mission to promote optimal nutrition, health and well-being to the people of Hawaii.
In good health and gratitude,
Sally