Leadership

Chair

Aida Miles, EdD, MMSc, RDN, LD, CSP, FAND

Aida Miles, EdD, MMsc, RDN, CSP, LD, FAND, is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama (UAB) School of Medicine, in the Division of Adolescent Medicine. She is also the director of the UAB Leadership Education in Pediatric Nutrition Program and faculty in the UAB Leadership Education in Adolescent Health. Aida has been in academia since 2008, first at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, and at the University of Tennessee’s Nutrition Department. At the University of Minnesota Aida was the Director of the Coordinated MPH-RD program, faculty in the Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Health Nutrition and in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities training grants. In Tennessee Aida was Clinical Assistant Professor and supervised students in a federally qualified health care clinic in addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses. Aida’s pediatric nutrition expertise has focused primarily on child and adolescent obesity and feeding problems in children with special needs. Aida worked as a pediatric dietitian for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Marcus Autism Center between 1992 and 2008. Since 2009 has served as a consultant for pediatric feeding disorders clinics. Aida has held many leadership roles within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, including being past-chair of the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group and past-chair of the Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition (LAHIDAN) Nominating Committee. She was a member of the Academy’s Board of Directors, and Speaker of their House of Delegates between 2014 and 2017. Most recently, Aida has served as a leader in the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2017-2021), the Academy’s Policy and Advocacy Committee (2019-2022), and the Weight Management Practice Group’s Awards and Honors Committee (2020-2022). Aida is the current Editor in Chief of the Academy’s Pediatric Nutrition Care Manual, and is the Chair-Elect for LAHIDAN (2022-2025).

Chair-Elect

Iliana Guerra, MS, RD, LD, CDCES

Iliana is a first generation Mexican American, who calls the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, her hometown. She earned a BS in Dietetics and MS in Health Care Administration, both from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. In her current role as Senior Diabetes Educator for Novo Nordisk, she leads multiple cross collaborative Population Health Initiatives within various health systems and physician groups in South Texas. Prior to joining NNI, Iliana was a Clinical/NICU/Critical Care Dietitian, with Nutrition Support and Pediatric Nutrition specialty certifications. She also led the Clinical Nutrition Team, where she pioneered various clinical CQI initiatives including Malnutrition Screening, Critical Care Nutrition Support Protocols, Diabetes Management Protocols and helped to establish outpatient DM Center. But what she is most proud of is her volunteer work within her community and professional organizations. Apart from serving on the Board of Directors for the Rio Grande Valley Diabetes Association, Iliana is also the Director for Camp ENERGY, a summer camp for kids with Type 1 DM.  She holds leadership positions with the Texas Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and Latinos & Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition (LAHIDAN). Apart from her advocacy work for LAHIDAN, she also serves on the ADCES Advocacy Committee.

Past Chair

Luis Gonzalez, MS, RD

Luis Gonzalez, MS, RDN is an Account Coordinator at Eat Well Global, a highly specialized strategic communication consultancy on a mission to empower global change agents in food and nutrition. Prior to this role, Luis spent years working in the areas of clinical nutrition and food service management. In 2020, Luis co-authored 30-Minute DASH Diet Cookbook: Fast and Easy Recipes to Lose Weight and Reverse High Blood Pressure.

Luis is also the owner of LG Photography, LLC where he combines his passion for nutrition and photography to showcase the natural beauty of food. Luis received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nutrition and Dietetics from Florida International University, and completed a Graduate Certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Luis is active in the profession and is the current Chair-Elect of the Latinos and Hispanics in Nutrition and Dietetics MIG, as well as a member of Cultures of Gender and Age, Food and Culinary Professionals, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs.

Secretary

Gabriela "Gabby" Puche MS, RDN, LD

Gabriela "Gabby" Puche is originally from Venezuela but was raised in Dallas, TX. Gabby obtained her BS from Texas Woman's University and completed her MS/DI at Oklahoma State University. She is a holistic and integrative dietitian living in Tulsa, OK working virtually for a corporate wellness company "HUSK" formerly known as Global Fit Inc. She does virtual 1:1 counseling and group presentations to various populations as Gabby accumulates her hours to sit for the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) exam. Gabby is certified in Mindfulness and is currently completing Yoga Teacher Training. She has 2 cats, lots of plant babies, and an awesome fiance.

Treasurer

Susana Sanchez, RDN, LDN

Susana is currently Clinical Coordinator for the MS in Dietetics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She was born and raised in Robstown, Texas but has lived in the beautiful Rio Grande Valley for the last 20 years. Susana graduated from Texas A&M-Kingsville with a B.S. in Human Sciences, Food & Nutrition Science. Her personal and professional goals have always been to provide support to her community to lead healthier lives by making informed food choices. She volunteers her time with her state affiliate, the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and has served in various positions. She is currently serving as president of South Region chapter of Texas Academy. She also volunteers her time with the RGV Diabetes Association as a guest speaker and taping cooking demonstrations for RGVDA social media.

Committee Chair

Rosemary Lopez, MS, RDN, CDN

Committee Chair-Elect

Areli Gutierrez, MS, RD, LD

HOD Delegate

Maria Virginia Tijerina-Walls, PhD, MS, LD, NC

María Virginia is a Mexican dietitian with over 25 years of experience. She received a Ph.D. in Management and Public Policy from The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a Master of Science in Nutrition from The University of Oklahoma. Also, she completed a Specialization in Comprehensive Evaluation of Social Development Programs at the National Institute of Public Health in México. She earned a BS in Nutrition from The Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL). She is the former Communication Manager of the Mexican Observatory of Noncommunicable Diseases (OMENT) in Mexico and the founder and director of Nutrien Nutrition & Health, a food and nutrition consulting agency. She has been a professor at several prestigious universities at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Mexico, including UANL and Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. She was President of the International Affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAAND), Country Representative of Mexico, and Country Representative Chair from the same organization. She was LAHIDAN Nominating Committee-Chai, LAHIDAN Chair, and currently, she is the LAHIDAN Delegate at the Academy´s House of Delegates 2022-2025. In 2015, she was honored with the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award from IAAND and the Excellence in Professional Development Award by The Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. She is an international speaker and her main research interests are public health nutrition and food nutrition policy as well as childhood obesity prevention.

Sponsorship Committee Chair

Sandra D. Castellano, RD/LDN

Sandra is a registered and licensed dietitian who has worked in a variety of setting such as clinical nutrition, food service management, wellness and as well as an entrepreneur. She graduated from Miami Dade College with an Associate degree in Arts where she found her passion for nutrition, and she continued to get her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. Sandra is currently the Clinical Nutrition Manager with Aramark and is the co-founders of Nutrition Consultants on Demand, an online practice that provides bilingual nutrition expertise in a variety of services and settings focusing on our Hispanic communities.

Sandra was born in Chile and moved with her parents and brothers to US as a teenager. She now lives in sunny South Florida with her family. She has been actively involved and volunteered in her church ministries, local non-profit organizations as well in her local professional groups in various positions. In her free time, Sandra enjoys cooking, baking, swimming and walks on the beach with her husband. Also, she enjoys travelling with her family to experience the beauty of each destination and taste all the delicious meals around the world.

Committee Chair

Kathleen Castrejon, RD, LDN

Kathleen (Kathy) is a first-generation Mexican-American Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. She is currently working with the eating disorder patient population and anyone wanting to have a better relationship with food and their body at a private practice in Chicago, IL. With an Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size Approach, Kathy strives to help her clients have a healthier relationship with food and reach optimal health. Kathy is very passionate about encouraging her clients to eat traditional foods.

On her free time Kathy  enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and Kathy  trying new foods specifically mariscos!

Kathy received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Dominican University, located in River Forest, IL, in 2018. She completed her Dietetic Internship through the University of Chicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital in 2019.

Website Coordinator 

Lorena Martinez, MS Student 

Lorena Martinez is a dedicated graduate student currently pursuing her master’s in human nutrition and Dietetics at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. With a keen interest in community nutrition, Lorena advocates for disease prevention through lifestyle and dietary changes. Her experience spans across the United States to Africa, where she has worked tirelessly to identify and tackle barriers hindering access to adequate nutrition. Lorena's unique blend of skills includes business management, leadership, community outreach, and food service management. 

Through her work, Lorena aims to bridge the gap between communities and their access to adequate nutrition. Her overarching mission is to utilize her specialized knowledge and experiences to inspire healthier communities and champion nutrition as a basic human right. In every initiative she undertakes, Lorena is guided by the belief that informed dietary choices and sustainable lifestyle changes can make a significant impact on public health.  

Outside her professional commitments, Lorena enjoys traveling, working out, spending time with family and being a foodie.  

Newsletter Editor

Alejandra Amezola

Alejandra Amezola holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics and Food Administration from California State University, Fresno. Alejandra is a Leadership Council Member for the Student/Trainee section for ASPEN. She is currently working on completing a combined dietetic internship and master’s degree program at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

Assistant Newsletter Editor 

Annie Rojas

Social Media Coordinator 

Erica Nunez Perez

Committee Chair

Erika Garcia-VillatoroPhD

Erika completed her doctoral studies in Nutrition at Texas A&M University where she investigated the role of dietary compounds capable to activate nuclear receptors such as the estrogen and the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, to reduce colon inflammation and colorectal cancer. She is currently completing her supervised practice to become a Registered Dietitian (RDN) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the United States. After completing her dietetic internship, Erika will pursue a career in clinical research and healthcare. She strives to be an active member of the community by supporting the resolution of current and long-standing nutrition challenges through public policy, advocacy, and research.

Committee Co-Chair

Committee Chair

Committee Chair

Valentina Paez, MS Student

Valentina is a first-generation immigrant, originally from Colombia. She has received her BS in Dietetics from the University of Florida and is currently pursuing her MS in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Georgia with an emphasis in sports nutrition, dietary supplementation, and pediatrics. During this degree, she assists Dr. Sina Gallo in research on vitamin D inadequacy in infants and mothers, which coincides with her thesis focusing on the vitamin D status of predominantly low-income Hispanic infants. Her passion for aiding underprivileged communities can be seen not only through her engagement with the Hispanic communities in Athens, but also as far away as Ghana, where she has been involved in a service-learning and volunteer program, assisting the hospitals and communities in malnutrition. This enthusiasm can be attributed to her family-oriented personality and the struggles she has borne first-hand witness to from her experiences coming from Colombia to the United States.

On top of currently pursuing her official RD certification through the KADDI internship program, she spends her time researching the latest supplementation trends for a supplements company and is a teacher’s assistant for the micronutrients course at UGA. And even amongst all of this, she still relishes the opportunity to volunteer her time with the sports teams at UGA to help athletes understand the benefits and risks of dietary supplementation. She has proven to be indefatigable and insistent on pursuing her dreams of traveling the world to experience the numerous ways different cultures prepare their food and leaving her impact on the nutrition practices among the communities that do not have the knowledge or access that most are used to. 

Committee Coordinator

Vacant

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Liaison

Nancy Correa-Matos, PhD, RD, LDN

Nancy J. Correa-Matos, PhD, RD, LND is an Associate Professor in the Nutrition and Dietetics Program at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She received her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. As a member of LAHIDAN, she collaborated in the Nominating Committee and the Mentorship program. She has many peer-reviewed publications and authored book chapters in nutrition and chronic diseases. She is a co-author in the book “Latino Food Lover’s Glossary”. With more than 30 years of experience as a clinical dietitian, teacher and researcher, her work has been focused in the relationship between dietary fiber and the prevention of childhood obesity in Latinos.

Policy Advocacy Leader

Andie Lee Gonzalez, PhD, MPH, RDN, LD, FAND

Dr. Andie Lee Gonzalez is a native to South Texas. Currently, she is a Pediatric Medical Science Liaison for Abbott Nutrition. As a first-generation Latina college student, she was accepted to Michigan State University through the College Assistant Migrant Program where she received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. She then completed her Dietetic internship rotation program and her Master’s in Public Health from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She then completed her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2018 and in 2019 completed a certificate in Business Analytics from Michigan State University. Through her experiences Andie has developed a strong purpose and passion for public health, community, and nutrition. In addition, she is a PRN Registered Dietitian at Complete Nutrition Solutions and teaches at South Texas College department of Medical and Health Services Management.

In her spare time, her joy is spending time with her husband Ricardo, daughter Aolani, son Arturo, and extended family. She is a highly motivated Latina who values family, hard work, and serving others.