2012 LAHIDAN Distinguished Trinko Service Award
Malena Perdomo, MS, RD,CDE
Malena is originally from Panama but Lives in Denver, CO with her family. She is a graduate of Florida State University-Panama Canal Branch and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and earned a master's degree from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Malena is a nutrition consultant and adjunct professor of nutrition at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and teaches the food and culture class for the nutrition program. She is also a certified diabetes educator whose work includes counseling families and groups about lifestyle changes and she collaborates in community-based participatory research programs teaching nutrition to the Hispanic community of Denver. She also develops consumer oriented print and video materials on general nutrition, diabetes, and other topics directed toward Latinos. Malena is a well-known registered dietitian on Spanish television and radio as well as in the Hispanic community in Colorado. She is the dietitian of the Colorado Spanish TV health show Los Secretos de Maya that airs in Telemundo Colorado every Saturday morning. The recipes from this television show have been compiled in a cookbook titled Los Secretos de Maya. Malena is a coauthor of this Latin cookbook published by The American Cancer Society. Malena also has a Spanish column "Port u Salud" in Viva Colorado a bilingual newspaper from The Denver Post. She is also the "LiveWell Colorado Nutricionista "for the LiveWell Colorado campaign for Latinos. She appears on radio and TV shows on behalf of LiveWell Colorado and has a Facebook fan page to reach the online community through social media to guide families on eating right and maintaining physical activity. Malena served as the Latino Nutrition Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics from 2005 until 2011 and is Past Chair of LAHIDAN.
2012 Student FNCE® Scholarship Recipient
Andie Gonzalez
She is a native of south Texas, where two loving and supportive Latino parents raised her. She completed her BS in dietetics, MS in public Health (with an emphasis in nutrition), and dietetic internship at Michigan state university College of Human Medicine. Andie has developed a strong passion for community nutrition. She has found that working toward improving a community’s health and well-being is an incredibly fulfilling responsibility. Andie has had a range of diverse occupational experiences. She has worked in academia (6+ years in migrant and seasonal farmworker community research) addressing different populations (adults, children, women), served in national public health service (HealthCorps at Nuestra Clinica Del Valle), gained management experience (foodservice supervisor for AL!VE Wellness Center and Outreach Coordinator for project puente), and provided clinical nutrition services (Hayes green Beach Hospital).