Summer 2025 Newsletter

Hello MS-AND Members!

 It is both an honor and a privilege to serve as your 2025–2026 President of the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I’m excited to lead alongside a dedicated board of professionals who are deeply committed to supporting our members and advancing the field of nutrition and dietetics across Mississippi.

 As we begin this new board year, our focus is clear: to amplify the collective voice of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in our state, strengthen our professional and personal connections, and reconnect with the purpose that brought us to this work—our “why.”

 Regardless of your role—whether you are a student, technician, practitioner, manager, educator, researcher, consultant, or retiree (and the list goes on)—your contributions and presence matter.

 This year, our key areas of focus include:

• Rebuilding Connections – Reengaging and reconnecting with members across all regions to foster stronger relationships and a more unified community. 
• Member Engagement – Creating inclusive opportunities for professional development, networking, and leadership that reflect the diverse needs and interests of our membership. 
• Strategic Planning – Developing a long-term strategic plan that aligns with our mission and vision, and that positions MS-AND for sustainable growth and impact. 

We encourage your involvement—whether by attending events, sharing your ideas, volunteering your time, or simply staying connected. MS-AND thrives because of you! Your energy, your voice, and your commitment are invaluable.

Looking forward to a year filled with collaboration, renewed purpose, and collective success!

FNCE Discount with Membership Sign-up

Registration for the 2025 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo^® is open. Register by August 26 to get the early bird rates! Click here for attendee and registration information.

 October 11-14, 2025

Music City Center
201 Rep. John Lewis Way S
Nashville, TN 37203

 New in 2025: Joining Member is for full conference registration only and includes the option to become an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) member, if qualified, at a discounted member price which is included in the FNCE® rate.

Ceremonial Signing of the Compact Licensure Act

On June 26^th Governor Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2664, Dietitian Licensure Compact into state law. He originally approved the bill on March 21, 2025.

 Mississippi became the seventh state to create compact licensure for dietitians. This was a significant landmark in the process of creating the compact: seven states had to pass this legislation for the compact to become active.

 Thank you to all the dietitians, students, family members, friends, and colleagues who helped us to support this legislation over the past two years. As of July 1, 2025 there are 14 states who have passed compact legislation: 

• Mississippi
• Alabama
• Tennessee
• Arkansas
• Ohio
• Iowa
• Rhode Island
• Oklahoma
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• South Dakota
• North Dakota
• Montana
• Utah 

Congratulations to the 2025 MS-AND Award Winners

Mississippi leaders in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics were honored at our 2025 Annual Meeting in Cleveland, MS. 

• Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award: Ashley Harris, MS, RD, SNS
• Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award (Gulf Coast Region): Ambrea Davis, RD
• Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award (Central Region) Betsy Pennington, MS, RD, LD
• Educator of the Year: Melinda Valliant, PhD, RD, LD
• Outstanding Dietetics Student Award: Colton Maslanka
• Outstanding Dietetics Student Award: Tammy Allen, MPH
• Magnolia Award Recipient: Whitney Herring, MD, MPH

 Two of the participants were not able to attend the 2025 Annual Conference, Ashely Harris and Betsy Pennington. Their awards were presented at the 2025 Mississippi Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition State Conference.

Dietitians Giving Hope at Hope Lodge

In 2024 three metro Jackson registered dietitian nutritionists, Michaela Gibbs, Danielle Viljoen, and Matthew Gray, started a charitable organization: Dietitians for Healing Creations (D4HC). This organization preps nutritionally balanced meals for cancer patients and their care takers who live at the Gertrude C. Ford Hope Lodge – Jackson, MS during treatments.

 The D4HC team and other volunteers held a prep day on June 21^st at the Hope Lodge where they prepared a variety of breakfast items, chicken spaghetti, hand held chicken pot pies, macaroni and cheese, minestrone soup, and peach cobbler. A total of 240 meals were portioned in individual containers and frozen for Hope Lodge residents to enjoy.

 The next prep day D4HC will be Saturday, September 20. You can follow D4HC on Instagram @healingcrationsrd or see the posts on our social media accounts (@eatrightms on Instagram, Facebook, and X or “Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics” on LinkedIn).

What Compact Licensure Means for Mississippi Dietitians

The Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Council for State Government, the United States Department of Defense, and the Mississippi State Department of Health, to help pass compact licensure in Mississippi. MS-AND is also appreciative to the many dietitians, students, family members, friends, and partners who collaborated in the efforts to get this legislation passed over the last two years. This legislation creates benefits for licensed dietitians who live in Mississippi, as well as licensed dietitians who live in other states that have passed similar legislation. Here’s what that means:

 The compact licensure law passed both houses of the Mississippi legislature and was approved by the governor in the 2025 legislative session.

• This law will create an interstate compact between all states that have the same law (similar to how our drivers licensee is an interstate compact and allows us to drive between different states without getting a different drivers license).
• The current status of this process is: the compact legislation has now passed in 14 states (as of 7/1/2025), seven states were needed for the compact commission to be created.
• Each state will appoint a commission to serve as their representative on the compact commission. In Mississippi, our licenses are through the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Licensure. A member of that staff will serve as the dietitian representative. These staff members already serve as representatives on other professional compact commissions, so they are familiar with the process. Thes staff members stay in communication with the board of the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and they coordinate the meetings of the Dietitian Advisory Council.
• This Fall, an inaugural commission will  meet to elect committees, appoint officers and approve initial bylaw and rulemaking processes.
• The creation of the compact data system will begin after the inaugural meeting of the Dietitian Compact Commission. This data system will allow member states to communicate licensure information between each other as well as with the compact commission.
• There are states that do not have licensure or certification laws related to the dietetics profession: California, Colorado, Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona. However, there is work going on in all five of those states to pass licensure or certification laws.

 Mississippi is a state that tends to be friendly to compact licensure. Other health care professions who have compact licensure in Mississippi include: doctors, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, EMS, counseling, and speech language pathology. Social workers as well as dentists and dental hygienist are also working on compact licensure for their respective professions. 

 MS-AND will continue to provide updates on the compact licensure process. We also will visit the MS-AND regions this fall and winter to give more updates. Please visit https://dietitianscompact.org/ for more information on compact licensure for dietitians.