June 2025 - President’s Message and Member Feature
Hi ArAND Members,
I hope this message finds you well and thriving in your work, whether you are in the clinic, classroom, kitchen, home, or community. I am honored to serve as your president this year, and I look forward to growing our profession together.
This month, I have been reflecting on the theme of “the power of connection.”
As nutrition and dietetics professionals, we know the importance of building trust and relationships, not only with our patients and clients but also within our professional community. Whether we are mentoring students, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, or advocating for healthier food policies, our impact grows when we stay connected. This June, I encourage you to reach out, reconnect, and re-engage. For those I was able to connect with at our recent BOD meeting, and for those who were unable to attend, thank you for being present and willing to serve the great people of Arkansas!
ArAND Updates and Opportunities
Call for Volunteers: We are seeking members to serve on the Public Policy Committee. If you are passionate about advocacy or want to learn more, we would love your voice at the table. We do have a couple of positions available outside of public policy, so please let us know if you are interested!
Advocacy Update: Thanks to your support, our team has secured funding and a venue for ArAND AME 2026. We are excited to host another great conference for all dietitians, nutrition professionals and students during the Spring of 2026!
• Member Spotlight: Congratulations to our largest group of students joining the board this year. Megan Bailey, Sydney Gambelin, Katelynn Westfall-Gallegos, and Mackenzie Fresneda. We are thrilled that they have followed their desire to serve the people of Arkansas and look forward to hearing from them throughout this year.
Looking Ahead
Do not forget to mark your calendars for FNCE coming to Nashville TN this October! More details about ways to connect are coming soon—but we are expecting to have a social at FNCE with ArAND members who are able to attend.
Thank you for all you do to champion health and nutrition in our state. Each of you plays a vital role in improving lives across Arkansas, and I am grateful to be on this journey with you. If you have ideas, feedback, or just want to connect, I would love to hear from you.
Warmly,
Ethan Baldridge, MS, RDN, LD
President, Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
June 2025 Member Spotlight - Alyssa Frisby, MS, RDN, LD
One of the smartest moves I made as a future dietitian was taking the advice to join the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and get active in our state affiliate. In 2019, I joined the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ board in the social media coordinator role, and for the last couple of years I have served as the webmaster, putting together this newsletter and redesigning and maintaining our website. I got involved early at the national level through the Student Advisory Committee and later the Early Career Nutrition Outreach Committee, where I met mentors and made connections, and I’m currently finding real support as I figure out my path. Now, serving on the Foundation Board, I see firsthand how much the Academy pours into its members by supporting education, public health, and the future of our profession.
My internship match days aren’t far behind me so I can’t leave out that being a member and volunteering are great resume builders. There is so much more to it though, and I feel like I’ve been given a community and a sense of purpose. Like many other dietitians, I have found so much value in being a member of various dietetic practice groups. I don’t know too many dietitians who have a background in media communications and are pursuing a culinary arts degree, but the Dietitians in Business and Communications DPG and the Food and Culinary Professionals DPG have been great resources for connecting to dietitians across the country.
I have made lifelong friendships and gained some pretty amazing mentors as a member of both the national Academy and the state affiliate. If you’ve had a positive experience too, I hope you’ll share that with others. Talk to students, interns, and coworkers who aren’t yet members. Sometimes they just need to hear how it’s helped someone else.
At our recent board orientation, we shared a common goal: to better connect members and non-members across Arkansas and to offer meaningful mentorship and support to students and early career professionals. I’m hopeful we’ll see more meetups, more continuing education opportunities, and more chances to build relationships with the incredible nutrition professionals and future RDNs in our state. Our profession is stronger when we show up for one another.
