CHICAGO (July 10, 2018) – FoodMinds, a nutrition consulting agency and a division of Padilla, is pleased to announce the inaugural year of upwaRD™ – a recognition program that showcases registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) in the initial stages of their careers who have already made significant contributions in the food and nutrition field.
Whether locally, nationally or globally, RDNs work hard to educate people on healthy choices. With more than 20 RDNs on staff, in varying stage of their careers, FoodMinds understands the key role these health professionals play in changing the way consumers view, think and talk about food, and this program will help honor these achievements. We’d like to honor those who have kick-started their careers by making a unique impact on their communities.
“The nutrition landscape is constantly evolving, and dietitians are challenged with finding innovative ways to keep up and make a difference among those they counsel daily,” said Laura Cubillos, RDN, executive vice president and co-founder of FoodMinds. “We were inspired to create upwaRD™ to recognize up-and-comers who are navigating this challenging environment and making positive contributions in the food and nutrition community.”
FoodMinds has partnered with three seasoned industry experts to judge the nominations:
- Amy Gorin, MS, RDN – Amy is a nationally recognized nutrition expert and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York area. She has completed and written more than 1,000 media interviews and freelance articles for top-tier publications. She also co-runs Master the Media, a media training e-course for registered dietitians.
- Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, LDN, CPT – Sylvia is an award-winning author and global nutrition entrepreneur. She is the founder of Hispanic Food Communications, a nutrition communications and culinary consulting company. She is a primary resource for news media and serves on several food and nutrition boards.
- Jonathan Valdez, MBA, RDN, CSG, CDN, CCM, ACE-CPT – Jonathan is the owner of Genki Nutrition as well as the food director for Guild Magazine and the dietitian for Telehealth Dietitian. He is a certified personal trainer and board-certified specialist in gerontological nutrition.
upwaRD™ nominations are being accepted through August 15, 2018 and five winners will be announced at a FoodMinds event in October in Washington, D.C. Each winner will be awarded a $500 prize to use toward furthering their career and/or continuing nutrition education. For more information on upwaRD™ qualifications, visit here.
About FoodMinds
FoodMinds is a division of Padilla, which O’Dwyer’s ranks No. 3 in Food and Beverage among independent agencies. Padilla is proud of the 85 U.S. public relations awards it earned in 2017. With offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, Richmond, and Minneapolis, and a growing global footprint, FoodMinds expertly navigates science, public affairs, consumer values, and communication to create breakthrough strategies and help clients tell a better story. FoodMinds is the only agency with more than 20 registered dietitians and a chief science officer on staff, along with a global network of nutrition affairs experts. For more information visit FoodMinds.com.
About Padilla
Padilla is a top 10 independent public relations and communication company comprised of 210 employee-owners. Padilla builds, grows and protects brands and reputations worldwide by creating purposeful connections with the people who matter most through public relations, advertising, digital and social marketing, investor relations and brand strategy. Padilla includes the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds and the research authorities at SMS. Clients include 3M, Barnes & Noble College, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Haas Avocado Board, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, the Virginia Lottery and Welch’s. Padilla is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 143 independently owned partner offices in 115 cities on six continents. Make a connection at PadillaCo.com.