DDA Board of Directors

Governance Committee

President

Leisa Arft, RD, LD, UZIT

Leisa Arft is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian based in Boulder, Colorado. Leisa has a strong healthcare and healthcare technology background. Her extensive knowledge in patient experience and Telehealth make her a subject matter expert in the future of patient engagement and healthcare technology in nutrition.

Leisa holds a BS in Integrative Sciences with a Minor in Nutrition and Health from Oakland University and a second BS in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Metropolitan State University of Denver. She completed Aramark’s Distance Dietetic Internship at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction with an emphasis on leadership and emerging trends in nutrition. Leisa moved back to the North Denver area where she became the Clinical Nutrition Manager at a local community-based hospital in Boulder. 

In 2017, Leisa began working for a start-up Telehealth company, supporting many roles from product marketing, development and sales. In 2019, OTTO Health was acquired by NextGen Healthcare and currently Leisa supports as a Senior Manager of Solutions and Product Marketing on the Patient Experience team. 

Leisa is also a Certified Urban Zen Integrative Therapist and Certified Yoga Nidra Teacher providing classes and education on self-care to healthcare workers, former patients, family and friends in the community.  With a hippie heart and medical mind, she continues to explore science and spirit through movement and meditation. Leisa is an avid yogi, Reiki healer, dog mom, plant lover and lifelong student. She loves to garden, cook, and get her hands dirty in every way food.

Past President

Katie Painter, MS, RDN

Katie was born and raised in Colorado. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she obtained both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Nutrition and Health Sciences. During this time, Katie also achieved a minor in Business Administration and a certificate in Transdisciplinary Childhood Obesity Prevention. Katie completed her Dietetic Internship at Tri-County Health Department and now works as the Clinical Nutrition Instructor for Metropolitan State University of Denver. She also works PRN for The Medical Center of Aurora and Rocky Mountain Pediatric Gastroenterology. Prior to becoming President of the Denver Dietetic Association, she served on the board of directors as a member of the PR/Social Media Committee and President-Elect. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, hiking, gardening, and traveling.

Nominating Committee Chair

Hannah Brown, RDN

Hannah is a Clinical Dietitian at the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center who received her BS in Nutrition and Dietetics from Auburn University and a MS in Kinesiology and Health from Miami University, where she also completed her dietetic internship. 

Her dietetic background includes experience with eating disorders, pediatrics, cystic fibrosis, and now weight management. She is a Colorado native and an avid lover of college football and basketball. In her free time, she enjoys hobbies such as cooking, reading, cycling, and running. 

Nominating Committee

Emily Hunt

Regulatory Chair

Meeting Planning Committee

President Elect

(position is open)

Meeting Planning Chair

Timi Grulke, RD

Timi Grulke is a Registered Dietitian based in Castle Rock, Colorado. She has a BS in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Metropolitan State University in Denver, and completed her Dietetic Internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

She values a “whole food” approach to nutrition, with emphasis on cognitive behavior therapy and repairing the relationship between food, body and mind. Timi is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Denver Dietetic Association and is always looking for ways to give back to the community. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping in the beautiful Colorado mountains, capturing fleeting moments with portrait photography, and taking every opportunity to learn about and appreciate this big and complicated world we live in.

Meeting Planning Committee

Hilary Argyle, RDN

Membership Committee

Secretary

Stephanie Neu, RDN

Stephanie Neu is a clinical Dietitian at The Medical Center of Aurora and is currently attending Colorado State University pursuing a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition. This is her second year on the board of directors under the role of secretary. She completed her undergraduate degree and her Dietetic internship at MSU Denver. Stephanie enjoys traveling, especially internationally; is a Colorado native; and she’s a firm believer in “a cookie a day keeps the doctor away.” 

Membership Chair

(position is open)

Membership Committee

Abby Bural

Diet Tech Representative

Julie Morse, DTR

Julie Morse is a Dietetic Technician Registered at Rose Medical Center. This is her fifth year on the board of directors under the role of DTR representative. She completed her undergraduate degree at Johnson & Wales University. She volunteers at Brent’s Place cooking nutritious meals for the families of children with cancer.  She enjoys the process of preparing the menus meeting the nutritional guidelines, such as gluten free and food allergies, provided to her by the staff at Brent’s Place. Julie recently got a new car, drove down pikes peak, and spent labor day in Angel Fire, NM.

Metropolitan State University of Denver Student Representative

Maria Kasatkina

Public Relations

PR/Social Media Chair

Tessa Cushman, RDN

Tessa is serving her third year on the board of directors, this year on the Diversity Action Committee and as PR/Social Media Chair. She is a Public Health Dietitian and Diabetes Educator at Tri-County Health Department after completing her internship there in 2020. She completed her DPD program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is also a mentor with Diversify Dietetics. In her free time, she enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, backpacking, climbing, and snowboarding.

PR/Social Media Committee

Grace Burns

Speaker's Bureau Chair 

Taylor Schueth, RDN

Taylor Schueth is a Registered Dietitian at Vibra Rehabilitation Hospital of Denver & Vibra Hospital of Denver. She completed her undergraduate degree in dietetics at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed her clinical-focused dietetic internship at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. In her free time, Taylor enjoys teaching cycle classes at High Ride Cycle and loves being in the Colorado outdoors with her fiancé and goldendoodle. This is her first year on the board of directors.

Website Chair

Karina Montero

Karina is a current student at Metropolitan State University of Denver pursuing her bachelor's degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and will be doing her dietetic internship at Metropolitan State University as well. She hopes to pursue a masters in public health nutrition post-internship and hopes to work in the nutrition education and counseling realm. In her free time she is snuggling her cat, hiking, or cross stitching. This is her second year on the board of directors.

Historian

Melissa Lanes, MS, RDN, CSCS,CHES

Melissa Lanes is a registered dietitian and research assistant at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Florida, and completed her dietetic internship at Meredith College in Raleigh. Melissa's hobbies include skiing, cooking, traveling, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and practicing yoga.

Volunteer Coordinator

Martha Prisby

Volunteer Committee

Chelsea Wisch

Chelsea Wisch is a senior nutrition major at MSU Denver. This is her second year to the board of directors under the role of MSU Student representative. She works over night at King Soopers, stocking shelves and listing to her school lectures while she works. Chelsea is an undergraduate nutrition intern at the Health Center on MSU camps and in the spring, she will be a TA for Medical Nutrition Therapy. She is also working on a grant project with a professor at MSU, to create a rooftop garden on top of the newly remolded Health center. Chelsea is a long distance runner and races in 2-3 half marathons a year. She would love to do a full marathon at least once in her life. She is obsessed with her dogs. She has a corgi named, Pancake, who is pictured in her head shot. He is her heart. Chelsea loves the outdoors. You can usually find her trail running, hiking, or camping in the mountains.

Financial Committee

Treasurer

(position is open)

Fundraising Committee Chair

Brenda Reddy

Brenda Reddy is attending Metropolitan State University of Denver (class of 2021); dually enrolled in Nutrition Science and Human Nutrition-Dietetics. Brenda is a transplant from Philadelphia. This is her first year on the board of directors under the role of Fundraising Committee Chair. She is working as a CNA and a yoga teacher while in school. In her precious little spare time, she loves CrossFit, cycling, and hiking the beautiful mountains in Colorado!

Fundraising Committee

Detrick Snyder, MPH, RDN

Diversity Committee

Diversity Committee Co-chair

Alyssa Thomas, MPH, RDN

Alyssa is a registered dietitian. This is her first year on the board of director’s Diversity Committee. She plans to apply for jobs in public health nutrition. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University as well as a master’s degree from the Colorado School of Public Health. This summer, she completed her dietetic internship at Tri-County Health Department. Alyssa is passionate about breastfeeding and working to mitigate and eliminate nutritional health disparities. In her free time, you’ll find her baking, enjoying friends and family, and taking advantage of the Colorado outdoors year-round (of course!).

Diversity Committee Co-chair

Braelen Hunt, RD

Braelen Hunt is a Clinical Dietitian at the Medical Center of Aurora. This is her second year on the board of directors serving as the Diversity Action Committee Co-Chair. Braelen completed a coordinated program in dietetics at Arkansas State University and is the 2018 Truman Scholar for Arkansas. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Public Health and Leadership. In her spare time, Braelen is a volunteer for the Dumb Friends League and is a frequent patron of the local farmer’s markets.