Newswise — The American Dietetic Association presented its prestigious 2011 Medallion Awards to eight members in recognition of their outstanding service and leadership to ADA and the dietetics profession. Medallion Awards have been given each year since 1976. The winners received their awards at an Honors Breakfast on Sunday, September 25, during ADA’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, September 24-27 in San Diego, Calif.

ADA’s 2011 Medallion Award recipients are:

Ellen J. Coleman, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD, Riverside, Calif.Coleman has been a practicing sports dietitian and exercise physiologist for more than 30 years and a member of ADA since 1978. Coleman is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and a certified program director for the American College of Sports Medicine. Her contributions to the dietetics profession include books, chapters, continuing education courses and the publication of more than 300 scholarly articles. Coleman is the author of Eating for Endurance (Bull Publishing Company 2003), which is in its fourth edition and considered one of the best nutrition resources available for endurance athletes. Coleman is a past chair of ADA’s Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition dietetic practice group and a nutrition consultant for professional baseball, basketball and hockey teams as well as the SPORT clinic. She is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University and received master’s degrees from the University of California – Davis and Loma Linda University.

Linda M. Delahanty, MS, RD, Boston, Mass.Delahanty is an authority on diabetes management and prevention. An ADA member since 1980, Delahanty is an instructor at Harvard Medical School and chief dietitian and director of nutrition and behavioral research at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Diabetes Center. Delahanty served as a member and as chair of ADA’s Research Committee and served in ADA’s House of Delegates. She has also served on the editorial boards of Diabetes Forecast, Diabetes Spectrum and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. She has been a co-investigator in four NIH-funded multi-center clinical trials. Delahanty was chair of the Dietitians Committee for the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and was one of the architects of the lifestyle interventions for the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, the Diabetes Prevention Program, Look AHEAD and the TODAY study. Delahanty is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and received a master’s degree from Boston University.

Karen P. Lacey, MS, RD, CD, Green Bay, Wis. An ADA member since 1968, Lacey is a recognized authority on dietetics education. As the director of the dietetics program and internship at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, Lacey envisioned and implemented a standardized nutrition care process and spearheaded the NCP into a formal, universally accepted practice. Lacey has served as program reviewer for ADA’s Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education since 2002. She is a former member of ADA’s House of Delegates and past chair of ADA’s Quality Management Committee. She currently serves on ADA’s Association Position Committee and is president of the Wisconsin Dietetic Association. As co-investigator since 2007 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Collaborative Grant for Increasing Public Health Opportunities for Dietetic Students, Lacey continues her passion for supporting the strong future of dietetics education. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University, completed a dietetic internship at the University of Michigan Hospital and received a master’s degree from Mount Mary College.

Beth Leonberg, MS, MA, RD, CSP, FADA, CNSD, LDN, Pipersville, Pa.Leonberg, a member of ADA since 1984, is widely known for her work in pediatric nutrition. She is an active member of ADA’s Pediatric Nutrition dietetic practice group and was the group’s chair in 2001-2002. Leonberg is a past member of ADA’s Board of Directors and the Commission on Dietetic Registration. She has demonstrated her influence in the field of pediatric nutrition by authoring 13 publications and contributing to more than 20 others, including ADA’s Guide to Pediatric Nutrition Assessment and as editor-in-chief of ADA’s Pediatric Nutrition Care Manual. Leonberg also guided the development of ADA’s first online pediatric manual, which was released in 2010. Leonberg is a graduate of Bucknell University and received master’s degrees from Colorado State University and Rowan College of New Jersey. Penny E. McConnell, MS, RD, SNS, Vienna, Va.McConnell has been an ADA member since 1969. A pioneer in the field of child nutrition, McConnell is the director of the food and nutrition services program for Fairfax County Public Schools, Va., one of the largest school nutrition programs in the United States. She serves on the board of directors for the Global Child Nutrition Foundation; was a charter member and chair of ADA’s School Nutrition Services dietetic practice group; a member of the Food and Culinary Professionals DPG; and was instrumental in forming the Northern Virginia District Dietetic Association. McConnell is a past president of the Virginia Dietetic Association and School Nutrition Association; served on and chaired ADA’s Commission on Dietetic Registration; and served in ADA’s House of Delegates. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and earned a master’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Katherine O. Musgrave, MS, RD, LD, DSc, Orono, MaineA professor emerita of food and nutrition at the University of Maine, Musgrave is a renowned leader in the dietetics profession. A member of ADA since 1942, she continues to teach an online introductory nutrition course and mentors students and practitioners throughout their careers, 25 years after her official retirement. Musgrave has published and presented dozens of scientific papers and served twice as president of the Maine Dietetic Association: in 1973-1974 and 2006-2007. Musgrave received an honorary doctorate from the University of Maine in 2006 and was named to the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011. The Maine Nutrition Council established an award in her name to recognize outstanding food and nutrition practitioners and professionals. Musgrave is a graduate of Maryville College and Vanderbilt University and received a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University.

Janet J. Skates, MS, RD, LDN, FADA, Kingsport, Tenn.A member of ADA for 30 years, Skates is a nutrition consultant providing services primarily to businesses and industry. She has more than 25 years of experience providing and directing nutrition services in a large medical center, serving as an advanced-level practitioner in metabolic support, neonatal and pediatric nutrition, and as department director responsible for clinical care provided by registered dietitians and nurse specialists. She served on the Commission of Dietetic Registration, as a member of ADA’s House of Delegates and as president of the Tennessee and Tri-Cities District dietetics associations. Skates chaired ADA’s Scope of Dietetics Practice Framework Committee and CDR’s Exam and Appeals Panels; co-chaired ADA’s Practice Definitions Task Force and was a member of ADA’s Quality Management and Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo Program Planning committees. Skates received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee.

Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, Chicago, Ill.A member of ADA since 1972, Van Horn is a professor of preventive medicine and associate dean for faculty development at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association since 2003 and chaired the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Van Horn is a principal investigator for the landmark Women’s Health Initiative – the nation’s largest controlled study of the effects of dietary change on the health of postmenopausal women – and chaired the initiative’s Nutrition Advisory Committee for five years. Her current research focuses on preventing childhood obesity and educating children, families and medical students on how to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Van Horn is a graduate of Purdue University. She received a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate from the University of Illinois – Chicago.

The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.