On Saturday, September 9, 2023, our Executive Director, Carrie Der Garabedian unexpectedly passed away. She was not just our colleague but a good friend to many of us – from the Executive Board to student volunteers. One of the things we will miss most about Carrie is her passion and dedication to the profession. She was a dietitian for 40 years and actively involved at both the district and state level. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Carrie served on the CA Academy Executive Board as the Secretary-Treasurer and was previously the President of the Central Valley District. She played an active role in CA Academy’s advocacy work and served as the Central Valley District’s Public Policy Coordinator and Legislative Ambassador. Carrie was also the Director of

Nutrition Services at Fresno’s Community Behavioral Health Center and Community Subacute and Transitional Care Center and Director of Nutrition Services at Madera Community Hospital. Carrie was the recipient of the CA Academy Crystal Award and Carol Hayes Torio Excellence in Management, which honored her work in volunteerism and hospital food management, respectively. One of Carrie’s closest friends described her as the “the light of the CA Academy.” She had such a kind soul and always offered a helping hand to members, districts, regions, CA Academy Foundation, and Executive Board. She truly was the backbone of the organization from soliciting vendors for our annual conference to setting up rotations for dietetic interns.

Outside of work, Carrie enjoyed spending time making jewelry, playing with her beloved dogs, Moose and Mocha, and attending her weekly Bible studies class. Her favorite color was purple, and she loved floral patterns. Often times, you could see Carrie wearing a purple flower in her hair with big dangly earrings, that she designed, and a big smile on her face. The CA Academy will never be the same without you, Carrie. We miss you dearly and hope we can continue shining the light that you started.

THE CARRIE DER GARABEDIAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

To honor Carrie, the CA Academy and CA Academy Foundation will start a scholarship in her name. We will share additional details of the scholarship in the upcoming weeks.

Nominations for the CA Academy 2024 Ballot are now open!  We are seeking dedicated members to run for CA Academy elected officer positions, which includes the Executive Board. This is a unique opportunity to gain leadership experience, build facilitation and communication skills, network with other members, and give back to the profession. 

The following positions are open and will begin June 1, 2024. Please visit our Leadership Nomination page for more details and qualifications for each position: 

• President-Elect 
• Secretary-Treasurer 
• Vice President, Membership Benefits & Services
• Vice President, Public Policy 
• Delegate (1 position open)
• Nominating Committee (3 positions open)

Members are welcome to nominate themselves! The deadline to apply is Friday, October 13, 2023 at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time.

The House of Delegates (HOD) is soliciting input on Critical Issues facing the dietetic profession, from which the HOD will then research and provide recommendations to the Academy and its organizational units. Please consider submitting any topics you feel passionate about! The HOD encourages you to be thoughtful and when possible, to provide links to resources or findings that will help them evaluate your suggestion. You can always reach out to your CA delegate with any questions at delegate@dietitian.org.