mikayla king, MPH, RDN, LDN
President
Clinical Dietitian at CHI Memorial and Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Mikayla is currently in her third year on the board of the Chattanooga Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is serving her inaugural year as President. Her leadership journey began as the Student Representative while she was pursuing her MPH at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, followed by a term as Secretary. As President, Mikayla is dedicated to strengthening the chapter by enhancing student and early-career involvement, with a focus on mentorship and creating an environment where the next generation of dietitians can flourish.
A proud graduate of the University of Georgia, she takes every opportunity to highlight her Alma mater. It was at UGA that her fascination with nutrition first developed. What began as simple curiosity transformed into a profound appreciation for nutrition’s impact on individual health and broader public well-being. This passion grew during her MPH program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she served as a graduate assistant on a Tennessee Department of Health grant. In this role, she contributed to the design of continuing education modules and training materials aimed at integrating nutrition into public health practice—an experience that reinforced her commitment to community-focused work and collaborative learning. Following her graduation, she launched her career as a dietitian in the clinical setting, specializing in acute care. Mikayla currently works as a clinical dietitian at CHI Memorial and holds a position as an adjunct professor at UTC.
With a robust background in clinical nutrition and public health, Mikayla aims to cultivate CAND into a vibrant and inclusive chapter that fosters innovation, connection, and leadership at all levels of the profession. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys gardening, cheering on the Bulldogs, and engaging in creative, hands-on projects.
OPEN POSITION
President-Elect
stephanie west, MS, RDN, LDN
Past President
Health coach for One to One Health and adjunct instructor for University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC)
Stephanie began her study of nutrition at UTC while working for various departments including the School of Nursing, Student Success and Athletics. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from UTC and completed her dietetic internship at Iowa State. She continued her education at Iowa State where she earned her Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics. After completing her internship, she began working as a clinical dietitian at Siskin Hospital where she later became the Clinical Nutrition Manager. She also served as the Campus Dietitian at UTC where she assisted student-athletes with performance nutrition, supported campus-wide wellness initiatives, and initiated the development of an eating disorder task force.
Stephanie is passionate about preventative health and is currently providing nutrition services as a health coach for One to One Health and is also an adjunct instructor for UTC. She recently completed her certification as a Preventative Health Specialist through the UTC Health Science Center. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they have four wonderful children and seven grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys running and has completed races of varying distances with her favorites being the Southern Odyssey relay and half-marathons. She also enjoys backpacking the Appalachian Trail, mountain biking, and motorcycle rides with her husband. She hopes to help grow CAND membership and empower members through networking and education to foster community engagement.
Danielle Townsend, RDN, LD
Secretary
Outpatient Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Primary Healthcare Centers
Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and completed the Dietetic Internship at Nicholls State University in her home state of Louisiana. She has over a decade of experience in clinical dietetics, clinical management, food service management, and outpatient counseling. She is employed by Primary Healthcare Centers [of Northwest Georgia] to help people meet their nutrition and health goals. She has been featured in Chattanooga’s HealthScope and Chatter magazines and contributes to articles for the Chattanooga Times Free Press online newspaper. She is a local go-to RD for public speaking and has appeared on Rossville, Georgia’s UCTV The Morning Show and Night Talk, UCTV’s “Live with Danielle the Dietitian” cooking show, and has also appeared on Chattanooga’s This ‘N That several times. In her free time, Danielle enjoys cooking, reading, binging on Netflix, red wine and chocolate, and has three cats.
maria england, RDN, LDN
Treasurer
Clinical Nutrition Services Market Director TN/GA – CommonSpirit Health Memorial Chattanooga
Maria received her first degree in Associates of Science in Baking and Pastry, during her time as a trained Pastry Chef, she learned the importance of nutrition for health and pursued a bachelors degree in Food and Nutrition from the University of Alabama and completed a Dietetic Internship from the University of Houston. Her experience as a dietitian since 2017 has been in food service management, school nutrition, recipe development, counseling, patient education, long-term care and acute-care clinical, with a heavy focus in management for clinical nutrition and food nutrition services. Her passion is educating patients on the importance of nutrition and promoting the importance of dietitians in the health industry. In Maria’s current role as Clinical Nutrition Services Market Director TN/GA for CommonSpirit Health Memorial, she has a focus on growing the dietitians’ role in the hospital system and improving patient outcomes through nutrition services.
Maria’s main focus when she isn’t a dietitian is raising her four young children, spending time with her husband, gardening, reading, knitting, making bread, and being an active member of her church.
open position
Award and Scholarship Coordinator
Emily Maddux, MS-MPH, RDN, LDN, FAND, ACE, CHC
Public Policy Coordinator
Professor at University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC)
Emily Maddux attended Lipscomb University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Nutrition. She attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to complete her dual Master’s Degree and Dietetic Internship. Emily has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 2007. She started her career in the clinical setting, working in acute care hospitals in Memphis and Chattanooga, then she worked in Corporate Wellness as a health coach and Wellness Director. Emily is currently a professor at UTC.
Emily has a passion for corporate wellness, public health, and sports nutrition. She played college volleyball at Lipscomb University, where her drive and passion for sports nutrition started. She has since competed in many half marathons and triathlons in the southeast, including her first 70.3 in her hometown of Chattanooga. Emily is married and has two active children.
Emily has been a member of CAND and has served on their board for a number of years. She is also very involved with the Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (TAND) and is a Past-President of that organization (2019-2020), having served as President Elect-Elect, President-Elect, and President previously. Emily is also an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
julia Kaset, MPH, RDN, LDN
Marketing & Recruiting Coordinator
Registered Dietitian at Nutrition World Chattanooga
Julia Kaset earned her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Cumberland University and her Master of Public Health in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she also completed her dietetic internship. She became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in 2025 and is currently a Wellness Consultant and Registered Dietitian at Nutrition World in Chattanooga.
Julia’s professional interests include sports nutrition, eating disorder awareness, and community-based wellness. As a former collegiate soccer player and current HYROX athlete, she is passionate about helping others fuel for performance and build healthier relationships with food. She is an active member of the Chattanooga Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (CAND), where she serves on the board as Marketing and Recruiting Coordinator, as well as the Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (TAND), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the National Eating Disorders Association, and the Academy for Eating Disorders.
Outside of her professional work, Julia enjoys competing in HYROX races, supporting local wellness initiatives, and spending time with her golden retriever.
Brenna Swiger
Student Representative
Brenna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Cumberland University before pursuing her master’s degree at UTC. A lifelong athlete and collegiate soccer player, she developed a deep understanding of the role nutrition plays in both everyday life and athletic performance. She has a passion for research and took part in a study of the microbiome during her undergrad. Brenna hopes to have a career in performance nutrition and/or clinical nutrition. Beyond academics and athletics, she enjoys hiking, reading, arts and crafts, and exploring new coffee shops. As a member of CAND, she hopes to strengthen student involvement and inspire others to consider dietetics as a potential career path.
Chattanooga Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 