Our Board
Officers
Kristy Hall, MS, BCHN®
President
(NANP Board Member
since 2021)
About Kristy
Kristy Hall, MS, BCHN®, is an Epigenetic Functional Nutritionist and Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition®. She worked in the not-for-profit healthcare industry, managing a national $165 million special event program. After choosing to be a stay-at-home mom when her children were young, Kristy earned her master’s degree in holistic nutrition. She focused her master’s thesis on the biochemical pathway of methylation. Since graduation, Kristy has taken a unique path, continuing to study epigenetics, nutrigenomics, and nutrigenetics specifically related to mental health. Kristy is in the final year of completing her DSc degree.
Kristy has established an integrative clinic in northern Colorado with a medical doctor, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, a neurosomotic specialist, and detox spa. She believes this integrative approach to chronic disease is key to delivering compassionate, comprehensive care.
As these new fields develop, nutrition’s key role in preventing and reversing chronic disease is undeniable. Kristy believes we are near the tipping point in healthcare when conventional medical providers recognize the need for evidence-based nutrition consultants.
Tammera J. Karr, Ph.D., BCHN®, CGP, CNW®, CDSP™
Vice President
(NANP Board Member since 2022, Prior Service: 2011-2019)
About Tammera
Tammera brings 30 years of clinical experience as a nutrition educator, author, researcher, and food historian to the NANP. Passionate about nutrition as the key to stopping many modern illnesses, she has authored books and programs inspired by the key concepts of Holistic Nutrition for educators, practitioners, and consumers.
A Pacific College of Health and Sciences BioSciences faculty member, Tammera, shares with students the foundational role of nutrition and the importance of the BCHN® and CDSP™ credentials, as well as membership in the NANP.
A Native of Oregon, Tammera has lived on a remote ranger station in the southern cascades of Oregon and the high desert of central Oregon with her family for over fifty years. This remote and rural lifestyle has fostered an independent and proactive approach to sustainable health.
NANP COMMITTEES: Ethics, Governance (Chair)
Julie Rauch, MBA, NC, BCHN®
Treasurer
(NANP Board Member
since 2008)
About Julie
Julie Rauch, MBA, NC is a Certified Nutrition Consultant & Natural Chef graduate of Bauman College. She began her service at NANP on the executive board of the (then) Berkeley branch in 2005. She joined the national board in 2009 as treasurer before stepping into the role of president in 2012.
In private practice, Julie specializes in hard-to-resolve health issues, including hormonal imbalances, chronic infections, and heavy metal & chemical chelation using whole food supplements. She teaches practical “no excuses” healthy eating and cooking strategies to support the health and well-being of her clients.
Certified in AcuPoint Integrative Testing (AIT), Julie uses this comprehensive system to evaluate her client’s unique nutritional needs and create customized supplement protocols for them without the need for laboratory testing. Julie is the nutritionist for Advance International, Inc., producer of the odorless, tasteless, marine-based Advance Protein Powder.
In addition, she provides nutrition consulting services to the employees of Standard Process of Northern California.
NANP COMMITTEES: Continuing Education (Chair), Educational Standards, Ethics (Chair)
Rachel Knowles, DCN, MS, LDN, CNS, BCHN®, CDSP™, CBS
Secretary
(NANP Board Member
since 2024)
About Rachel
Dr. Rachel Knowles (DCN, MS, LDN, CNS, BCHN, CDSP, CBS) is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, and is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition. She founded her private practice, Seedlings Nutrition, where she specializes in clinical nutrition for psychological, neurodevelopment, environmental, and pediatric conditions. Rachel incorporates nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and individual biochemistry into each of her nutrition recommendations and believes that nutrition from a functional, integrative, and evidence-based perspective can significantly improve the lives of all individuals by cultivating overall wellness and preventing nutrition-driven diseases. Additionally, as an autistic person, Rachel offers a unique perspective on functional nutrition for individuals on the spectrum. She recognizes the risks of nutritional deficiencies in autistic individuals and the importance of addressing common comorbidities. Outside of clinical practice, Rachel serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Western States in the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and Master of Science in Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine programs and is actively involved in clinical nutrition research and scientific writing.
Rachel is married, a mother of two boys, and has three dogs. She enjoys traveling the coast, cooking, deep sea fishing, writing, and watercolor painting.
Jennifer Brooks, BCHN®, CDSP™
Director
(NANP Board Member
since 2024)
About Jennifer
As president and co-founder of GOLO LLC, the nationally recognized wellness solutions company, Jennifer Brooks actively shapes the discussion around e-commerce and health and wellness.
Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition® and holding degrees in culinary arts and mind-body transformational psychology, Brooks’ unique perspective is at the core of GOLO’s mission of empowering people by helping them transition to healthier lifestyles, whether by reaching their weight loss goals, gaining an understanding of how to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, or learning the basic principles of good nutrition.
She credits her success in the health and wellness industry to a lifelong passion for cooking with family and friends, often featuring traditional recipes introduced by her mother and grandmother. The experience created a sense of community, later leading to an interest in the science behind food and nutrition.
Jennifer makes finding meaningful ways to give back to the community a corporate priority. Under her leadership, the company has provided critical financial assistance to deserving charities and community-based organizations, including local chapters of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Feeding America Network, the Police Athletic League, and Special Olympics.
Among her many professional credentials, Jennifer is a Certified Dietary Supplement Professional™ (CDSP™) and a National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) member.
Other accomplishments:
- Board Member, Better Business Bureau of Delaware
- Named to Top Women in Business List for 2023 by Delaware Today Magazine
- Named one of the top Women in Consumer Health Tech for 2022 by Healthcare Technology Report.
- Contributing health and wellness expert for Alternative Medicine Magazine
- Marketing committee member at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Delaware
Jennifer is also in demand as a subject matter expert, appearing in several articles covering health and wellness, including Alternative Medicine Magazine, Authority Magazine, and Medium.
Monica Highfill, BCHN®, NBC-HWC
Director
(NANP Board Member
since 2025)
About Monica
Monica established Highfill Health to partner with women with auto-immune conditions to help them lead more vibrant and fulfilling lives through better nutrition and lifestyle practices. Monica is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition® (BCHN®) by the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).
Before starting Highfill Health, Monica was the Vice President and Founding Executive Director at Women in Electronics (WE), a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding the opportunities for women in the electronics industry. A member of WE’s founding team, Monica is also an active WE Board of Directors member. Monica continues to manage the WE Mentorship Program, which she created and implemented in 2019. The WE Mentorship program is the only global, industry-wide, formal mentorship program in the electronics industry and it has provided thousands of hours of mentorship to those seeking to expand their careers.
Previous to joining Women in Electronics as Vice President, Monica was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Americas at KEMET/YAGEO, a global component manufacturer, for nine years after serving as Director of Sales for the Western Region–Americas for five years. As Vice President of the Americas, Monica led a team of approximately 90 people and 10 manufacturing representative organizations to annual sales of $338 million. During her time as Vice President, Monica was a member of the KEMET leadership team, which was responsible for setting the company’s strategy and direction. Monica held several other strategic management positions in the electronics industry before her time at KEMET/YAGEO.
Monica completed her Holistic Nutritionist and Holistic Wellness Coaching studies at Hill College (Texas), graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Saint Mary’s College of California, and obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Santa Clara University (California). Monica is working on her Master of Science (MS) in Applied Nutrition at Lamar University (Texas).
For more details on Monica’s career, including podcasts, articles, and speaking engagements, https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-highfill/
NANP COMMITTEES: Conference Planning Committee
Patricia Kaufman, PhD, LDN, CNS, MBA,
Director
(NANP Board Member
since 2026)
About Patricia
Patricia serves as the Dean of Integrative Health and Nutrition at the American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS). In this role, she provides academic leadership, mentors students and faculty, chairs doctoral dissertations, and oversees program development in integrative health and nutrition.
A Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN), she has taught at the National University of Natural Medicine, Sonoran University, and Huntington University. Patricia also serves as a CNS supervisor, mentoring professionals toward board certification, and has developed credentialing exam preparation resources.
Her teaching and curriculum development experience spans topics such as integrative health, nutrition and the microbiome, endocrine and nutritional interactions, chronic disease management, food insecurity and sustainability, sports nutrition, and evidence-based practice. Her research focuses on targeted nutritional interventions for chronic disease prevention and management, gut health, and cancer care, with an emphasis on improving outcomes and quality of life.
Shawn Talbott, PhD, BCHN®, CDSP™
Director
(NANP Board Member since 2026)
About Shawn
Dr. Shawn Talbott is a PsychoNutritionist who integrates nutrition, biochemistry, and psychology to help people feel, look, and perform better. As a scientist (PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from Rutgers) and entrepreneur (EMP in Entrepreneurship from MIT), his recent projects include two academic textbooks, an award-winning documentary film, several best-selling consumer health books translated into multiple languages, and numerous top-selling nutraceuticals and functional foods.
Dr. Talbott runs the 3 Waves Wellness Center in Massachusetts, and trains students as Certified Mental Wellness Coaches to help clients feel and perform their best by harnessing the power of the microbiome and Gut-Heart-Brain-Axis.
He is also an endurance nut – with dozens of Ironman and ultra-marathon finishes.
Miriam G. Zacharias, PhD, MS, BCHN®, NTC
Director
(NANP Board Member
since 2026)
About Miriam
Miriam Zacharias has dedicated more than half of her adult life to advancing the field of nutrition and holistic health. With advanced degrees and credentials in Human Ecology, executive coaching and holistic nutrition, she has combined scientific expertise, business acumen, and heartfelt purpose to elevate the profession and empower practitioners to make a meaningful impact in their work, and in their clients’ lives.
Throughout her career, Miriam has been a passionate educator and mentor. After running her own successful nutrition practice, she devoted two decades to teaching holistic health care practitioners how to build thriving, ethical, and sustainable practices through university-level courses, professional workshops, and her groundbreaking marketing book, The PEACE Process. Miriam also served on the Board of Directors for the Nutritional Therapy Association, and subsequently as its Marketing Director and CEO, prior to taking a hiatus from her career to care for her husband through his illness and passing. She previously served for ten years on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, nearly all of those years as a member of the Executive Team, helping to guide the association toward significant growth, stability, and impact.
Before transitioning into the field of nutrition, Miriam built a successful career at Microsoft Corporation as a sales and marketing director, running a successful $2 billion business unit and managing a $10 million marketing budget. There, she honed her skills in strategic planning, leadership, business development and communications, strengths that continue to serve her work in the nutrition profession.
Miriam has now returned to the holistic nutrition field, offering wellness classes and consultations for active adults over 60 who seek to gain the edge in their golden years.