Our Organization’s History

NANP was founded in 1985 as the Society of Certified Nutritionists (SCN), which was born out of the National Institute for Nutrition Education (NINE), a program of American Health Sciences University (AHSU) founded by James Johnston, Ph.D. The leadership of the SCN was Bevly Fisk, CN (President), and Jenifer Cloherty (Membership Director), along with the SCN Board of Directors. They were graduates of NINE/AHSU and the Australasian School of Health Sciences.

The Association for Certified Nutrition Consultants (ACNC) was born out of the Institute for Educational Therapy, now Bauman College, founded by Ed Bauman, Ph.D. The leadership of ACNC was Ed Bauman, Ph.D. (President), and Michele Champeau, CNC Vice President (now Michele Chartier).

ACNC’s leadership saw the need to align nationally with other like-minded organizations, create consistency, and improve credibility among the many different titles for holistically trained nutrition professionals. The American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) was and continues to work state-by-state to limit who can legally practice nutrition in the United States. At that time, a handful of 8-40 hour “certificate” programs granted the Certified Nutrition Consultant (CNC) designation. SCN leadership saw the same need, voted to approve IET/Bauman College graduates as full members of the SCN, and granted two positions on the Board of Directors to represent CNCs.

In the fall of 2001, the California Chapter of the Society of Certified Nutritionists was founded with Anasuya Batliner (now Anasuya Basil) as President, Kim Roberson as the Vice President, Fern Leaf as the Treasurer, and Nori Hudson and Laura Knoff sharing the duties of Secretary.  Dr. Bauman was an advisor to the chapter.

A one-day conference was held in Berkeley at the Unitarian Church in the fall of 2002. The theme was Business Practices for Holistic Nutrition Professionals, and over 100 nutrition students and professionals attended. Frank Cuny spoke on legislative issues; Liz Lipski presented on how to start a successful nutrition business, and a panel of speakers that included Robert Shames rounded out the day.

Seeking a name that better reflected the various titles of SCN members, the organization became the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) in January 2005. The NANP reached out to other nutrition programs across the country, established educational standards for membership, and sought further to ground our profession with a national board exam.

NANP’s founders included:

• Edward Bauman, Ph.D. – President
• Michele Chartier, BS, NC – Executive Director
• Llynn Newman, MS, CN – Vice President
• Lisa Roy, CN – Treasurer
• Beth Gillespie, NC – Secretary
• Denia Mette’, M.Ed, CN – Director
• Nancy Peregrine, NC, AHG – Director
• Kimberly Roberson, NE – Director
• Nori Hudson, NC – Director
• Rachelle Roach, MA, CNT – Director

March 5, 2005
NANP Board of Directors meeting, hosted by Bauman College.  From left to right:  Beth Gillespie, NC; Kim Roberson, NE; Lisa Roy, CN; Michele Chartier, NC; Gene Bruno, MS, CN; Geoffrey Marx, NC; Edward Bauman, Ph.D.; Jenifer Cloherty, NANP Membership Director

The Board Exam

The Board Exam in Holistic Nutrition beta version was offered in March 2007. Since then, approximately 700 nutrition and allied health professionals have passed the exam and become Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition®.

Today, the NANP boasts approximately 1,300 members across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. HEALCon, NANP’s Annual Conference & Expo, draws over 300 attendees and has become a much anticipated annual event.

July 16, 2005, at Natural Products Expo, Las Vegas 
From left to right:  Jenifer Cloherty, James Johnston, Ph.D., Michele Chartier, NC, Ann from AHSU.

Past NANP Conferences

Our association is grateful to the visionaries who established an organization that could flourish, even in the face of legislative adversity. We thank them for laying the groundwork from which we continue to build our industry.

“I was one of the Bauman College (then IET) students or maybe I was an instructor by then who was sitting there in the circle on the floor at the Gilman Street, Berkeley classroom in the very first meeting that Ed Bauman called us to, regarding putting this association together. He was sharing with us the fact that it should be us and not him, what and how it should be and why. It seemed a bit like a little club for we little nutritionists who were not mainstream, and therefore, would potentially have a bit of a struggle getting our little careers off the big old mainstream ground, and we had to have a group… it would give us more credibility and strength he explained.

I can’t say that I ever added much or worked very hard on the little club, I was having a rough time just standing up right at that point in my life, but I did add some ideas and presence and rah-rah-rahs. I have been working for Allergy Research Group for the past eighteen years and for years have received your emails which I am always impressed by and am glad to receive. I have been at some of your conferences (often mistaken for my twin sister Dixie) as an exhibitor and representative for Allergy Research Group, and I must say, the little club has become quite impressive! It looks and acts and smells and tastes just like other professional associations that even mainstream doctors who have gone alternative belong to!

And… never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that the little club would ever have so many dedicated, intelligent, hard-working individuals to make the impressive association manifest as reality and it just keeps going… getting bigger and better and more like a real association than just a little club.

I think that first meeting was about 20 years ago. That is a lot of lineage of dedication! Of handing down, of passing on, of encouragement, or working together etc. Amazing… absolutely amazing! I am so very proud of all of you throughout the lineage for bringing the little club forward to this full bloom of a professional association!”

-Diane Raile

A special thanks to Dr. Ed Bauman

A pioneer in holistic nutrition for over 40 years, whose vision and leadership have inspired thousands of people to transform their lives in the form of wellness, community, and peace. He received his M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in Health Promotion from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Bauman created the Eating for Health model to teach individuals to make nutritionally comprehensive food choices and founded Bauman College in 1989 with a mission to change the world through better nutrition and healthful living. Dr. Bauman has been a driving force behind the National Association of Nutrition Professionals since its inception. We thank him for his endless support and for bringing knowledge, wisdom, and love of good health and taste to his work.

July 15, 2005, Natural Products Expo – Las Vegas
From left to right:  Susie Hale, Clayton College; Michele Chartier, Exec Dir NANP; Edward Bauman, Ph.D., President NANP; Wendy Arthur, MD, Clayton College; Jenifer Cloherty, Membership Director NANP