LEA

PALMER
Phone: (480) 343 0247
leacpalmer@outlook.com

EDUCATION

MPH University of Arizona, Public Health Practice December 2019

Capstone Project: Postpartum Wellness Program for Sanford Women’s Clinic
Advisor: Janet Foote, University of Arizona
Preceptor: Siri Thaden, Sanford Health

BS Utah State University, Nutrition and Dietetics May 2017

Focus in Maternal & Child Health
Graduated Magna Cum Laude, GPA 3.86
Deans List: Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017

Coordinated Dietetic Internship September 2015-

May 2017
Utah State University, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
1300+ hours of supervise practice in clinical, research, community, and food service
settings to establish competency to sit for national dietitian exam

CERTIFICATIONS

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) January 2018- Present

Licensed Dietitian (LD) Present

State of Alaska, State of Utah, State of Maryland

Collaborative Institution Training Initiative Certification Fall 2016- Present

ServSafe Food Service Manager Certification Fall 2016- Present

National Restaurant Association

ServSafe Food Service Manager Instructor/ Proctor December 2021- Present

National Restaurant Association

HONORS AND AWARDS

Legacy of Utah Award March 2016

“The Legacy of Utah State Award is given each year to recognize and emphasize a student who
represents the heart and soul of the university. Students should show a commitment to the institution
and their program of study, as well as demonstrate internal involvement and service, department
dedication, perseverance during times of adversity, and contribution behind the scene”

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 Service Learning Award May 2017
Completion of a Service-Learning Scholars program at Utah State University. Program was
completed congruently with bachelors program. Program included earning 9 service learning
designated course credits, performing 400+ service hours, developing and completing a capstone
project at a local assisted living facility, and presenting a reflective portfolio.

AmeriCorps Service Hour Completion May 2017

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Owner January 2020- Current

Healthy Beginnings
Anchorage, Alaska
• Develop, organize, and implement business system for opening a telehealth dietetic
practice with the appropriate licenses and permits
• Manage contracts with clients and insurance companies to build accessibility to
nutrition therapy support
• Develop and continuously improve financial system, including billing processes
budgets, and documentation filing
• Develop programs and events based off client needs
• Organize a variety of events ranging from lunch and learns with local networking
groups, to nation-wide virtual conferences highlighting multiple professionals in
healthcare.

Pediatric Research Dietitian & Food Service Coordinator September 2019- Current
Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP)
Anchorage, Alaska
• Oversee food and nutrition programs for 24 Head Start and 7 Early Head Start
programs throughout the state of Alaska
• Develop meaningful relationships to better provide personalized training and
coaching to food service personnel at each site
• Evaluate, develop, implement, and manage new systems to improve food access for
families in rural Alaskan villages during COVID pandemic
• Develop internal auditing systems to improve the quality of work, and compliance
with local and federal food and nutrition program including CACFP (Child and Adult
Food Care Program)

Clinic Supervisor October 2018-May 2019

Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Assistance Program (WIC)
Tempe, Arizona

• Manage a clinic with 5 staff members providing WIC services

• Create a motivating and healthy work environment
• Delegate tasks and hold staff members accountable for responsibilities
• Relay important information from the management team to site staff
• Meet with and work with staff members 1 on 1 to improve work ethic and morale

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 State Youth Programming and Blog Coordinator June 2017-March 2018
Food $ense (Utah’s SNAP-Ed program)
Logan, Utah
• Add youth focused blog posts on a regular basis to
https://kidscreatesite.wordpress.com.
• Update and create youth curriculum resources to ensure USDA and FNS guidelines
for SNAP-Ed are met
• Update and train educators across the state at annual conferences and web
conferences

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Adjunct Instructor August 2021- Current

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Course: Foundations in Nutrition and Physical Wellness
• Review and update nutrition and physical activity portions of online course
• Oversee course lessons, student support, and grading for 10-18 enrolled students each
semester

Teaching Assistant August 2017 - December 2017

University of Arizona
Course: Personal Health and Wellness
• Assist Professor Sheena Brown in her online course covering personal health with a
focus on wholistic wellness.
• Develop instructional videos, mentored students, and reviewed topic discussions

State Office Policy, Systems, and Environment Intern May 2015- March 2018
Food $ense (Utah’s SNAP-Ed program)
Logan, Utah
• Assist in development of youth curriculum and trainings for nutrition education
assistants to use throughout counties in the state of Utah
• Taught nutrition education workshops to both youth and adult groups

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Pediatric Research Dietitian & Food Service Coordinator September 2019- Current
Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP)
Anchorage, Alaska
• Oversee organization of interventions for 2 major grants through the USDA and NIH
with a goal of reducing childhood obesity in Alaska Native children by improving
access to traditional foods in the Head Starts programs throughout rural villages in the
Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska

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 • Lead collaboration efforts with community members to develop culturally appropriate
nutrition classroom curriculum units for Head Start children, 3-5 years old
• Lead collaboration efforts with community members to develop an infant feeding
education booklets series focused on breastfeeding, and healthy food introductions
that respects cultural practices and values.
• Work with community site staff to facilitate grant activities and data collection trips
• Collborate with multiple agencies for grant writing to support efforts when current
grants expire

State Office Policy, Systems, and Environment Intern 2015-2016

Food $ense (Utah’s SNAP-Ed program)
Logan, Utah
• Aide staff with a variety of projects and office related tasks
• Assisted with research projects including
o Studying the impact of nutrition education at farmer’s markets
o Nudging systems at food banks
• Supportive tasks included: Assisting in developing curriculum, display set up, and
surveys, provide education and surveys at farmer’s markets, and data entry.

Cancer Research Lab Assistant 2012-2013

Limesand Lab, Kristen Limesand
Tucson, Arizona
• Assisted graduate students in their research for maintaining healthy cell structure
during radiation on cancer cells
• PCR, gel development, DNA extraction, and imaging

PUBLICATIONS

Education Booklets

Traditional Infant Feeding Booklets

A series of 8 booklets developed to promote traditional breastfeeding and food
introductions to infants in the Yukon-Kuskokwim regions of Alaska. The booklets
were developed in collaboration with Yup’ik community members of villages in the
region and tribal healthcare providers. Booklets cover topics of breastfeeding, infant
cues, traditional food introductions, and wellness for breastfeeding mothers.

Live Well Utah- Family Mealtime Cookbook

A cookbook developed to promote family mealtime among Utah residents as part of a
family mealtime campaign for 2016. The cookbook received a gold in the Education
Digital Marketing Awards Program for 2016.

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 Journal Publications

Amanda K. Walch, Kathryn A. Ohle, Kathryn R. Koller, Lucinda Alexie, Flora Lee,
Lea Palmer, Jennifer Nu, Timothy K. Thomas & Andrea Bersamin(2022) Impact of
Assistance Programs on Indigenous Ways of Life in 12 Rural Remote Western
Alaska Native Communities: Elder Perspectives Shared in Formative Work for the
“Got Neqpiaq?” Project, International Journal of Circumpolar
Health, 81:1, DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2021.2024679

Savoie-Roskos M, LeBlanc H, Coombs C, Palmer L, Jewkes M, Hunsaker T.

Effectiveness of a SNAP-Ed nutrition education booth at farmers markets. Journal of
Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2016;7(1):1-9.
doi:10.5304/jafscd.2016.071.003.
Other

Traditional Foods Head Start Curriculum

Led the development of an 8 unit curriculum focused on healthy living in the Yup’ik
culture, focused on healthy subsistence and traditional foods with traditional
movement such as dance and native games.

Create an Active Lifestyle Curriculum

Helped author multiple chapters physical activity curriculum, used in SNAP-ed
classes throughout the state of Utah.

2016 Food $ense Annual Report

Assisted in creating a summary of events and programs developed and executed by
Food $ense during 2016.

In progress
• ‘Got Neqpiaq’ Grant Journal Articles:
o Importance and impact of increasing traditional physical activity in the Headstart
classroom among 12 communities in the Yukon Kuskokwim region of Alaska
o Importance and impact of developing curriculum and programing culturally relevant
to communities in the Yukon Kuskowkim region of Alaska
o Impact of breastfeeding and traditional feeding booklets on traditional food intake
among 0–3-year-old children in the Yukon Kuskokwim region of Alaska

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2014- Present

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 OVERVIEW OF RELATED EXPERIENCES IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER

Adjunct Instructor. August 2021- Current

University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF)

Pediatric Research Dietitian & Food Service Coordinator September 2019- Present
Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP)

Women’s Health Master’s Student Intern May 2019- August 2019

Sanford Health Center

Clinic Supervisor October 2018-May 2019

Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Assistance Program (WIC)
Tempe, Arizona

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist February 2018- May 2019

Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Assistance Program (WIC)
Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona

State Youth Programming and Blog Coordinator June 2017-March 2018

Food $ense (Utah’s SNAP-Ed program)

Policy, Systems, and Environment Intern May 2015- June 2017

Food $ense (Utah’s SNAP-Ed program)

Nutrition Service Associate May 2014- June 2015

Logan Regional Hospital, Logan, UT

Barista/ Line Cook/ Trainer November 2013- June 2014

Paradise Bakery, Logan, UT

Cancer Research Lab Assistant, November 2012- May 2013

University of Arizona, Limesand Lab, Kristen Limesand

REFERENCES

Available upon request

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