Kelly with an Adolescent Girls Health & Nutrition education group in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

Kelly D. Horton, MS, RD,  CD founded Connect Nutrition in 2006. Kelly has a Masters in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. While at Tufts, Kelly co-taught the Seminar on Monitoring and Evaluation of Nutrition Programs. She is a registered dietitian and studied Community Nutrition at Simmons College's School for Health Sciences and Life Sciences at Bastyr University. Kelly also has a Bachelors in Business Management and over seven years of corporate management experience.

 

Prior to entering the field of nutrition and food policy, Kelly spent over seven years working in call center operations management. In 2000, Kelly lived and worked in Beijing, China as the Country General Manager for a joint-venture multi-site call outsourcing call center for AT&T Solutions. Having transitioned from the corporate sector, Kelly has worked on a variety of nutrition and health projects with USAID, UNICEF, Save the Children, Concern Worldwide, Simmons College, The Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Washington State, and many other governmental and non-profit organizations. 

In 2005, Kelly was a Science Policy and Technology Graduate Fellow at The National Academies within the Institute of Medicine on the Food and Nutrition Board. During her fellowship, she staffed the Committee on Food Marketing and the Diets of Children and Youth which produced the report Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?

Kelly created Connect Nutrition because of her duel passions for both policy and science. Kelly's goal is to utilize her knowledge of food policy and nutrition science to not only help individuals improve their daily lives, but to also ensure that our national and international food security and nutrition programs continue to meet the changing needs of our society.  As a scientist, policy analyst, and advocate Kelly is passionate about integrating the disciplines of nutrition science and public policy, so that evidence-based science can aid decision-makers in implementing sound public policy meeting the needs of all people. 

Connect Nutrition creates the intersection of these two fields by working with clients to develop policies and programs that integrate nutrition and health science, while also advocating locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally for policies informed by sound science and community-based practices.

Areas of Expertise and Experience

§         U.S. Nutrition Programs; U.S. Farm and Food Policy; Community Nutrition Programming; Food and Nutrition Policy Development; Sustainable Food Systems; Household Food Security; HIV/AIDS and Nutrition; International Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health; and Infant Feeding Practices.  

§         Strategic Planning; Leadership and Management; Program Development, Monitoring, and Evaluation; Data Management and Analysis; Teaching, Training, and Curriculum Development; Public Speaking; Writing and Research.

§         Nutrient needs for infants, pregnancy, pregnant teens, seniors, malnutrition, food allergies, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.  

CREDENTIALS AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Registered Dietitian, Commission on Dietetic Registration
Certified Dietitian, State of Washington

§        Member of the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group
       Chair-Elect, 2008-2009

       House of Delegates Representative, 2008-2009

       World Hunger Committee Chair, 2007 - 2008

 

§         Member of the Washington State Food and Nutrition Council
        Agriculture Legislative Chair, 2006 - 2008

 

§         Member of the Acting Seattle/King County Food Policy Council

§         Member of PCC Natural Markets 
        Board of Trustees Member, 2007- Present

§         Member of the Community Food Security Coalition

        Policy Committee Member

 

§         Member of the Washington State Dietetic Association

        Legislative Coordinator, 2008-2009

        Grassroots Legislative Liaison, 2007-2008

 

§         Member of the Vegetarians of Washington

       

§         Member of the American Dietetic Association

§         Member of the Community and Public Health Nutrition Practice Group (2006-2007)

§         Member of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (2005-2006)