06/01/97 Connecticut Educator and Dietitian will Serve as President

Connecticut Educator and Dietitian will Serve as President

CHICAGO, June 1, 1997

Polly A. Fitz, M.A., R.D. (registered dietitian), became the 80th president of the nearly 70,000-member American Dietetic Association (ADA), the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, June 1.

Fitz is co-owner of Health Training Resources, which specializes in training programs and products for health professionals. Previously, she was a senior staff member at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, where she served as dean of the School of Allied Health Professions and was involved with programs in aging, allied health, dietetics and health promotion.

Her work with a number of health and nutrition organizations has influenced health policy issues and the dietetics profession. She has served as a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Professions Advisory Committee and as chair of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency for 60,000 registered dietitians and 5,000 dietetic technicians, registered. During her tenure, CDR achieved many milestones in dietetics education, practice and credentialing reform.

Among her many activities are:

  • service on the ADA board of directors;
  • director and president of the American Society of Allied Health Professions;
  • member and vice chair of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences;
  • commissioner of the American Physical Therapy Accreditation Agency;
  • and chair of the Connecticut Department of Health's public health advisory council.

Fitz has a number of research publications to her credit, including articles in refereed journals, monographs and workshop proceedings. Her primary scholarly interests include nutrition program development, evaluation, human resource utilization in health fields, minority student recruitment and retention and innovations in health organizations.

Her professional achievements have been recognized with awards and honors from organizations such as ADA (Medallion Award), the Connecticut Dietetic Association (Recognized Dietitian of the Year Award) and Penn State University (Alumni Fellow).

Fitz earned her master's degree in education from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and bachelor's degree in home economics from The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Penn. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

With headquarters in Chicago, ADA serves the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition, health and well-being.

Media Contact:
M. Johnna Thomas and Wen Huang
E-mail: media@eatright.org
(Please do not publish this e-mail address.)