A Policy WIN For Iowa Dietitians: Tune In For A Celebration!
Iowa Academy Members and Iowa Dietitians,
After 8 months of hard work and advocacy across the state, we are THRILLED to announce that the Iowa Board of Dietetics and dietetics licensure has been retained as is and left out of the final Boards and Commissions bill, which was passed by the Senate and sent to the Governor on Friday, April 19th.
We’d like to take a moment to CELEBRATE the hard work of everyone involved in making this happen by hosting an informal Zoom event this upcoming Wednesday, April 24th, from 7-8 PM. Please feel free to come and go as you’re able!
Link to Join Zoom:
This policy win could not have been successful without the collective efforts of:
Iowa Academy Policy Team: Kaitlyn Scheuermann, Cat Rudolph, Tina Bauermeister
Iowa Academy Leadership: Maren Wolff, Brian Smith, Miriam Troutner, Beth Olsen, Ruth Litchfield, Laura Croteau-Lopez, Suzy Wilson, Jody Gatewood, Kira Blum, Ashley Danielson, and other Board & Council members
Academy Staff: Charla Burill, Lisa Wright
Licensure Taskforce Members: Angie Tagtow, Susie Roberts, Pam Eaton, Annie Wells, Carlene Russell, Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt, Katie Lashier, Lori Winborn, Savannah Schultz, Doris Montgomery
Current lobbyists: Eide Walton– Maddy Bradley, Matt Eide, Kate Walton
Prior lobbyists: LS2group– Brittany Lumley (2021-2023), Fitzgerald, Smith, and Associates (2020-2021)
Executive Director / Web Master: Joshua Ortman
…And many more dietitians, dietetics students, and aligned stakeholders across the state!
It cannot be stressed enough how grateful we are for our lobbyist team, Eide Walton, who:
Quickly got up to speed learning about our profession and licensure laws (hired in October 2023)
Used their collective expertise, knowledge, and relationships with legislators to guide us in an effective advocacy strategy
Provided frequent updates, which allowed us to be responsive, particularly when we had short windows of opportunity to take action or dispel misinformation
Tracked and monitored the often complex and confusing policy process for us
Were present at the Capitol every day, having conversations with legislators, as well as the Governor’s Office on our behalf
Negotiated with the Governor's Office on our behalf
Coordinated meetings with key legislators during our Day on the Hill event
Policy success does not happen overnight. For the past few years, Brittany Lumley from LS2group (2021-2023), Fitzgerald, Smith, and Associates (2020-2021), and past Iowa Academy policy team members and dietitians have been educating and talking with legislators about the importance of dietitians and our licensure. This set the important groundwork for us to gather support among legislators to keep us out of the B&C bill.
Final cue to action:
Please reach out to your legislators and THANK THEM for excluding dietitians from the B&C bill.
Thanks again to students and dietitians across the state for your hard work!
Sincerely,
Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Public Policy Team: Cat Rudolph, Kaitlyn Scheuermann, and Tina Bauermeister