Year in Review: A Reflection on RDBA’s Launch and Growth
A little over a year ago, the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA) made its debut with the launch of our weekly newsletter, RDBA Weekly, and website, retaildietitians.com. Since that time, our organization has grown and expanded, offering retail dietitians experiences and education that support our mission: to foster the continuing business education and career development of current and future retail dietitians.
“We are so thrilled with the feedback we’ve received from registered dietitians, dietetics students, our advisory board members, retail executives, food industry leaders, and our sponsors,” said Phil Lempert, CEO of RDBA. “Our first year was all about delivering unmatched opportunities that meet the needs of retail dietitians.”
All of RDBA’s initiatives support the goal of enhancing the business skills and industry knowledge of retail dietitians through six education pillars: Business Skills (i.e. negotiations, management, marketing, brand development), Communications, Human Resources, Career Development, Retail Industry Insights, and Trends.
Some program and service highlights from 2013 include:
- RDBA Weekly: E-newsletter delivered weekly to subscribers
- Webinars: Monthly continuing education webinars featuring industry experts
- Live Trainings: Educational sessions at key industry conferences, including the National Confectioners Association show, FMI Health & Wellness Conference, Healthy Beverage Expo
- Workshops: Hosted in conjunction with the Food & Culinary Professionals Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a half-day custom workshop delivered to retail dietitians at ShopRite’s corporate headquarters.
- Career Center: Provides an online resource to match registered dietitians and employers
In addition, RDBA was featured in a number of media articles including:
- Supermarket News: New Group Educates Dietitians About Supermarket Work
- Philadelphia Inquirer: Consult a Dietitian, in the Grocery
- Advertising Ag: The Next Big Marketing Weapon for Supermarkets—The Dietitian
- Radio Health Journal: Supermarket Dietitians
- US News and World Report: Meet the Supermarket Dietitian
According to Lempert, “We expect 2014 to be a growth year for RDBA. We’re looking forward to increasing our educational offerings to members, building our membership base, and helping elevate the profile of retail dietitians across the board.”
