Anne Schneyder

DIRECTOR

Anne has a passion for good food and good nutrition for older people, and has been an ardent advocate for change to improve the profile of food and nutrition in the aged care sector.

She has contributed to the development of manuals to guide dietitian practice, including the coordination of two editions of the Dietitians Australia Nutrition Manual, which provides detailed information about a variety of special diets for hospitals, care homes and any health care food service. Anne also wrote the inaugural Dietitians Australia Menu Audit Tool for dietitians as a definitive guide to conducting a menu audit.

Firmly of the belief that both good food and good nutrition contribute to optimal health and wellbeing, Anne encourages an integrated approach that sees the consumer as central to decisions, while recognising that both the care and food services staff are essential for any organisation to provide a quality meal service.

Julie Dundon

DIRECTOR

Julie is a co-founder of Nutrition Professionals Australia, and is driven by a desire to help older people to eat smarter to live happier and healthier lives through food and nutrition.

In her years in the profession, she has partnered many organisations to find the right nutrition solutions in a range of settings across Australia. Her experience as food services manager residential site manager and consultant dietitian has provided Julie with valuable insight to the daily challenges of the aged care sector. 

She is also a dynamic leader in the dietetics profession, with 10 years serving on the Board of Dietitians Australia, including four years as Vice-President and a further four years as President. Recently she has played a leading role in the Dietitians Australia submission to the Royal Commission and acted as the Subject Matter Lead - Aged Care for Dietitians Australia.

Sally Moloney

DIETITIAN

Sally is a passionate Accredited Practising Dietitian with experience both in Australia and the UK, in a range of practice areas including marketing, communications, member engagement, food industry, private practice, sports, weight management, hospitals and community settings.

Using her strong management and leadership skills, Sally is thrilled to lead the team of APDs providing menu appraisals to aged care facilities across the country, as part of NPA’s agreement with the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Sally enjoys helping people using evidence based information in all areas of her nutrition and dietetic work.

Letizia Sasanelli

DIETITIAN

Letizia is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who graduated from Flinders University with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Drawing significantly on her Italian heritage (she speaks Italian fluently), Letizia understands the importance of culture in a person’s food preferences, and thus uses a client-centred approach with her consultations.

This background has also instilled in Letizia, a passion for addressing the needs of our senior generations, and improving the quality of life for aged care residents through good food and nutrition. 

Letizia's key areas of interest include malnutrition, nutrition support and diabetes management.

Jillian Rafferty

DIETITIAN

Jillian is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and graduated from Wollongong University in 2005.

After starting her career in the hospital and community health setting, Jillian is now dedicated to helping improve nutrition for aged care residents. Her many years of experience in the sector, allows her to focus predominantly on aged care – working with health care teams, getting to know residents and understanding the individual needs of clients. 

She also works closely with food service teams, management teams and care staff to find common goals, and ways to combine skills and knowledge to get the best possible outcomes for residents.

Verlencia Chu

DIETITIAN

Verlencia is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) who graduated from the Flinders University, Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics Program.  

While pursuing her degree, she developed a keen interest in working with older people. She is motivated to improve the nutrition of residents in aged carewhile journeying with them through their later years of life. She also enjoys taking a pivotal role in assisting residents to better meet their nutritional needs by working with the organisation’s food services.  

Hailing from Singapore, she is exposed to a diverse range of cultures, and has a good understanding of different foods and their preparation methods. She is able to effectively communicate in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Amy Peng

DIETITIAN

Amy Peng is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist. She graduated from Monash University in 2011. She is passionate about providing best-practice nutrition and dietetic care that delivers quality, expertise and innovation in the aged care sector. She has a special interest in Parkinson's Disease and is a professional member of Parkinson’s Victoria.

Amy is based in Victoria and is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. In her spare time, she enjoys running along the beach road and visiting local farmers markets.

Anita Comacchio

DIETITIAN

Anita is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with over 30 years’ experience. She commenced her career in the hospital setting, gaining  experience in the fields of gastrointestinal nutrition, bariatric surgery and intensive care. Anita also has a teaching background and runs a private practice. 

She speaks Italian fluently and is diversifying her Dietetic interests by joining the APD’s providing menu appraisals to aged care facilities with the Maggie Beer Foundation on behalf of NPA. 

Karen Thomas

DIETITIAN

Karen has over 20 years of experience working in hospitals, aged care facilities, food service, community and private practice dietetics. She is passionate about lifestyle medicine – the small tweaks we can all make to improve our health through nutrition, activity, sleep and stress management.

Karen is also a strong advocate for improving food and nutrition for older Australians. She is proud to partner with NPA and MBF for the menu appraisal process in aged care facilities. 

Outside of work, Karen is a Mother to 2 energetic boys. She loves camping, keeping fit, baking and can often be found in her backyard veggie patch. Her favourite food……dark chocolate of course!

Xavier Wong

DIETITIAN

Xavier is an enthusiastic Accredited Practising Dietitian who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Dietetics with Nutrition, from the International Medical University in Malaysia. To delve deeper into his interest in physical activity and health, he pursued a Master of Health Science (Exercise and Health) at the University of Western Australia.

Xavier also has experience as a public health nutritionist and an alcohol and drug counsellor. His primary passion lies in supporting and facilitating individuals in adopting dietary and lifestyle changes to manage their health conditions and improve their overall nutrition and well-being. 

Ashlee Fuchs

DIETITIAN

Ashlee studied a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) at Flinders University. She has a passion for helping individuals make simple and easy diet modifications to improve their health and nutrition.

Ashlee has assisted the Flinders Aged Care Food and Nutrition team in projects focussing on improving the quality of food service for Australian Residents. She is currently conducting menu appraisals on behalf of NPA as a part of the Trainer Mentor Program with the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Outside of work, Ashlee enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and swimming.  

Lana Hirth

DIETITIAN

Lana is a dedicated Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) in 2017. 

She is deeply committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with the power of good food. With a diverse background in aged care Lana brings a wealth of knowledge and a genuine passion for assisting elderly individuals in achieving optimal health and well-being. 

Lana also has a special interest in women's health and understanding people's relationship with food as they age.

Claire Dorans-Knowles

DIETITIAN

Claire is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2021 with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics and has worked as an Aged Care Dietitian since graduating.

Claire is passionate about improving the nutritional status and quality of life of aged care residents through the enjoyment of food, drink and the dining experience. Claire works with aged care facility staff and residents to boost the nutritional status of all residents.

Marcela Velasquez Villa

DIETITIAN

Marcela Velasquez Villa is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. She graduated from her Bachelor degree in Colombia in 2010 and from her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University in 2017.

She is passionate about helping others to improve their health through healthy eating. She loves working with all ages and in particular weight management.

Marcela is based in Adelaide, works in the private sector, and has 9 years of experience in her field. In her free time, she loves cycling, dancing, and outdoor adventures.