STAFF
The staff of Pennsylvania Nutrition Education TRACKS works closely with partnering agencies to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate FSNE projects. Together they offer diverse skills and experiences in the areas of nutrition, public health, fiscal management, program evaluation, data management, and program management.
Administrative and Programming
- Barbara Lohse, PhD, RD, Principal Investigator
- Kimberly Crossman, MA, Program Manager
- Teresa (Gingrich) Yoder, RD, LDN, Nutritionist
- Sharon Smith, RD, Nutritionist
- Laura Frye, Assistant Program Manager
- Bonnie Richardson, Staff Assistant
Evaluation
- Judy Gromis, MS, RD, Program Evaluator
- Denise Wall, MPH, RD, Evaluation Associate/Nutritionist
- Mary Montminy, Health Informatics Analyst
- Kim Bodes, MS, Data Manager
Fiscal
- Joan Stover, Grant & Contract Accountant
Barbara Lohse, PhD, RD, Principal Investigator of Pennsylvania Nutrition Education TRACKS
Dr. Barbara Lohse is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University and the Director of Pennsylvania Nutrition Education TRACKS.
Dr. Lohse completed her doctoral work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in nutrition with a minor in educational psychology and an emphasis on community nutrition. She comes to Penn State with prior experiences in both academic and non-academic settings. Her academic experiences include being an extension specialist in nutrition at Kansas State University and an associate professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition at University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout). While at UW-Stout, she taught several courses in nutrition, directed the dietetic internship, and directed the graduate program in food and nutritional sciences.
Outside of academia, Dr. Lohse has clinical nutrition experience working with developmentally delayed and psychiatric populations. She has been involved with professional organizations and was recently selected as chair-elect for the Nutrition Education Research Interest Section of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences.
Kimberly Crossman, MA, Program Manager
Kimberly joined the Tracks staff in September 2007, bringing with her extensive experience in organizational management and expertise in federal grants management, program development and grant writing. Recently Kimberly served eight years as Executive Director of a federally funded, multi-state project based in Vancouver, WA. She has held staff and board positions with a variety of organizations, from grass roots to national, and rural to urban. Kimberly received her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and she earned her undergraduate degree in Community Health Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.
As Program Manager, Kimberly oversees the development of the state plan andthe implementation ofthe statewide program. This includes ensuring local project compliance in areas of administration and nutrition services and providing support and technical assistance in these areas.
Teresa (Gingrich) Yoder, RD, LDN, Nutritionist
Teresa moved to State College in November of 2007 after working as a Regional Clinical Nutrition Manager for Morrison Senior Dining in the Philadelphia area. She earned her undergraduate degree in Nutrition at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA and completed her dietetic internship through La Salle’s Coordinated Undergraduate Program. Her dietetic internship was completed at a variety of locations including: Pennsylvania Hospital, Coram Healthcare, a Ronald McDonald House Charities camp in northern CA, and the Penn State Cooperative Extension office of Philadelphia County. As the Tracks nutritionist, Teresa evaluates quarterly reports about statewide FSNE activities and program reach, and also manages the statewide digital curricula library.
Mary Montminy, Health Informatics Analyst
Mary joined Tracks in December 2006 as Staff Assistant, and then assumed the role of Assistant Program Manager in May 2007. She graduated with a B.S. in business from the Boston College School of Management with concentrations in computer science, economics, and accounting. Prior to joining Tracks, Mary was co-founder and chief administrator of a child psychology office, where she oversaw all aspects of the business, including finance/accounting, marketing, contracting and operations. In her role as Assistant Program Manager, she assists the Program Manager in developing the RFA, state plan, final report, and TRACKS policies. She also oversees office operations and coordinates human resources activities.
Bonnie Richardson, Staff Assistant
After working in the hospitality industry for more than eight years, Bonnie joined Tracks in November 2007. Previously, she worked at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Inn as a Front Desk Staff Assistant and as a restaurant manager in Virginia. She has an Associates Degree in General Business from the South Hills School of Business and Technology in State College, PA. As TRACKS Staff Assistant, Bonnie answers incoming calls, books staff travel arrangements, coordinates meetings, processes mail and deliveries, purchases office supplies, and provides staff support.
Judy Gromis, MS, RD, Program Evaluator
Judy obtained Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in nutrition from Penn State University. She joined TRACKS in April 2002 with over 20 years experience in public health nutrition in Pennsylvania. She has held operational positions on state and local levels with WIC and Head Start, gaining a wide range of experience in community nutrition program administration and interpretation of federal guidelines. As Program Evaluator, Judy plans and implements evaluation of the statewide FSNE program, and oversees development and maintenance of web based reporting systems to collect TRACKS programming data.
Denise Wall, MPH, RD, Evaluation Associate/Nutritionist
A native of northeastern Pennsylvania, Denise attended Penn State University and completed a Nutrition Science undergraduate degree in 2001. After working as a research technologist at Penn State for two years, she was accepted into the graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Denise's Masters program requirements included internship experiences at High Point Regional Hospital (High Point, NC), the Durham County Health Department (Durham, NC) and the Economic Research Service (Washington, DC.) Denise completed all coursework and requirements for the Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition at UNC-CH in 2005; she passed the certification exam to become a registered dietitian in 2006.
Denise has been part of the Tracks staff since January 2006. As the Evaluation Associate/Nutritionist, she works with the evaluation team to develop and implement evaluation tools, analyze data and report results, and assist and monitor the evaluation activities of our statewide partners.
Kim Bodes, MS, Project Data Specialist
After working for several years as a Project Manager at the Penn State Survey Research Center, Kim joined the TRACKS staff in June 2006. She is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. In addition, she earned a Master of Science degree in Rural Sociology and Demography at Penn State. As TRACKS Project Data Specialist, Kim serves on the evaluation team and assists with survey data collection and STAR system administration.
Joan Stover, Grant & Contract Accountant
Joan Stover serves PA Tracks as a Fiscal Staff Assistant. She joined the staff in June 2000 after graduating from South Hills School of Business & Technology with an Associate Degree in Specialized Business in Business Administration-Accounting. Since joining the Tracks staff, Joan has attended courses on Adobe Pagemaker and Microsoft PowerPoint, and she is proficient with Penn State's IBIS Accounting System.
As Fiscal Staff Assistant, Joan is primarily responsible for monitoring budgets for Tracks projects, preparing quarterly fiscal reports, maintaining financial transactions in accounting databases, corresponding with Project Directors, and assisting the Fiscal Manager in day-to-day fiscal operations of the program.
Laura Frye, Assistant Program Manager
Laura joined the Tracks staff in July 2008, with a strong background in both child and adult nutrition programs. Most recently, Laura’s professional experience as Food Service Director of two school districts included managing the child nutrition program and administering the National School Lunch Program. Previously, Laura coordinated the PrimeTime Health Program for the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc. where she scheduled, designed and presented healgh promotion and nutrition education activities. She has been a member of PANA(PA Advocates for Nutrition and Activity) and the Clearfield County Women’s Health Task force. Laura received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition for the Pennsylvania State University. In her role as Assistant Program Manager, she assists the Program Manager in developing the RFA, state plan, final report and TRACKS policies. She also oversees office operations and coordinates human resource activities.
Sharon Smith, RD, Nutritionist
Sharon joined the TRACKS staff in May 2008, after moving to Pennsylvania from Portland, Oregon where she worked as a Federal Healthy Start project director, a Health Research Interventionist and a WIC Lead Nutritionist. She also has 12 years of experience working as a Health Facility Coordinator and Surveyor in Long Term Care with the state of Maryland. Sharon earned her undergraduate degree in Medical Dietetics from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
As a TRACKS nutritionist, Sharon evaluates quarterly reports to monitor program integrity, collects data on program reach, conducts program reviews, provides technical assistance on nutrition education to the local projects, and assists in planning and conducting trainings for local projects.