RBDA Names Retail Dietitian of the Year

Stephanie Schultz, MSM, RDN, CD, the director of Health and Wellness at Skogen’s Festival Foods in De Pere, Wisconsin was named the Retail Dietitian of the Year by the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA) at FMI Connect in Chicago. This award recognizes a retail dietitian who shows leadership in utilizing business skills and industry knowledge to positively impact consumer behavior change through the retail sector. “Retail dietitians like Stephanie are integral components to the retail experience, the linking consumer and staff health and wellness, store merchandising, buying, marketing and merchandising,” says Cathy Polley, RPh, Food Marketing Institute (FMI) vice president of Health and Wellness and executive director of the FMI Foundation. “We’re proud to support RDBA and help our food retail members better understand the influence and business opportunities that retail dietitians can provide.” As a director of Health and Wellness, Schultz leads the development and oversight of all nutrition, regulatory, and food safety programming for Festival Foods. She works closely with colleagues, customers, and community partners to educate them on nutrition and food safety topics and services, including assisting with an internal wellness program. In addition, she contributes to store profitability by increasing customer loyalty through nutrition services, and prevents loss by monitoring food safety standards and assuring compliance with federal guidelines. Schultz also led the development of the “Eat Well at Festival Foods Deli Program” that includes foodservice items and other products that meet specific nutrition criteria. Schultz also spearheads six advertisements a year where she creates a recipe and collaborates with other departments to decide which components will run at special prices. She also oversees “The Dietitian’s Pick,” a monthly program that flags 12 products letting customers know dietitians personally recommend the items.