Contact Us

Have a specific question? Reach out!

Certification questions:	Certification@iaedpfoundation.com
Membership questions:	Membership@iaedpfoundation.com
Chapter questions:	Chapters@iaedpfoundation.com
Registering for or attending the iaedp symposium:	2025SymposiumInfo@iaedpfoundation.com
Questions about EDR:	EDR@iaedpfoundation.com
International Chapter	InternationalAffairs@iaedpfoundation.com
Phone or fax: General Questions:	800-800-8126 information@iaedpfoundation.com 1701 E Empire Street, Ste 360-112, Bloomington, IL 61704

Administrative Team

View the organizational chart.

Dawn Gannon, MBA, CAE, Executive Director

Dawn Gannon, MBA, CAE, is a results-driven nonprofit executive with a distinguished career in strategic leadership, global operations, and board governance. With extensive experience in C-suite leadership, she specializes in developing and executing sustainable growth strategies, enhancing operational efficiency, and leading multi-national teams through complex challenges.

As a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn has successfully guided organizations through transformative change, leveraging data-driven insights to optimize membership engagement, fundraising, and program execution. Her ability to build high-performing teams, foster stakeholder collaboration, and implement innovative solutions has positioned her as a trusted leader in association and nonprofit sectors. Passionate about empowering association and nonprofit leaders, she champions inclusion and drives meaningful, measurable impact in communities worldwide.

Following her service as Deputy Executive Director for the Academy for Eating Disorders and with a visionary mindset and a commitment to best practices, Dawn now focuses on ensuring the iaedp Foundation remains a dynamic, collaborative, inclusive, and respected resource and catalyst for global excellence serving the eating disorders community.

1-800-800-8126 ext 185 | dawn@iaedpfoundation.com

Sara Cantu, Director of Certification & Education

Sara has a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling and Supervision, is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Consultant, Certified Infant Massage Instructor, and is part of a Therapy Animal Team with her Pomeranian, Shiner. Sara has taught graduate courses at the University of North Texas, the University of North Texas at Dallas, Oregon State University, University of the Southwest, and Northwestern University. She has worked as the director of eating disorder treatment facilities, as well as providing clinical care at the inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care. In private practice, she has provided outpatient care for 13 years. Sara has contributed to the body of eating disorder literature through research focused on supervision, linguistic analysis, eating disorders and self harm, as well as textbook chapters focusing on the use of play therapy in the treatment of eating disorders. Sara served as a member of the DFW iaedp chapter for 5 years. Sara enjoys trying new recipes, swimming, spending time outdoors, and learning new things.

1-800-800-8126 ext 188 | sara@iaedpfoundation.com

Maricarmen Diaz Juarez, Director of Language & Translation

Maricarmen Díaz lives in Mexico City. She dedicated most of her professional career - nearly thirty years - to being a university professor and researcher in the field of Law. Her academic and professional preparation comes with a Law degree, a master's degree in Higher Education and a PhD in Private Law, so her command of Spanish is at a very advanced level. Since 2015, she started with the Spanish translation of the Eating Disorders Review and since 2020 she has been part of the iaedp™ team as Director of Language and Translation, being the Spanish face of the association. She likes to think that with her work, she helps valuable information reach more people, in Spanish-speaking countries, who are looking for treatment for recovery from these complex illnesses. Currently, she also has his own company: Your business in Spanish: culturally sensitive Spanish translation specializing in mental health and eating disorders. In her free time she enjoys reading about personal development and novels by Latin American authors, swimming daily and outdoor activities.

1-800-800-8126 ext 186 | maricarmen@iaedpfoundation.com

Pat Gabbard, Volunteer & Member Services Specialist

Patricia Gabbard lives in Phoenix, Arizona, She has been with iaedp Foundation for 11 years. Coming from a construction background, In 2000 made the career decision to change direction after a conversation with a friend. Began working at Remuda Ranch in the nursing department at the adolescent center. That is how she learned of iaedp Foundation. A mother of boys and grandmother of boys and great grandchildren also a boy, with the first little girl to join all the males in her life in April, 2024. She enjoys spending time with the kiddos in her life and playing pickleball. Not very well as she says, but has fun just the same. Road trips and church events are other activities she enjoys.

1-800-800-8126 ext 184 | pat@iaedpfoundation.com

Chita Gastelum, Electronic Communications & Support Services Specialist

Chita Gastelum (she/her/ella) is a Certified Integrated Healthcare Recovery Support Specialist and a Licensed Community Health Worker Instructor with a focus on recovery support for eating disorders, mental wellness, autism, and neurodiversity. Chita is also a 500-Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) specializing in somatic practices, offering trauma-sensitive restorative yoga for individuals with eating disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Dedicated to accessible care, she emphasizes support for marginalized, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Rooted in her Native heritage, Chita embraces her role as an Indigenous 2Spirit Walker (Curandera), Pastoral Counselor, and advanced Reiki Medicine Teacher Instructor. She continues her studies in Indigenous medicine and public health wellness, building toward her private practice. Outside of her work, Chita enjoys quality time with family, connecting with nature, and rescuing animals.

1-800-800-8126 ext 189 | chita@iaedpfoundation.com

Melody “Mel” Jordan-Carr, Director of Membership Services and Operations

Rooted in the belief that membership is the business of people and the power of community, Melody Jordan-Carr has been both a student and a contributor to the tree of membership knowledge for trade associations, non-profits, and professional societies of diverse sizes and industries. From nurturing membership teams, to growing value-driven programs, she has been a trusted advisor to leaders and staff to germinate membership solutions that help non-profit/ association memberships flourish. An empathetic, creative, strategic… and yes, data-driven association leader, Melody has invested in the growth of numerous organizations over more than two decades including the American Trucking Associations, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, and the National League of Cities, among others. Melody has presented on association management, membership, and strategy at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership’s Annual meetings, Great Ideas Conference, and Membership Marketing Communications and Technology. Additionally, as a subject matter expert in membership management, operations and marketing, she has spoken at annual meetings for several state associations: the New England Society of Assocation Executives, Washington Society of Association Executives, and the Kansas Society of Association Executives. She earned her master's degree in Nonprofit and Association management and bachelor’s degree in journalism. She currently serves as the chair of the ASAE Foundation’s Foresight Works Advisory Group.

1-800-800-8126 ext 182 | melody@iaedpfoundation.com

Rachael Martin, MS, RDN, LD, CEDS, Chapters and Committees Specialist

Rachael Martin is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist. She has worked in the field of eating disorders for over 30 years. Rachael is new to the IAEDP Team, having joined in March of 2024, but not new to IAEDP. She has been a Certified member for 13 years, and has been involved with IAEDP for 28 years. In addition to her service to IAEDP, Rachael works in private practice with a primary focus on Eating Disorders. Rachael holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition Science from the University of Arizona, and a Masters Degree in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her Dietetic Internship at St Mary's Corondolet Hospital in Tucson, AZ. Prior to IAEDP, Rachael worked as the coordinator of the Dietetic Internship at Oakwood University, and has been adjunct faculty at Oakwood for 13 years. Additionally, she has worked at several eating disorder treatment centers, including Sierra Tucson and Mirasol Eating Disorder Recovery Centers, and Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital. She also worked at the University of Arizona Campus Health Center. Rachael has worked both professionally and on a volunteer basis as a nutritionist to dance companies, student dance teams, and with other student and collegiate athletes. This included nutrition counseling to the Lady Wildcat Women’s Basketball team, to the Dance Department at the University of Arizona, and the Ballet Tucson, in Tucson, AZ. Currently Rachael is the nutritionist for Elevate Dance Company, and for Studio 22 Dance Company, in Huntsville, AL. Rachael is married and has two grown daughters. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, and engaging in her hobbies—including crafting, recipe development, baking, and cake decorating.

1-800-800-8126 ext 181 | rachael@iaedpfoundation.com

Allie Moody, Continuing Education Specialist

Allie Moody is the continuing education specialist for iaedp and fitness enthusiast from the Midwest, in recovery from an eating disorder. Married with a toddler and expecting another child in May 2025. Allie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, especially taking her son to the BMX track where he loves to race his balance bike. Alongside her husband, she co-owns PowerPups, a functional fitness gym that empowers kids aged 3-15 to embrace movement and build confidence.

allie@iaedpfoundation.com

Feyisola Ogunfemi, Director of Events

Feyisola Ogunfemi is an Ivy League trained Computer Engineer, turned event planner. Shortly after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she won the Miss Nigerian Independence pageant, then produced a scholarship ball which led her to her ultimate passion in event planning. She later received her certificate in Meeting, Conference and Event Management from New York University and then started Statuesque Events, a company that she's run for 14 years. She also holds PMP and PSM II project management certifications. She is passionate about combining her natural creativity, with her years of project management experience to produce purposeful, memorable and organized events. When she's not working on events, she loves to travel, read, volunteer in church, plan girls nights and spend time with loved ones. She is excited about serving IAEDP's meetings and events!

1-800-800-8126 ext 183 | fey@iaedpfoundation.com

Tom Pappas, Finance Director

Tom is a Senior level financial and operations professional with over 37 years of for-profit and non-profit experience. His areas of expertise include financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, non-profit governance, banking compliance, cash management, system implementations, policies and procedures documentation, grant management (federal and private), internal control reviews, board presentations, organization assessments, audit management, organization formation and dissolution, and IRS non-profit application completion and submission. Prior to joining CLA, Tom worked for a professional services firm, for nine years, which specialized in working with Non-Profit organizations. He held positions as CFO, Treasurer and Executive Director for many of the Non-Profit Association clients for a Professional services firm (including Senior Vice President for the firm managing four departments), that managed more than 70 Non-Profits (primarily Associations), around the world. Prior to that Tom held positions as Director of Finance and Administration for a social services non-profit and CFO of a long-standing non-profit preservation society. Tom currently works with a variety of nonprofit industries: Associations, Human Services, Community Development, Religious and Tech groups.

tom@iaedpfoundation.com

Elsie Valdes, Social Media Coordinator

Elsie Valdes is a 2023 graduate from the University of San Francisco where she majored in psychology and minored in Spanish and entrepreneurship and innovation. As a student she worked for the Coca-Cola Company as a brand ambassador, creating content and promoting the brand through on campus events. Currently she works as a clinical psychologist at an eating disorder treatment center and is coordinator of institutional development and supports brand development, creating content and promoting the brand in Latin America.