Regarding Adoption of Revised Accreditation Standard IV (Program of Study)
As part of its continuous quality improvement process and periodic standards review cycle, the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE) has approved substantive revisions to Standard IV: Program of Study.
These revisions were developed to ensure ACNPE accreditation standards remain evidence-based, rigorous, and reflect current educational practices, advances in clinical nutrition, and the evolving needs of the profession.
The revised Standard IV was formally approved by the ACNPE Board of Directors on June 2, 2026, following the Council's standards review process.
The revised standard applies to all eligibility applications, self-study reports, and accreditation reviews submitted after January 1, 2027.
ACNPE extends its appreciation to the educators, practitioners, credentialing partners, and members of the public who provided valuable feedback during the review process.
For questions regarding the implementation of revised Standard IV or ACNPE accreditation policies, please contact info@acnpe.org.
ACNPE is governed by a board of directors composed of practicing nutritionists, nutrition educators, and public members, and it is managed by an executive director. The Advisory Panel of nutrition scientists, educators, and practitioners provides guidance and recommendations to the board based on their areas of specialization.
Board Members
Liz Abel, MS, MA, CNS, LDN Co-founder and Director, Nutrition Hive, LLC, Clinician's Incubator, LLC Philadelphia, PA Nutrition Professional Member
Andrew Erlandsen, ND Executive Dean of Academics & Administration Associate Professor Assistant Research Investigator Director, Food as Medicine Institute Chair, Institutional Review Board National University of Natural Medicine Portland, OR Educator Member
Gena Kadar, DC, MS, MEdL, CNS Vice President, Program Innovation Dean, College of Nutrition & School of Mental Health Sonoran University of Health Sciences Tempe, AZ Educator Member
Romilly Hodges, MS CNS, CN, IFMCP Research & Development Director KF Education & Consulting Sandy Hook, CT Nutrition Professional Member
Marcy Kirshenbaum, MS, CNS, LDN Enhance Nutrition, LLC Northbrook, IL Nutrition Professional Member
Susan Koblin Schear, BS, NBC-HWC Artisin, LLC SoulNorth Coaching & Wellness Newark, NJ Public Member
Board Officers
Andrew Erlandsen, Chair Romilly Hodges, Secretary Marcy Kirshenbaum, Treasurer
Key Administrative Staff
Executive Director Dana Reed, MS, CNS, CDN
Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Owens, MS, CNS, LDN
Advisory Panel
Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, FACN, FASN, CNS-S, Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Professor Emeritus
Nancy Cotter, MD, CNS, FACN, Director, Whole Health Flagship, Veterans Admin., NJ; Asst Clinical Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Rutgers, NJ Medical School
Aviad Haramati, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Medicine and co-director of the Graduate Program in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine; Director, Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education (CENTILE)
David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, Diet ID, Founder & CEO
Richard S. Lord, PhD, University of Bridgeport Adam Perlman, MD, MPH, Pendulum Therapeutics, Chief Medical Officer Gordon Saxe, MD, PhD, University of California San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine, Assistant Professor & Director of Research
Appeals Board
Liz Lipski, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMPC, BHCN, LDN Professor Emerita and former Director of Academic Development, Maryland University of Integrative Health Innovative Healing, LLC Portland, OR Educator Member
Peter Nickless, DC, PhD, MBA, MS Dean and Assistant Professor, Department of Online Education Northeast College of Health Sciences Seneca Falls, NY Educator Member
Jessica Pizano, DCN, CNS Clinical Paradigms, LLC Mast Cell Advanced Diagnostic, LLC Chesterfield, VA Professor, Doctoral and Masters Nutrition Programs Notre Dame of Maryland University Nutrition Professional Member
Alyson Roux, MS, CNS, LDN, MFA Nutrition Hive, LLC, Clinician's Incubator, LLC Wilmington, DE Nutrition Professional Member
Wendy Wagner, BA, MBA Retired; former Director of Retail Trade Relations, Private Label Manufacturers Association, New York, NY Public Member
Cheryl Musgrave, BA Owner and Advanced Certified Core Energetics Practitioner Liberating Flow, LLC Stamford, CT Public Member
Standards Development Committee
Board Members
James Snow
Susan Schear
Jonathan Truhlar, DC, NMD, CNS, LDN Functional Nutritional consultant DoctorTruhlar.com Channahon, IL Nutrition Professional Member
Emilia Hart, MS, CNS, LDN Smart Bites, LLC Norman, OK Nutrition Professional Member
Karen Herb, MS, CNS, LDN, FMCP Owner & Nutrition consultant Emerge Nutrition & Wellness, LLC Sunderland, MD Nutrition Professional Member
Jessica Kovalchik, DC, MS, CNS, FMCP, LDN, CDN Chair, Clinical Education and Practice Chair, Curriculum Committee Clinical Supervisor Sonoran University of Health Sciences Tempe, AZ Educator Member
Francesca Orlando, DSc, MS, LDN, CNS, BCH, NBC-HWC, NTP, CGP Assistant Professor American College of Healthcare Sciences Portland, OR Educator Member
Dana Elia, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND Associate Professor, Doctoral and Masters Nutrition Programs Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD Educator Member
