ASPDA Staff
Amy Freel is the Executive Director for the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association. Amy was one of the founding members for ASPDA in 2010 and served on the Executive Board for 4 years. During her time on the Board, Amy worked as the Annual Conference chair. She was awarded the ASPDA Excellence Award in 2016. During her time on the Executive Board, Amy additionally served as the first registered dietitian as an Ad Hoc member of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) for 2 years. Previously Amy spent six years at Indiana University developing a comprehensive nutrition program geared toward improving the training, performance and recovery of Indiana's student-athletes. Amy was promoted to senior assistant athletic director for sport medicine & sport performance in May 2014 and oversaw sports medicine, sports nutrition and sport psychology services for the Hoosier athletes. Prior to Indiana, Amy spent spent 2002-10 building the same program at Virginia Tech. Amy was the 5th full-time Sports RD in collegiate athletics and has been passionate about creating full-time Sports RD positions in college and professional programs. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ball State University, where she competed in intercollegiate gymnastics for four years. Amy and her husband, Mike, have four children, Ben, Matt, Ashley and Luke.
Chief Operations Officer: Kim Byer is the Chief Operations Officer for the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association, and was previously the Director of Marketing and Membership. She focuses on elevating ASPDA’s brand awareness, member engagement, and partnership opportunities. Previously, Kim spent three years at Florida State University’s Donald L. Tucker Civic Center working for Spectra Venue Management. She began her career as the Group Sales & Premium Services Manager, then later transitioned into the marketing department, ultimately being promoted to Director of Marketing for the facility. While at FSU, she planned and negotiated all paid media for the venue and its events, managed the website, social media platforms and email communications, as well as implemented sponsorship agreements and assets. Kim received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Management from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. During her four undergraduate years, she was a member of the women’s soccer program, going on to captain and win a NCAA Division II National Championship her senior year. She then stayed to complete her Master’s Degree in Business while continuing with the women’s soccer program as an Assistant Coach for two seasons. Kim resides outside of Phoenix, AZ, with her husband, Nick, and son, Weston.
Annie Hogan Lowry is a registered dietitian and a member of ASPDA since 2013. She is from Clarksville, TN. She graduated with her undergraduate degree from Western Kentucky University. She attended Indiana State University where she earned her master’s degree in applied health science and completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Annie worked at the University of Tennessee, was the Director of Sports Nutrition at Baylor University, and University of Tulsa. After making the decision to walk away from College Athletics to focus on her two young sons she was the Director of Collegiate Sales for Momentous for over two and a half years. She currently resides in Murfreesboro, TN with her husband Calvin, her two sons, Deuce and Klay, and her two dogs, Boss and Blue.
Marketing and Digital Content Creator: Allison Hamilton is the Marketing & Digital Content Creator for ASPDA. She is new to the sports nutrition industry and previously worked in marketing for a commercial HVAC manufacturing rep. She specializes in video and digital marketing and is passionate about creative storytelling. Allison has a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Emory & Henry College where she produced a student documentary focusing on a study abroad trip to Cuba. She is originally from Roanoke, Virginia, but currently lives in North Carolina. She enjoys reading, adventuring, and spending time with her fiancé and their dog, Charlie.
Member Service Manager: Michele Nichols is the Member Service Manager for the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association. Originally from Buffalo, NY, her extensive background spans sports, nutrition, and nonprofit management. She began her career with the NFL Players Association in Washington, DC. After moving to Pittsburgh, PA, Michele focused her career and education on physical activity and health programming. In 2009, she began volunteering with Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. (P3R) for the Pittsburgh Marathon, which led her to become P3R’s youth programming manager. Over the next decade, she developed and managed P3R’s Kids of STEEL program, which promoted physical activity and nutrition among youth. During her time with the program, Kids of STEEL was honored as the 2015 Youth Program of the Year by Running USA. In 2018, she pursued her Master’s degree while working as a research coordinator for a study focusing on family support for people with diabetes. She recently served as membership manager for a healthcare society. Michele received her undergraduate degree in Sports Behavior from West Virginia University and her Master’s in Physical Activity and Health Programming and Promotion from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives near Pittsburgh with her family and enjoys yoga, reading, and a great cup of coffee.
Department for 10 years and the consultant sports dietitian with the Utah Jazz for 16 years. Beth has worked with Bowdoin College, Bates College, and a variety of high schools in both Maine and Utah. She served on the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Associations Board of Directors for 4 years. She was the recipient of the ASPDA Excellence Award in 2015. Beth Wolfgram is a Registered Dietitian and earned a Master of Science degree in nutrition from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from Northeastern University. She is a Board- Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). She has worked in the sports nutrition and wellness field for over 25 years around the United States, England, and Australia. She loves outdoor activities, traveling with her family, participating in triathlons, fresh hot bread, roasted Brussel sprouts, good coffee, and chocolate!
Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP) Coordinator: Allison Mankowski is the Coordinator of the Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP). She was the Performance Dietitian for Eastern Michigan University from 2011-2022, where she spent 11 years developing the performance nutrition department and was the first full-time performance dietitian for the Mid-American Conference. She is currently the owner of a nutrition counseling practice specializing in treating athletes with eating disorders and has also served as a consultant dietitian for the Detroit Lions, as well as many local gyms, clubs, high schools and universities. Allison is a recurring guest lecturer for the University of Michigan Medical School, School of Kinesiology and School of Public Health. She served on the ASPDA Conference Planning Committee from 2021-2024. Allison completed her undergraduate degree in Movement Science at the University of Michigan, where she was a 4-year member of the varsity cheerleading team. She received her MPH in Human Nutrition/Dietetics and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.
Allison currently resides near Detroit, MI with her husband and two kids. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and attending sporting events with her family. As a lifelong athlete, she continues to stay active in biking, running, yoga, hiking, as well as serving as director for a youth cheerleading program. |
Executive Director:
