Cara is a registered and licensed dietitian and an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who enjoys walking alongside clients in their health journeys to provide tailored support that meets their needs and fosters a positive relationship with food. She believes food is meant for both nourishment and enjoyment and strives to help individuals worry about food less so they can focus more on what’s important to them. Prior to joining the Healthier Tomorrows team, Cara worked in residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment. She has particular interests in women’s, pediatric, and adolescent health. As an IBCLC, she loves sharing her passion for breastfeeding with families and offering breastfeeding education and support to help them meet their infant feeding goals.
Cara attended North Carolina State University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Nutrition and dietetic internship through Meredith College. She completed her lactation coursework and clinical lactation training to become an IBCLC through North Carolina State University.
Outside of work, Cara enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and church community, baking, reading, and cheering on the NC State Wolfpack!
Marjorie is a registered dietitian committed to supporting individuals of all ages and their families in developing appropriate relationships with food and their bodies. Marjorie has supported people of all ages, including children, in their journey to overcome disordered eating behaviors and discouragement and to find freedom in recovery. She specializes in helping those struggling with disordered eating and chronic conditions, including children, and has specific experience in pediatric eating disorder recovery. She uses positive coping skills and individualized care to understand the whole person and their personal health concerns. Marjorie has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families to provide both individualized care and group sessions. She prioritizes a warm, caring approach that is supportive and strives to help every client to be understood and empowered.
She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where she studied dietetics and completed her dietetic internship with Primary Children’s, American Fork Hospital and LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and American Fork, Utah. She also attended Texas Tech University and received a Master of Science in Nutrition.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, playing baseball, gardening, and volunteering in her community.
Lauren Burkett, MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian who enjoys working with clients with a variety of disease states and supporting them in developing mindful eating habits and learning to recognize and honor their hunger cues through intuitive eating habits. She has a particular passion for working with clients struggling with gastrointestinal issues, including IBS/SIBO, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and low-fat diet post gallbladder removal, pancreatitis, diverticulitis/diverticulosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She also enjoys working with clients on challenges around emotional eating (with or without binge eating disorder), diabetes (with or without chronic kidney disease), women’s health issues (such as polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis, infertility, and low-sodium diets (for hypertension and/or heart disease).
Lauren believes that mental health is just as important as physical health, and she supports her clients in developing behaviors that will assist them in both areas of their lives. She takes great pleasure in providing individualized care to each of her clients and in working with them as they strive to reach their health and wellness goals that will help to support an improved lifestyle for years to come.
Lauren completed her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with minors in Biology, Medical Humanities, and Sociology from the University of Delaware (UD). She also earned her Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship and Design from UD. Lauren is currently working towards earning her Masters in Nutrition Education.
In her free time, Lauren loves to cook balanced meals (her favorites are shrimp scampi and chicken à la King), paint on canvas, go to spin and swim classes, and play with her pet bunnies, Quinoa and Pancake, and her Siberian husky/Alaskan Malamute and border collie/American Eskimo dogs, Bruno and Eevee!
Hannah Walker is a registered dietitian focused on helping her clients create and maintain a healthy relationship with food and achieve and sustain balanced lifestyles. Hannah has a true passion for helping clients live happier, heathier lives with the support of nutrition counseling. She works with her clients to help them establish balanced eating patterns, create healthy daily habits, and reach their desired health and wellness goals through empathetic, non-judgmental nutrition counseling techniques. Hannah believes health is not determined by a number on a scale, and she strives to create balance in the lives of her clients while debunking the harmful beliefs of diet culture.
Hannah was born and raised in northwest Ohio. She received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics along with a graduate certificate in Food and Nutrition from Bowling Green State University. She then completed her dietetic internship in Boston, Massachusetts.
Before joining Healthier Tomorrows, Hannah worked in an outpatient clinic setting focused on nutrition counseling for improved overall health and wellness. She also has experience working as a personal chef, helping her clients adopt healthier cooking techniques in their own homes. Along with providing one-on-one nutrition counseling, Hannah is well-equipped to provide virtual cooking sessions and support her clients with meal prep, and she also offers grocery store tours.
Hannah absolutely loves to cook and create new recipes in her free time. She also enjoys traveling and planning road trips with her husband, doing yoga, and enjoying joyful movement in nature!
It’s not uncommon to feel lost and confused when it comes to food. In fact, it’s frequently the norm. Jess steers away from the diet-mentality and focuses on a food-as-medicine and a “good, better, best” approach to educate and motivate clients to thrive and grow. Using her philosophy and approach, which are rooted in functional medicine, she has guided clients in healing and repairing their gut and addressing food sensitivities, including supporting a gluten free lifestyle; reversing diabetes, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure or inflammation; minimizing and managing chronic pain and headaches; and supporting couples in preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum health. She works with her clients to establish an individualized plan to support their specific health and wellness goals for optimal health.
Jess obtained her undergraduate degree in dietetics from Bradley University and completed her dietetic internship through the University of Houston. She was part of the Healthier Tomorrows dietetic team from 2013 through 2015, and rejoined Healthier Tomorrows in 2020 to provide virtual nutrition education and support! She has significant experience working with clients in outpatient settings, and enjoys fostering relationships with clients and providing ongoing support. She continues to enhance her knowledge through weekly webinars, lectures, self-study materials, and personal experiences. Jess also enjoys doing research to find answers to her clients’ nutrition-related questions.
Clients appreciate her non-judgmental, realistic, and upbeat approach.
Kimberly is a registered and licensed dietitian who is passionate about assisting her clients in achieving their health and wellness goals. Kimberly received a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition from University of Illinois in Chicago, and she completed her clinical training at UIC Medical Center, with rotations at Advocate Sykes outpatient wellness center, FoodMinds, Gourmet Gorilla, and CEDA WIC.
Kimberly has worked in outpatient private practice since becoming a registered dietitian, and uses a client-centered approach and motivational interviewing when working with her clients. She believes that all foods have a place in a well-balanced diet and that small but powerful changes over time will help individuals’ reach their goals.
Kimberly enjoys working with clients on a range of food-related issues, including eating disorder recovery, food allergies and intolerances, diabetes management, cardiovascular conditions, pre- and post-natal nutrition, pediatric nutrition, and general wellness.
Kimberly spends her free time teaching fitness classes, cooking, walking her over 100-pound dog, and planning her next vacation. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially her husband and son.