Empowering Healthy Communities: 2025 Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award Winners Announced

2025 Let's Eat Healthy Award

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dairy Council of California, a leader in nutrition education and advocacy, is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award. This esteemed recognition celebrates outstanding leaders who empower children, families and communities to develop lifelong healthy eating patterns. The award highlights leaders who make a significant impact through nutrition and agricultural education, collaboration and advocacy, furthering the purpose of the Let's Eat Healthy Initiative.

"Since the Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award program began in 2019, it has continued to identify and celebrate champions who are making a difference in their communities,” stated California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. "Nutrition and agriculture play vital roles in the health and well-being of our state, and these awardees are leading the way in ensuring that all Californians have access to nourishing, sustainable food. Congratulations to this year's Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award winners!”

Following are the 2025 Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award Recipients:

Kori Dover, Registered Dietitian, Director, Food and Nutrition Outreach, California Beef Council
A passionate advocate for nutrition education, Kori Dover collaborates with Dairy Council of California to train dietetic interns, school nutrition professionals and chefs. She has played a vital role in integrating dairy-inclusive agricultural literacy into professional education and co-creating initiatives like Grateful Grazing, a Journey Through California's Harvest. Her leadership strengthens partnerships and promotes balanced nutrition across multiple sectors.
Maggie Yu-DiPasquale, Wellness Organization Facilitator, Los Angeles Unified School District
Maggie Yu-DiPasquale has championed nutrition education by partnering with Dairy Council of California to co-create a 12-episode nutrition series aired on KLCS-PBS. This initiative bridges the gap between schools and families with engaging, science-based learning resources. She is currently collaborating on a middle school nutrition series that highlights dairy's role in healthy eating patterns, reaching hundreds of thousands of students, parents and educators through multimedia learning tools.
Raquel Santillan Maldonado, Kids Eat Right Program Coordinator, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula - Montage Health
Leading the Kids Eat Right program, Raquel Santillan Maldonado integrates Let's Eat Healthy resources into a five-week curriculum featuring interactive cooking lessons and bilingual activity trackers. Her efforts help families reinforce healthy eating habits at home while also emphasizing sustainability through food waste reduction activities. Her leadership has expanded the program to 25 schools across Monterey County, benefiting thousands of children and families.
Smriti Mehta, Northern California Student, Nutrition Education Advocate
High school student Smriti Mehta is making waves in nutrition education with her blog that simplifies nutrition science for teens. Inspired by her father's type 2 diabetes diagnosis, she also authored a children's book shared with hundreds of students. Her outreach has gone global, speaking to students in India about incorporating cultural foods into a balanced diet. Mehta is currently working with university professors to launch a podcast that debunks nutrition myths using Dairy Council of California resources.
Steven D. Miller, Former Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructor, Dairy Council of California (Posthumous Recognition)
Honored for his unwavering dedication of 22 years to agricultural literacy and education, Steven Miller's contributions to Dairy Council of California will have a lasting impact. His passion for empowering future generations has inspired innovation and collaboration in dairy agricultural literacy, leaving a legacy that will shape sustainable food systems for years to come.

"We are incredibly proud to recognize these outstanding leaders who are making a difference in public health, nutrition and agricultural education,” said Amy DeLisio, CEO, Dairy Council of California. "Their efforts continue to create lasting, positive change in the lives of individuals and communities across California, and for Steve Miller, his dedication, impact and legacy will never be forgotten.”

To learn more about the Let's Eat Healthy Leadership Award winners, visit HealthyEating.org/Award.

About Dairy Council of California

For over a century, Dairy Council of California has empowered stakeholders, including educators, health professionals and community leaders, to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits. Funded by California's dairy farm families, local milk processors and under the guidance of California Department of Food and Agriculture, Dairy Council of California's science-based nutrition education resources, Mobile Dairy Classroom assemblies, training programs and online resources are available at no cost, helping provide nutrition education to millions of students and families in California and throughout the United States. Learn more at DairyCouncilofCA.org.

About the Let's Eat Healthy Initiative

Launched by Dairy Council of California, Let's Eat Healthy is an initiative that brings together community leaders and stakeholders with expertise in education, school foodservice, public health, health care and agriculture, inviting these change-makers to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating patterns. Through coordination and collaboration, Let's Eat Healthy strives to provide sustainable solutions to champion community health and make healthy, wholesome foods accessible to all. The Let's Eat Healthy Initiative is driven to provide dynamic educational resources and tools at no cost, peer networking, amplification of best practices and the latest in nutrition information, uniting individuals and organizations through shared values. Participate in the initiative and make a difference at HealthyEating.org.