Eleanor Garrow-Holding
President & Chief Executive Officer

Eleanor Garrow-Holding has worked, educated, and advocated in the food allergy community since 2004. She was inspired to start this work after her son, Thomas, was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame; eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) triggered by milk and wheat; asthma; and environmental allergies. In December 2015, Thomas had a food challenge with wheat and was no longer IgE-allergic to wheat. After a 3-month trial with wheat and another 3-month trial with milk (post wheat) in his diet and upper endoscopies, he has also outgrown the wheat and milk triggers for EoE and is in remission from EoE as of July 2016. Thomas outgrew his peanut allergy in 2016 at age thirteen. In October 2019, at age sixteen, Thomas outgrew almond, sesame, and brazil nut and continues to avoid walnut, cashew, pecan, hazelnut, and pistachio.

As CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT), Eleanor provides leadership, development, and implementation for all of FAACT’s initiatives and programs, including Camp TAG (The Allergy Gang) – a summer camp for children with food allergies and their siblings that Eleanor founded in 2009. Eleanor has a Bachelor of Healthcare Administration degree from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL, and worked in hospital management for 16 years in Chicago and suburban Chicago prior to working in the nonprofit sector.

After Thomas was diagnosed in 2004, Eleanor established a food allergy support group in a southwest Chicago suburb, Parents of Children Having Allergies (POCHA) of Will County, focusing on education and advocacy; chaired the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Chicago in 2007 and 2008; was awarded the FAAN Muriel C. Furlong Award for Community Service in 2008; and advocated in the Illinois state legislature on food allergy and Eosinophilic Disorders (EGID, EoE) issues. Thanks to the efforts of Eleanor and other patient advocates, legislation to ensure insurance coverage for elemental formulas was signed into law in 2007 and legislation establishing food allergy management guidelines for Illinois schools was signed into law in 2009.

Eleanor joined the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network™ (FAAN) in 2009 as Vice President of Education and Outreach, where she oversaw educational initiatives, all food allergy conferences, the Teen Summit, Camp TAG (The Allergy Gang) now under FAACT’s umbrella, a Teen Advisory Group, support group development, and more. She advocated for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) in Washington, DC, with her son Thomas as part of FAAN’s Kids Congress on Capitol Hill and also advocated on Capitol Hill for the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. Eleanor served on the expert panel for the CDC’s Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs and was a reviewer for the National Association of Education (NEA) Food Allergy Book: What School Employees Need to Know. Eleanor conducted numerous radio, television, and print interviews on food allergy issues and wrote articles for Allergic Living and Living Without magazines. She presented at national and regional conferences about food allergy management in school and restaurant settings and educated personnel in schools and school districts across the country on food allergy management in schools and continues to do so with FAACT.

In 2013, Eleanor joined the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders (CCED) as Senior Specialist of Program Management at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. There she led day-to-day clinical operations, clinical research projects, program development, marketing, and development.

Eleanor has and continues to educate employees from numerous food industry companies and entertainment venues about food allergies, such as McDonald’s Corporation, The Hain Celestial Group, Mars Chocolate North America, all SeaWorld Parks, and more.

Leading the charge at FAACT, Eleanor and the FAACT Leadership Team provides the education, advocacy, awareness, and grassroots outreach needed for the food allergy community. Eleanor serves on the DBV Technologies Peanut Allergy Patient Advisory Board, the National Peanut Board's Allergy Education Advisory Council, Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform Board (GAAPP), Sea World's Allergy Resource Team, St. Louis Children’s Food Allergy Management & Education (FAME) National Advisory Board, and Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) Food Allergen Control Committee. In August 2015, Eleanor was inducted into The National Association of Professional Women's (NAPW) VIP Professional of the Year Circle for her commitment to healthcare and nonprofit industries. FAACT is The Voice of Food Allergy Awareness. In 2022, Eleanor was a Contributor for The Change Guidebook (3-8-2022, HCI/Simon & Schuster).

You may reach Eleanor at Eleanor.Garrow@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Amelia G. Smith, JD
General Counsel and Vice President, Civil Rights Advocacy

Amelia G. Smith, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, practiced law in a variety of areas as a managing member of Pipkin & Murphree, PLLC before joining McLaurin Law Offices, pllc. Amelia received her B.A. in English from Mississippi University for Women and her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi, where she concentrated on civil rights and employment discrimination.

After her son, Robert, was diagnosed with food allergies, Amelia founded Food Allergic Children’s Education in Tupelo (“FACE IT”), the only support and education organization for families with food allergies in Mississippi at the time. Once she learned about the challenges students and families with food allergies face in childcare centers and schools, Amelia developed an interest in special education law. She is a 2012 graduate of William & Mary School of Law’s Institute of Special Education Advocacy. Amelia is admitted to the Bars of the State of Mississippi, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Lee County Bar Association, and Lee County Young Lawyers Association.

As a member of the FAACT Leadership Team, Amelia’s focus will be on Civil Rights Advocacy, advocating for food-allergic individuals’ rights to safely and equally participate in activities alongside their non-allergic peers.

You may reach Amelia at Amelia.Smith@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Nicole Della Santina, MPH
Vice President, Public Health

Nicole Della Santina is a seasoned professional and food allergy advocate with a diverse background spanning communication, public health, and business strategy. Her academic journey began at UC Davis, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric & Communication with a minor in Psychology, setting the stage for a multidisciplinary approach to her career. Initially, Nicole worked in the technology industry leveraging her extensive skills and background in marketing and public relations strategy. Her work included consulting with clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, overseeing successful repositioning projects and playing a key role in the launches of cutting-edge companies. However, business travel became more difficult as Nicole’s second child was diagnosed with multiple food allergies and the challenges of food allergy management came to the forefront for her and her family.

As a result, Nicole’s journey into public health began with her role as a food allergy facilitator and trainer in her community’s local school district. In this capacity, she designed annual training programs for staff, collaborated with school administration to develop food allergy safety initiatives, and taught essential food allergy management skills to administration, teachers, and parents. Serving as a liaison for physician, educational, and non-profit resources, she provided individualized training and counsel as needed. Building upon her community involvement, Nicole joined forces with her local, board-certified allergist and served as a charter board member of WestCAAN. She was instrumental in the creation of this non-profit organization focused on creating a safer environment in California schools for those affected by severe allergies and asthma. Motivated by the health challenges that her son faced, she later earned her master’s in public health with a Community Health Sciences focus from Baylor University.

Nicole sits on an advisory council for the Sonoma County Community Health Worker program, where she contributes to creating sustainable programs for CHW’s and community allies in accordance with CDC rules. She has also contributed to the development of public health and educational programs at healthline.com, AllerKids, the Council on Aging, and Latitude Food Allergy Care. Nicole brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering understanding, advocacy, and positive change in the realm of public health. She is excited about the opportunity to continue advancing initiatives that empower individuals, educate communities, and build a future where everyone can thrive, free from the challenges of food allergies.

As FAACT’s Vice President of Public Health, Nicole will be responsible for advancing the organization’s public health presence by developing, implementing, and managing both internal and external community health related strategies, partnerships, programs, and initiatives.

You may reach Nicole at Nicole.DellaSantina@FoodAllergyAwareness.org.

Linda Menighan
Vice President, Programs

Linda Menighan has been passionately educating, advocating, and volunteering in the food allergy community for more than 17 years after her daughter, Bailey, was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. Linda graduated from King’s College in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Gerontology and Biology. Linda worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 17 years, including research and development for a large biotech company, where she sequenced DNA for prostate and ovarian cancer patients. She expanded her working knowledge in the laboratory environment as she moved into a technical sales role while assisting scientists with manufacturing their pharmaceutical product.

Faced with a busy travel schedule and a child with life-threatening allergies, Linda moved to a business development position in pharmaceutical manufacturing that allowed her to work from home and travel less. As the pharmaceutical industry became more fluid, Linda found herself in her element consulting with families of children with food allergies, sharing the knowledge she had gained from preparing Bailey for school, sports, and other social situations. Helping families with food allergies is Linda’s true passion in life.

Linda is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing for a local assisted living and skilled nursing retirement community. She manages the sales process while executing sales and marketing strategies outlined in her marketing plan, and she is responsible for quarterly community and professional outreach events.

Over the years, Linda has helped with FAACT’s Camp TAG, Teen Retreat, and the TEAL FunFest. Linda volunteered her time as a committee member in local food allergy walks and still speaks publicly about living with food allergies. She attends medical conferences and seminars to represent FAACT and to learn what’s new in the world of food allergies. She also trains school staff, nurses, and teachers in her New Jersey school district how to safely include students with food allergies.

As FAACT’s Vice President of Programs, Linda will oversee logistics for FAACT programs and events such as Camp TAG, Food Industry & Research Summit, Leadership Summit, Teen Retreat, and more. Linda will also continue to help create resources and continue to educate and advocate for families and individuals living with food allergies.

You may reach Linda at Linda.Menighan@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Caroline Moassessi
Vice President, Community Relations

Caroline Moassessi is the founder and author of the food allergy and asthma blogsite Gratefulfoodie, but her passion for spreading awareness is fueled by the food allergy community and her family. She speaks nationally to the food industry, state, and local groups to raise awareness and to encourage food allergy-related change through policy and education.

After a brief move back to her home state of California, Caroline discovered a life-changing parent support group. After experiencing the power of connecting with other parents, she co-founded the long-running (over 16 years) Northern Nevada Asthma and Food Allergy Education Group, which is a FAACT-recognized support group. Caroline has appeared on Sirius XM – Doctor Radio, her local ABC affiliate network, and local radio. She also served as past board president and as treasurer for the American Lung Association Southwest Regional Board.

Caroline was the lead advocate for mandated school stock epinephrine law in the State of Nevada; in addition to presenting the need for epinephrine legislation at the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), with deceased NCSL past present, Senator Debbie Smith. Caroline co-authored the first school food anaphylaxis policy in the State of Nevada and continues to volunteer her time with the Washoe County School District to support revised policymaking.

Her passion for making change and raising awareness has brought her to Capitol Hill twice to discuss food allergy-related legislation. It continues as she reaches out to her elected officials.

Her belief that communication and sharing of information continued as Product Editor and contributor for Allergic Living Magazine. Caroline’s past work includes Huffington Post contributor and a frequent visitor on the Parenting Food Allergy Podcast. She never passes up an opportunity to speak or talk about tools for successful living with food allergies and asthma.

Caroline has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and has traveled the world as a trainer in this industry. An avid baker, she is finally dabbling in bread making and more cooking. Caroline loves reading, learning, and making jewelry. But most of all, she enjoys living a simple life with her family. She lives in Reno with her husband, college-aged son and high school-aged daughter who manage food allergy and asthma.

As FAACT's vice president of community relations, Caroline will grow FAACT’s communication and engagement with the food allergy community, host FAACT’s Roundtable Podcast, and manage education training programs and diversity initiatives. Stay tuned for FAACT’s exciting lineup of podcast guests that you won’t want to miss.

You may reach Caroline at Caroline.Moassessi@FoodAllergyAwareness.org.

Kristin M. Osborne
Vice President, Education

Kristin M. Osborne is a passionate, certified disability advocate and native of Virginia where she has navigated food allergies in her family for over two decades. Her husband and three sons all have various life-threatening food allergies to wheat, dairy, egg, peanut, tree nut, shellfish, and fish. Her first experience with food allergies as a parent was in 2004 when her oldest son had an allergic reaction to shrimp at the age of two. 

She is the founder of Virginia Food Allergy Advocates, a support group whose mission is to educate and advocate for families living with food allergies. Kristin has trained school systems in Virginia by providing food allergy education and Section 504 workshops for school administrators, teachers, staff, and parents. Her work in the community was instrumental in changing Virginia Beach Public Schools' food allergy guidelines to include epinephrine training for bus drivers. The policy requires bus drivers to be trained to administer epinephrine to students who self-carry medication, when needed. 

Kristin served three years as a food allergy walk chairwoman in Virginia. She and her committee doubled both walker participation and funds raised by sponsors and teams. 

Kristin is a graduate of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities Partners in Policy (PIP) Making Program. As a certified disability advocate, Kristin navigates food allergies, asthma, ADHD, and anaphylaxis in the community and at home. She served as co-chairman of the Tidewater Alumni Regional Chapter, PIP and worked to engage PIP alumni and advocate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A frequent advocate at both the Virginia State Capitol and the U.S. Capitol, she has shared many personal stories and stories of families in her community with elected officials to raise awareness for food allergies, asthma, developmental disabilities, and to increase funding for critical programs. For over five years, Kristin has served on her local Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities Board to improve the awareness of every persons’ abilities rather than their disabilities.  

Kristin is also owner of The Prioritized Group, where she works to empower families whose children have ADHD and food allergies from the classroom to the kitchen.

As FAACT’s Vice President of Education Kristin will oversee food allergy education in schools, support group development, and other education initiatives and will represent FAACT at medical conferences. Kristin looks forward to continuing her mission of community health and wellness and maintaining her strong commitment to bringing more education and awareness on the issues that accompany food allergies to our families, communities, and schools with FAACT.

You may reach Kristin at Kristin.Osborne@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Aleasa Word
Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A Delaware native and Atlanta transplant, Aleasa Word has been a longtime advocate and support group leader in the food allergy community. Her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is supported by her experience as a certified Emotional Intelligence Assessor Practitioner and Coach as well as a Trauma Support Specialist. As Principal of A. Word & Company, she provides training and coaching around the world on cultural dexterity and competency, equitable outcomes, belonging programs, and employee resource groups. Aleasa is passionate about anti-racism, healing racial trauma, gender equity, equality in healthcare, social emotional learning, and social impact.

After her young daughter was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies, Aleasa was inspired to create the Food Allergic Multicultural Society of Delaware to support inclusion in food allergy and asthma spaces. This organization became the umbrella for Compassion for Anaphylaxis Outreach, The Trailblazer Awards, and Love Remembers Day, a day to honor families who have endured loss due anaphylaxis. Aleasa also spent time working with state legislators and received the first public acknowledgements from the Delaware House of Representatives and Governor in observance of Food Allergy Awareness. This supporting documentation helped physicians make the case for access to epinephrine in Delaware public schools.

Aleasa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Dynamics from Wilmington University with specializations in Conflict Resolution, Trauma Informed Approaches, and Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. She received advanced diversity education from the University of South Florida and is a certified Women’s Business Advocate.

As FAACT’s Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Aleasa will oversee the development of community support in the DEI space, develop resource materials, and identify programming needs to support broader inclusivity among people affected by food allergies.

You may reach Aleasa at Aleasa.Word@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Emery Brown, Ed.S., NCSP - Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Director, Behavioral Health

Emery Brown, a native of New Jersey, has been heavily involved in the food allergy community for over ten years. Emery began her collaboration with FAACT as a volunteer teen counselor for FAACT’s Camp TAG when it launched in 2010 and was a counselor every summer in our New Jersey location through 2018. She has also been a teen leader for FAACT’s Teen Retreat for the past six years. Emery enthusiastically shares her stories and experiences of living as a young adult with food allergies. Topics she has covered include: preparing for college, dating, dining out, and mental health. Emery has lived with anaphylactic food allergies to dairy, fish, shellfish, and peanuts her whole life, and has a deep understanding of how to stay safe, healthy, and happy with whatever comes her way!   

Emery holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Health Communication from the The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and a Master’s of Arts in School Psychology from Rowan University. Since graduation Emery has worked to develop health programs in inner city schools, as well as held several small groups on mental health management. Emery is currently pursuing her Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) to become a certified School Psychologist.

As FAACT’s Director of Behavioral Health, Emery will create various behavioral health resources for children, teens, young adults, parents, and adults with food allergies. She will also be involved with FAACT’s Roundtable Podcast, conduct LIVE streams, as well as lead education sessions at FAACT’s Camp TAG, Leadership Summit and Teen Retreat.

You may reach Emery at Emery.Brown@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Lisa Horne
Director, Marketing

Lisa Horne is the mom behind the blog, “Food Allergy P.I.” She also hosts the “Food Allergy Talk” podcast and is the author of The Everything® Nut Allergy Cookbook. She lives in rural southeastern Arizona with her husband and five children, all of whom she homeschools through junior high. Her oldest child is allergic to peanuts and shellfish and has asthma.

Lisa first became involved in the food allergy community in 2009 through the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) Walk for Food Allergy as their Phoenix Walk Chair. She later founded and directed the Arizona Food Allergy Alliance (AFAA), which hosted Zoo Walks for Food Allergy in Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson as well as several conferences, park days, holiday parties, and an annual summer camp called Camp Ye bik’ehgo (Ye bik’ehgo means “responsible” in Apache). In 2012, Lisa pushed for legislation to allow stock epinephrine to be available for all students in Arizona schools. It was passed into law in 2013.

Lisa was featured in Allergic Living magazine as “The Ultimate Food Allergy Connector.” In 2018, she began focusing her energy on reaching out to the food allergy community through her blog, “Food Allergy P.I.,” where she takes on the role of detective in all things food allergy related as she shares her own experiences with travel, dining out, product finds, and recipe creation. In 2021, Lisa published The Everything Nut Allergy Cookbook and launched her podcast, “Food Allergy Talk.”

Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing. She is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and working on a certification with an emphasis on autoimmunity. Prior to working in the food allergy world, Lisa worked in radio broadcasting for 10 years as a traffic reporter, news anchor, and DJ. She has also worked as a freelance writer for several local publications, including The Arizona Republic, Raising Arizona Kids magazine, and the 202 Magazine.

As FAACT’s Director of Marketing, Lisa will manage the organization’s social media marketing and outreach. Look to connect with FAACT on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

You may reach Lisa at Lisa.Horne@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Lisa Rutter
Director, Support Group Development

Lisa is a native of Ohio who currently lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons. Lisa has been managing food allergies since 2011, when her oldest son was diagnosed with a peanut and tree nut allergy at the age of three years old. Lisa knows first-hand how isolating and overwhelming it can be when you first get a food allergy diagnosis, and she is dedicated to supporting, educating, and connecting other people living with food allergies. Lisa is the Founder of a food allergy group called NNMG Food Allergic Families, formally known as No Nuts Moms Group. Her passions are her family and educating others about food allergies.

When Lisa’s son was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, she learned as much as she could to educate herself and everyone around her about food allergies. She soon realized that going on play dates with other kids was going to be challenging and searched everywhere for a food allergy group offering play dates for moms and children with food allergies. Lisa’s search ended in a dead end, so she decided to start her own group for food-allergic families looking to meet and connect with others in the area. The word about No Nuts Moms Group quickly spread, and requests for local groups in the United States and Canada came rolling in. Lisa gave other moms a chance to start their own local groups, and now No Nuts Moms Group is internationally known for supporting and connecting people with food allergies. When Lisa started the group, she had no idea about the impact she would make in the food allergy community. Lisa has helped thousands of families across the country. 

Lisa has set up educational food allergy booths at local schools and other venues in Michigan. By doing so, she has reached out to other families that didn’t have access to epinephrine for their children and didn’t understand the seriousness of food allergies and anaphylaxis. She also plans food-free events for food-allergic families, such as Halloween and Easter events. Lisa was also instrumental in getting the Stock Epinephrine Bill passed into law in Michigan.

As FAACT’s Director of Support Group Development, Lisa will manage support group development throughout the country, as well as FAACT's education initiatives for the school setting and more. She will also continue to educate and raise awareness for those living with food allergies and anaphylaxis.

You may reach Lisa at Lisa.Rutter@FoodAllergyAwareness.org. 

Photos Courtesy of Ron J. Rice Photography