603.817.

5609

Chris Benson, MPH cbenson3@uw.edu

www.linkedin.com/in/cbenson3
Eligible for the Registered Dietitians Examination

Purpose
I am a dedicated professional with a passion for exploring relationships between food, health and well-being. With over
15 years of experience in management, leadership, event coordination, and project management, my aim is to address
health inequities at a systems level through food and health-related programs, policies, advocacy, and research.

Education
University of Washington, Seattle WA
Master in Public Health Nutrition, August 2017
Top Scholar Award, UW Graduate School
Most Outstanding Student, School of Public Health
California State University, Los Angeles CA
Bachelor in Nutrition Sciences, June 2015
Summa Cum Laude
Finalist, Marshall Scholarship Award

Professional Experience
Research and Analytics
Worked independently and collaboratively on research projects for healthy food bank initiatives, child sugary
drink consumption, food waste programs and activities, and healthy nutrition guidelines.
Designed and conducted semi-structured stakeholder interviews in Washington and across the country, created
codebooks, and performed qualitative analysis on multiple research projects.
Authored/co-authored reports for the Center for Public Health Nutrition, the City of Seattle, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and the Washington State Department of Health.
Policy and Advocacy
Researched and advocated for public health and nutrition policies at the local, state, and national level.
Participated in campaign development to promote sugary drink taxes by researching existing efforts, creating
media content, developing key messaging documents, and writing policy briefs.
Created internal documents for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics policy department on varied topics
including the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and Healthy People 2030.
Projects and Partnerships
Event planning and coordination with local business to generate over $30,000 annually for charities.
Designed and implemented nutrition-related educational interventions to improve knowledge of nutrition and
community health for members of an Early Head Start program in central Los Angeles.
Facilitated revisions of the Washington State Food Systems Roundtables 25 Year Vision for Washington States
Food System as an assistant and liaison to four interdisciplinary workgroups and the leadership team.
Management and Leadership
Successfully managed a team of 56 employees in areas related to security, customer service, inventory control,
sales, and supervision to increase revenue during the 2008 recession at The Page Restaurant.
Oversaw operations of four remote offices at JPA International, managed a diverse portfolio of projects, created a
new system for inter-office communications, and fostered new and existing business relationships.
Led a team that completed nutritional profiles for nine food-generating businesses at California State University,
delivering results used to lobby for healthier food options on campus.

1
Refer to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbenson3 for additional experience and www.christinebenson.weebly.com for work samples.
 603.817.5609

Chris Benson, MPH cbenson3@uw.edu

www.linkedin.com/in/cbenson3
Eligible for the Registered Dietitians Examination

Relevant Professional History

University of Washington Dietetic Intern Jan 2017 Aug 2017

Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics
Rotations competed in clinical nutrition, management, public health, policy/advocacy and community health. Sites included
the Washington State Department of Healths Healthy Eating Active Living program, the Childhood Obesity Prevention
Coalition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Center for Public Health Nutrition Research Assistant Sept 2015 Sept 2016
Works to advance public health approaches to improve nutrition and physical activity through policy and environmental
change, builds partnerships and collaborations with practitioners, government agencies and communities and provides
technical assistance in the translation of research into policy and practice.

JPA International, Inc. Executive Assistant June 2014 Sept 2015

A consulting, speaking and training company working with both public and private organizations worldwide. JPA's training
ranges from executive and career coaching, consulting, and development to large-scale corporate management training, and
specializes in conflict management resolution training and leadership development.
Westside Childrens Center Volunteer Nutrition Coordinator Mar 2014 June 2015
An Early Head Start program in central Los Angeles providing thousands of at-risk children and their families with critical,
high-quality early education programs and a range of vital, integrated services such as nutrition counseling, dental and
vision screenings, and pediatric health consultations.

The Page Restaurant Assistant General Manager Sept 2007 Aug 2012
A busy, full service restaurant with three separate levels that host a dining area, VIP lounge, sports bar and night club. Employed
an average of 56 employees and grossed $3.5 million annually.

Publications
Benson C, Daniell W, Otten J. A Qualitative Review of United States Food Waste Programs and Activities at the State
and Local Level. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. (Accepted, publication date pending).

Otten J, Diedrich S, Getts K, Benson C. The Food Waste Prevention and Recovery Assessment Report. City of Seattle.
June 2016. Available at https://depts.washington.edu/uwcphn/reports/SeattleFoodWasteReport.PDF

Rice L, Benson C, Podrabsky M, Otten J. The Development and Adoption of the First State-Wide Comprehensive Policy
on Food Service Guidelines (Washington State Executive Order 13-06) for Improving the Health and Productivity of
State Employees and Institutionalized Populations. Translational Behavioral Medicine. (Accepted, publication date
pending).

Skills and Competencies

Dedoose, ORCA Powerchart, CBORD, Epic, MicroMD, Food Processor, Weebly, Wordpress, Pipedrive, Google
Apps for Business, Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access).

2
Refer to https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbenson3 for additional experience and www.christinebenson.weebly.com for work samples.