Kate is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program, leading the Legal, Compliance, and Medical Records functions. She studied law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in the Twin Cities and worked in a variety of capacities within the medical device industry, legal technology, and public defense prior to joining The Emily Program 5 years ago. She is a current adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a frequent speaker in university classes and various legal and compliance conferences. Kate has a passion for expanding access to care for adults and adolescents with eating disorders and works closely with government entities in her work to achieve that objective.

Emerald Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and a Board Certified, Registered Art Therapist with over 15 years of Mental Health experience. She attended Earlham College, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Studio Art. Emerald earned her Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has focused the past 8 years of her work on exclusively working with families and individuals living with an eating disorder in Inpatient, Residential and Partial Hospitalization levels of care. She has additional training in both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Emerald believes in the power of creativity and enjoys witnessing the strength and resiliency of patients as they navigate recovery.

Allison Ivie, MPP/MA, Vice President of Center Road Solutions, has 8 years of experience in government relations and private sector consulting. She leads the firm’s work through direct lobbying on legislation, regulatory writing, strategic planning, partnership development, and public affairs activities with a focus on policies affecting USDA, CDC, HRSA, DoD, and SAMHSA. Previously she was a consultant for entrepreneurial pharmaceutical and medical device companies with novel products in women’s health. This work led to the FDA-approval of three products for women in the cancer and sexual health space. Additionally, this work garnered event planning and management expertise including hosting a luncheon at the 2016 Democratic National Convention around Alzheimer’s and brain health awareness in women.
Prior, she served as a Women’s Congressional Policy Institute Fellow in Representative Mike Thompson’s (D-CA) office. In her fellowship role, she led legislative portfolios related to women’s health and economic security, telehealth, and other topics. Ms. Ivie was elected in 2020 to serve on the Board of the Women’s Congressional Staff Foundation. She continues her work with the Board and has served as the Events Committee Chair since 2021. The WCSF provides scholarship and professional development opportunities for prospective and current Congressional staff.
Allison received her Master of Public Policy and Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies from Brandeis University, her Dual Bachelors in English and Multicultural Gender Studies and her Literary Editing and Publishing Certificate from California State University, Chico. She resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her rescue dog, Jaycee.

Hilmar Wagner is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN), licensed in Minnesota and Washington State. Hilmar has experience working in a variety of clinical, outpatient, community, and management settings. Hilmar joined the Emily Program in 2006 and has served in a number of clinical and management roles, both at the site, regional and organization-wide levels. He currently serves as a Clinical Outreach Specialist. In this role Hilmar has presents on a wide range of eating disorder and related nutrition topics at local, regional, and national conferences. Hilmar received his bachelor’s degree in Nutrition/Dietetics and Master’s in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Minnesota. He has worked in the field of eating disorders for the past 17 years. Hilmar has extensive experience working with clients of all eating disorder diagnoses in both individual and group settings. He has a particular interest in the application of mindfulness and body-centered, somatic approaches to the nutritional treatment of eating disorders.

Alyssa Kalata is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of North Carolina. After receiving both her Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Clinical Psychology from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, she completed her predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Alyssa has served in various roles during her professional career, including Clinical Supervisor, Research and Program Development Associate, Associate Clinical Director, Clinical Director, and Clinical Trainer working with patients diagnosed with primary substance use disorders and primary eating disorders in settings that provide services at a variety of levels of care.

Alyssa has a passion for the dissemination and implementation of empirically-supported treatments, particularly third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Values-Based Behavioral Activation. Her areas of expertise include the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, Mood Disorders, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma-related concerns and symptoms. Alyssa firmly believes that all individuals and their families and supporters have the right to competent, compassionate care and her approach to treatment is one that balances understanding and validation with a focus on cultivating change.

Scott is the Vice President for the Department of Psychiatry at Accanto Health, the parent company of the newly merged Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

Scott oversees research at The Emily Program. He also provides psychiatric evaluations and medication management. Scott earned his medical degree and completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Minnesota, where he is Adjunct Professor. Scott has been active in national and international eating disorders groups and is Past President of the Academy of Eating Disorders.

Ben Eckstein, LCSW is the founder of Bull City Anxiety in Durham, North Carolina. He has specialized in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders for over a decade, training at the OCD Institute at McLean Hospital prior to opening his practice. Ben is a board member at OCD North Carolina, serving as secretary and walk committee chair. In addition to his clinical work, Ben provides training and workshops, dedicated to the dissemination of evidence-based treatment.

"Kenya Crawford (she/they/name), M.A., Ed.M, LMHC, is a licensed psychotherapist and racial equity consultant that creates healing and liberating spaces to dismantle oppressive systems. Kenya provides individual & relationship counseling, coaching, and anti-racism consultation to transform systems holistically. They approach this work from an intersectional, affirmative, inclusive, and anti-oppressive lens.
As a racial equity consultant, Kenya aims to dismantle harmful structures and patterns in the workplace holistically through their Anti-Racism program, workshops, trainings, and coaching services. Kenya has both international and domestic experience supporting companies in their anti-racism journey.
As a clinician and clinical supervisor, they specialize in working with QTBIPOC folks navigating trauma, depression, anxiety, and relationships. Kenya skillfully approaches counseling and supervision as a Black queer woman from a personable, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lens aimed toward creating a collaborative and authentic space to foster radical holistic healing for clients.
Kenya’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, Essence, Mindbody Green, and Popsugar, to name a few. "

Dr. Peebles is an Associate Professor in the Craig Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in pediatrics and further specialty certified in adolescent and young adult medicine, and serves as the Director of Medical Research and Quality Innovations in the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program at CHOP, which she co-founded in 2011. Her clinical and research expertise is in working with young patients from diverse populations with eating disorder behaviors, across the weight spectrum. She has worked exclusively with children, adolescents, and young adults with disordered eating for the past twenty years, and has published some of the seminal literature describing differences between children and adolescents with eating disorders. She has extensive expertise in their medical evaluation and treatment, as well as their bone health, neuroendocrinology, biobehavioral links and pubertal function, and has been funded for her work by the NIH and the American Heart Association. She has also published quality improvement work in patients with eating disorders in a firm commitment to demonstrating that clinical care and protocols are indeed improving outcomes in the patients we serve. Finally, she has recently published findings of CHOP’s rapid scale-up to telehealth visits for eating disorder patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrea K . Garber is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She earned her PhD in Human and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and RD (Registered Dietitian) from UCSF. As Chief Nutritionist for the Adolescent and Young Adult Eating Disorders Program, she oversees and provides clinical care to patients and their families. As Chief Nutritionist for the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health program at UCSF and site director for the UC Berkeley Maternal Child Health-Nutrition training program, she trains of interdisciplinary students, residents and fellows. Her clinical and training work has been recognized with award for Exceptional Clinical Service, Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Community Partnership. Dr. Garber’s research program focuses on eating disorders, with current NIH-funded studies of approaches to refeeding and body composition. She was a clinician scholar with the Academy of Eating Disorders in 2013. Her subsequent work on refeeding was widely reported in the lay press, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and recognized as a “breakthrough” in the 2016 Yearbook of Pediatrics. Evidence from her studies of refeeding has contributed to current clinical guidelines for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, including those from the Society for Adolescent Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics. When she is not working, Dr. Garber enjoys woodworking and spending time with her family and numerous pets.

Dr. Laura Hill is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University, and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, at The University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Hill is one of the original founders of the Academy for Eating Disorders and was Director of The National Eating Disorder Organization, now known as the NEDA from 1990 to 1994. She was also the founder, President & Chief Executive Office of The Center for Balanced Living from 2000 to 2017. She is the recipient of the Muskingum University Distinguished Service Award and the NEDA 2011 Lori Irving Award for Excellence in Eating Disorders Prevention and Awareness. Dr. Hill is a 2012 TEDx speaker, on “Eating Disorders from the Inside Out.” She has provided ED treatment, spoken internationally, and conducted eating disorder research for over forty years.

Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS, is a clinical psychologist who has specialized in eating disorders and related issues for over 35 years. She lectures nationally and internationally on topics related to women’s health and maintains a private practice, Maine & Weinstein Specialty Group, in West Hartford, CT.

Dr. Maine is author of seven previous books: Pursuing Perfection: Eating Disorders, Body Myths, and Women at Midlife and Beyond; Treatment of Eating Disorders: Bridging the Research- Practice Gap; Effective Clinical Practice in the Treatment of Eating Disorders; The Body Myth; Father Hunger; and Body Wars.

Chase Bannister, Founder of Veritas Collaborative, is Senior Vice President for Community Engagement of Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative.

Chase is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is credentialed as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. He is Principal of Bannister Consultancy, a firm committed to thought-leadership for healthcare strategy & civic engagement, and formerly served Veritas Collaborative as Chief Strategy & Clinical Officer. In 2006, he developed the clinical program for CRC Health Group’s first startup residential eating disorders treatment center.

Chase’s career is marked by achievements in many arenas, including federal legislative initiatives, standards-of-care creation, clinical program innovation, healthcare entrepreneurship, professional education, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns. He played a significant role in ensuring the inclusion of eating disorders policy within The 21st Century Cures Act—the first acknowledgment of eating disorders in the history of federal statutory law. A highly respected speaker, Chase appears regularly on the national stage to present on eating disorders, healthcare policy, and ethics.

Chase is Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action. He is also an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Eating Disorders Leadership Summit, as well as the REDC Consortium, chairing the Special Investigatory Committee on Ethics.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wofford College, Chase was the first to earn concurrent graduate degrees in Clinical Social Work & Divinity from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School and Duke University. He is the recipient of The Arthur B. & Ida Maie Rivers Award for Integrity, Virtue, Gentleness, and Character, as well as The L. Harris Chewning Award for Academic Scholarship and Intellectual & Moral Integrity.

Maddie Schumacher serves as the Director of Government Relations at Center Road Solutions. With years of experience in organizing, issue advocacy, and direct lobbying, Maddie has a strong track record of passing bipartisan legislation that uplifts vulnerable individuals and communities. Previously, they built from scratch a social justice legislative portfolio for the League of Women Voters of the United States and worked as policy lead on immigration and hate crimes at OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. Before that, they lobbied for youth appropriations in the Minnesota State Legislature and worked in the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health on healthcare access campaigns.

Shena Washburn is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in the state of Washington and is the Director of Nutrition and Culinary Services for Accanto Health. She completed her Bachelor of Science in food and nutrition science from Seattle Pacific University and her accredited dietetic internship through California Polytechnic University. She has experience working in diverse healthcare settings including hospitals and private practice. With twelve years’ experience in the field of mental health and eating disorders, Shena is recognized by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) as a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian (CEDRD). She holds a special interest in sports nutrition, mindfulness, gut health, Exposure Response Prevention, and building strong collaborative multi-disciplinary teams. Shena is passionate about supporting individuals in recovery to find a balanced and sustainable relationship with food, movement, and their body.

Dr. Anna B. Tanner is Vice President of Child and Adolescent Medicine for Accanto Health. She is a board-certified Pediatrician who has specialized in the care of complicated adolescent patients, in particular patients with eating disorders, for over 20 years. Dr. Tanner completed medical school and residency at Vanderbilt University, and then remained there to serve on the Pediatrics faculty in the Division of Young Adult and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Tanner has been very involved in advocacy and education efforts and serves on national and international committees for eating disorders education. She speaks frequently across the United States on the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders, especially as they affect children and young adolescents, and contributed a book chapter on that topic in the 4th edition of Dr. Philip S. Mehler’s Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Guide to Medical Care and Complications. Dr. Tanner currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine. She currently serves as co-chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED) Medical Care Standards Committee. Dr. Tanner is a Fellow in the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and a Certified Eating Disorders Supervisor. She has been named by Atlanta magazine as a “Top Doctor” every year from 2013 to 2023 and named by Castle Connelly as an Exceptional Woman in Medicine and one of America’s Most Honored Doctors.

Stacy Schilter Pisano is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist in Washington State. She acquired her Master’s from Antioch University in 2007 and earned the national certification as an Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) from IAEDP in 2013. For nearly 15 years, Stacy has been assisting individuals and families impacted by body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and clinical eating disorders. She has been trained as a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills trainer and individual therapist. She is also versed in Family Based Treatment (FBT) and relies on her training in family systems when working with clients of all ages. Since 2014, Stacy has been the director of The Emily Program’s South Sound location in Olympia, WA. Within this role, she oversees a treatment facility offering PHP, IOP, OP and FBT services. She works alongside a multi-disciplinary team assisting people as they strive toward recovery from intrusive body image challenges and disordered eating behaviors. Stacy is also actively involved with her local IAEDP chapter, on which she serves as past President, and enthusiastically educates her community in collaboration with other professionals.