Our Professional Staff

Marsha J. Hudnall
Owner & VP, Programming and Communications
MS, Health Communications, Boston University
BS, Nutrition & Dietetics, Stephen F. Austin University, TX
Registered Dietitian, The American Dietetic Association
Certified Dietitian, State of Vermont Board of Registration
Executive Board Member, Binge Eating Disorder Association, BEDA
Currently pursuing certification with the Institute of Functional Medicine.

Marsha has been a part of Green Mountain since 1986, where her mission has been to help participants learn to enjoy food and eating while successfully managing their weight and health. An accomplished writer, Marsha has produced a body of work that reflects her desire to help women move away from restrictive notions of food and health, and thereby more easily achieve a healthful intake. She has written over 100 articles for popular magazines and newsletters and has worked extensively on a national basis to produce curricula, pamphlets and other materials to educate the public about nutrition. She is the author of What You Need To Know About Carbohydrates (Chronimed), Vitamins, Minerals and Food Supplements (Chronimed), The Pregnancy Cookbook (Berkeley Publishing), and co-authored Disordered Eating in Active and Sedentary Individuals, an online course for Human Kinetics publisher. Marsha has served as president of the Vermont Dietetic Association, chairperson of Dietitians in Business and Communications, and member of The American Dietetic Association's (ADA) publications and marketing committees, and most recently, Consultation and Business Practice Delegate, Council on Professional Issues at the ADA. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA)  and is a member of the ADA practice groups Dietitians in Functional and Integrative Medicine, Behavioral Health Nutrition; Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists; and Food and Culinary Professionals. She is currently pursuing certification with the Institute of Functional Medicine. Marsha is frequently consulted by the media on issues of weight management, binge eating and healthy living. Most recently, her work has appeared in Huffington Post.
 

Alan H. Wayler
Owner & Executive Director
PhD, Nutritional Biochemistry & Metabolism, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS, Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University
BS, Psychology, University of Vermont

As an insightful professional, compassionate listener and executive director of Green Mountain at Fox Run, Alan has devoted his life's work to helping women free themselves of the tyranny of dieting, food obsessions and poor self-esteem. Starting as a tennis instructor when Green Mountain was in its infancy almost 30 years ago through to his present position, Alan has been a part of Green Mountain. He has not only observed the changing nature of women's lives during that time, but has contributed his unique perspective to encourage women to take charge of their health, establish realistic goals and strive for them in a supportive way.

Prior to joining Green Mountain, Alan served as Chief, Nutritional Biochemistry Section, Research and Development Section of the Veterans Administration (VA) in Boston. There he oversaw nutrition research undertaken as part of the Normative Aging Study, the country's oldest longitudinal study of aging. Alan has also served as assistant professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the School of Public Health, at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and as an advisory member of the VA-National Institutes of Health (NIH) committee on Setting Research Priorities in Aging for the Year 2000. He is a founding member of the International Spa & Fitness Association, a former member of its Board of Directors, and has consulted for a number of Fortune 500 companies.

He authored over 25 peer-reviewed presentations during his relatively short academic career. Throughout his career, he has been a much sought-after professional speaker but now spends most of his time at Green Mountain, immersed in the field he enjoys.
 

Cindy Bishop
Managing Director
BA, Oregon State University

A native Oregonian by way of California, Cindy joined Green Mountain full time in 2008. With an impressive professional background spanning more than 25 years, Cindy has held executive and senior level management positions in both Fortune 500, entrepreneurial and start-up business settings. She possesses a passion for leading and developing teams in varied and unique environments. Around Green Mountain Cindy is best known as someone who is candid yet leads with integrity and cares about creating opportunity for professional and personal development. In just a short period of time, her organizational savvy and can-do attitude has helped lay the foundation for innovation, change and growth within the organization. Each day Cindy leads a talented, multi-disciplinary team in their mission to deliver to women from all over the globe a transformative and solution-oriented experience.

Barbara Meyer
Program Director
PhD, Health Education, University of Texas at Austin
MS, Exercise Science and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Northeastern Illinois University
BS, Exercise Physiology, Northeastern Illinois University
Nia Black Belt Instructor

Barbara brings to Green Mountain over 30 years of work and practical experience, combined with a strong academic education in the field of Health and Fitness. While her formal education is extensive, her current perspective and understanding of the issues of weight and health have been shaped by her personal experience. Early in her career Barbara began to see how health professionals used body hatred and fear as a strategy to motivate clients to change their behavior. Although she stayed in the field, this awareness changed the direction of her work completely. Barbara’s passion became helping women find a meaningful path to health, one that is guided by their heart, honors their body, and trusts their internal wisdom.

Barbara turned her attention to the creation of holistic wellness programs that emphasized attuned or mindful eating and mindful movement in a compassionate environment that welcomes women of all shapes, sizes and levels of ability. Around this time Barbara discovered the Nia Technique, a mind/body practice, which she has introduced to Green Mountain. Moved by the desire to further explore the transformation she was observing in her clients and embodying in her own experience, she obtained a PhD in Health Education with research focusing on women’s experience in their bodies in the context of exercise. As a devoted teacher and student of embodiment, Barbara continues to learn and integrate new practices and techniques into her program design and classes.

Barbara’s current interests include mindfulness, non-violent communication, body-centered therapies and positive psychology. Barbara’s new home is located in beautiful Woodstock, Vermont where she will reside with her loving and playful cat, Oliver.

Robyn L. Priebe
Nutrition Leader
BS, Dietetics, State University of New York, Oneonta, NY
AS, Commercial Art – Sullivan County Community College, Loch Sheldrake, NY
Registered Dietitian, The American Dietetic Association
Certified Dietitian, State of Vermont Board of Registration

For more than 12 years, Robyn has been working in the field of food and nutrition and is truly a big fan of both. Bringing together the concepts of feeding one's self for nutrition and feeding one's self for pleasure is her main goal when educating participants. Robyn has a varied nutritional background, having worked in hospitals, resorts/spas, clinics, wellness centers, schools, with supplementation, and in providing one-on-one counseling.

Robyn chose to complete a wellness-focused dietetic internship through Keene State College as her main interest in dietetics is educating others on eating to achieve health and well being. She has had the opportunity to teach nutrition classes in all types of settings and enjoys teaching with a focus on women's health and nutrition. Robyn brings her love of teaching to Green Mountain at Fox Run and enjoys developing new classes based on the participants' needs. Robyn is always thrilled to see the positive effect Green Mountain at Fox Run has on its participants and loves being part of a team that makes a difference in the lives of so many women.
 

Darla Breckenridge
Psychologist
Psychologist-masters licensed in Vermont specializing in adult psychotherapy
MS, Portland State University, Oregon, specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Challenged by your own behaviors? Have questions about the emotions that influence your choices? Need to make important life decisions? Feeling “blue” or anxious? Want to build your self-confidence and self-esteem?

Darla's classes are entertaining, enlightening, extremely helpful. She has worked with women’s issues in her private practice for over 30 years. Her continued studies include mindfulness, personal empowerment, assertiveness training, women’s issues. Darla has presented workshops on topics ranging from positive psychology to stress and time management. Darla brings a special joie de vivre to all aspects of her work.

In addition to her classes, Darla is available for one-on-one sessions and phone coaching with participants looking for additional support in creating lasting change.

LynnAnn Covell
Senior Fitness Specialist
Certified PT, AAFA, IFA, AAAI, ISMA
Personal Trainer, Strength and Aerobics Instructor, Tai Chi Instructor, Mat Science (Pilates) Instructor, Weight Training Consultant, Aquatics Instructor, Aquatics Rehab Instructor, Weight Management Certified, Certified Holistic Health Consultant

Trained in several fields including physical therapy, chiropractics and emergency medicine, and certified as a Fitness Professional, LynnAnn has spent 26 years in the field of Health and Exercise Physiology, 16 of them with Green Mountain. An energetic and inspirational leader, she heads up our fitness department, lending her own special touch and motivational skills to help women learn to love physical activity. LynnAnn is adept at providing personalized fitness programs that make all the difference in "taking it home and making it work."

Inspired to live a healthy lifestyle by the example her parents set, LynnAnn ran track and swam competitively from age 10 through high school. Her drive to share her enthusiasm for healthy living set her on a path of education and experience that equipped her as a tremendous motivator.

You'll see LynnAnn starring on Green Mountain's upper, lower body and Green Mountain Express workout videos, trying to keep a straight face as she takes you through the routines. At the end, though, her true self wins out, giving you a glimpse of her warmth and humor and her commitment to the success of our participants.
 

Kate Nolte
Fitness Specialist
BA, Arizona State University
ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Group Exercise & Aquatics Instructor & Zumba^TM Levels I, II

Kate began her career as an elementary school teacher.  She loved working with her students and was passionate about teaching but knew there was something more for her to explore.  She decided it was time for her to embark on a new personal and professional path.

After years of slaving away at the gym, unhappy, tired and getting no where, Kate finally learned to let go of the rules in her head.  She ditched the treadmill for outdoor activity, substituted delicious and nutritious whole foods for their fat-free counterparts, and slowly learned how to lead a more balanced and satisfying life.

Known for her empathy, humor and endless energy, Kate teaches Zumba, circuit training, kickboxing, aqua aerobics, strength training classes and more at Green Mountain.  She's dedicated to helping women find the intrinsic joy in physical activity and is a firm believer that working your body is a gift you give yourself.

Kate is thrilled to be a member of the Green Mountain team and to help women on their journey toward greatness. 
 

David Smith
Chef

David joined Green Mountain at Fox Run in August 2011, bringing with him a deep knowledge and appreciation for the local foods of Vermont. Aside from brief periods spent honing his skills in Colorado and Florida, where he worked for four restaurants within the world’s largest Marriott, David’s roots are firmly grounded in Southern Vermont. For more than 20 years, he has worked in and managed the kitchens of many acclaimed dining establishments across the state, including The Marina in Brattleboro, The Four Columns in Newfane and The Old Tavern in Grafton.

Prior to his migration to Ludlow to join Green Mountain, David served for six years as executive chef at The Old Tavern, a historic country inn. There, he cultivated his “localvore” approach and developed a green thumb while overseeing the kitchen garden. From Peruvian potatoes and heirloom tomatoes to an array of herbs and specialty greens, the seasonal menus David designed reflected what was being harvested at the time. What ingredients he couldn’t reap from the garden, he sourced from local sustainable farms, as part of the Vermont Fresh Network. He also hosted “Localvore” dinners every Tuesday, where only 100 percent local ingredients could be used on the special menu.

In his new role, David continues his quest to use fresh, colorful and flavorful foods of Vermont in the dishes he prepares and to introduce new ingredients to help Green Mountain guests expand their palates and nutritional options. As a native Vermonter, he’s also known to impart great advice on hikes, drives and other “local” activities.

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Consulting Staff

Robyn W. Jacobs, MD
Consulting Physician -- Functional Medicine, Women's Health
MD, Dartmouth Medical School
BA, Amherst College
Board Certified Ob/Gyn
Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Member of the Institute for Functional Medicine

Dr. Robyn Jacobs serves as a consulting physician for our functional medicine program. She received her board certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1999 while working overseas in Sicily, Italy for the US Navy. In 2006 Dr. Jacobs opened a private practice Hygeia: A Unique Center for Women’s Health in Lebanon, NH where she practices functional medicine. Her practice focuses on finding the root cause of health challenges and uses application of lifestyle change including healthy eating, stress management and appropriate exercise as therapeutic tools. Dr. Jacobs is available for functional medicine consultation upon the assessment and request of our clinical nutritionists or request of our participants.
 

Mark Logan, MD
Consulting Physician -- Integrative & Functional Medicine, Healing with Food
MD, University of Vermont
BS, Dartmouth College
Board Certification in Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
Currently pursuing certification with the Institute of Functional Medicine.

Dr. Mark Logan serves as a consultant to our Healing with Food program at Green Mountain. Based in Rutland, VT, he is founder and medical director of Sanctuary Integrative Medicine, a multi-modality practice bridging Western and Eastern medical systems. He is a 2009 graduate of the University of Arizona School of Medicine Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, under the tutelage of Andrew Weil, MD. His practice interests include Functional Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and Addictions. Research interests include the role of inflammation in chronic illness and the emerging field of clinical nutrigenomics. Dr. Logan is available for functional medicine evaluations upon the assessment and request of our clinical nutritionists.
 

Lynn Grieger
Consulting Nutritionist & Nutrition Coach
BA – University of Vermont
Registered Dietitian, The American Dietetic Association
Certified Dietitian, State of Vermont Board of Registration
Certified Diabetes Educator, National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators
Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoach International
Certified Personal Trainer, American College of Sports Medicine

Lynn has been a part-time member of the nutrition staff at Green Mountain since 2003. Lynn became a dietitian after spending four years as an active duty Army military intelligence officer to put her considerable energy into empowering people to maximize their health, fitness, and wellness. She maintains a busy nutrition and wellness coaching practice in southwestern Vermont and nationwide via phone coaching. She's also the Healthy Eating Expert at iVillage.com, the largest women's website, where she writes nutrition-related articles and answers questions on a message board. Lynn has authored numerous articles for websites and popular magazines, and recently appeared on The Today Show. She is a past president of the Vermont Dietetic Association and is active with numerous professional nutrition and fitness groups. Lynn lives in the shopping mecca Manchester, Vermont but would much rather be out on the trails or roads running, biking, and snowshoeing.
 

Alta Engstrom
Communications Consultant
BS - Foods and Nutrition, North Dakota State University
Registered Dietitian, The American Dietetic Association
Licensed Dietitian, State of Minnesota
 

An accomplished cook, serious shopper, frequent world traveler and passionate nondieter, Alta provides support for many of Green Mountain's auxiliary activities, including FitBriefings, our website Recipe of the Month, and the FitWoman online store. She also directs our Food Lovers' cooking tours to Italy and is the co-author of Recipes for Living, our new cookbook of Green Mountain recipes. So you can see that her interests match her job description quite well!

Alta also has impressive credentials for orchestrating these different activities which Green Mountain sponsors to help women stop dieting and start living. Alta spent the first part of her career providing leadership for the food industry. As nutrition director for a major food corporation for many years and a nationally respected authority in nutrition and public policy she led food industry efforts to develop and market good-tasting, healthy foods, to provide nutrition education for the public, and to ensure clear and accurate food labeling and health claims. Alta has published many articles on America's eating and nutrition trends. Her interest in women's health issues, good food and her passion for travel has led her to this next phase of her career, as part of the Green Mountain professional team.
 

Karin Kratina
Clinical Advisor
BS in nutrition, St. Mary's Dominican College, New Orleans
MA in exercise physiology, University of Florida
Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies, University of Florida
PhD in cognitive anthropology, University of Florida

For the past 20 years, Karin Kratina, PhD, MPE, RD/LDN, has devoted her work to the treatment of women and men with eating and weight issues, including those with eating disorders. Her passion is to help people break out of “diet prison” and guide them back to the freedom around food and body that is so rightfully theirs. Besides serving as Clinical Advisor to Green Mountain, Karin is in private practice in Gainesville, Florida. She is the Nutrition Coordinator for the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Florida.

A noted speaker, Karin is an author and nutrition therapist who holds a BS degree in nutrition, MA in exercise physiology and PhD in cognitive anthropology (where she examined the unconscious thinking processes of women regarding food and body and how it impacts their behavior).

Her first book, Moving Away from Diets: Healing Eating Problems and Exercise Resistance, was released in its second edition in 2003. Her most recent book is It's the Calories, Not the Carbs.

She is on the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board for NEDO (National Eating Disorders Organization), the Advisory Board for the Foundation for the Advancement of Grain Based Foods, and the Editorial Advisory Board for the Health at Every Size journal.

In her free time, Karin is an avid dancer, and regularly teaches her favorite dance, called zydeco, locally and at festivals around the country. And, although she refuses to “exercise,” she is a zealous mountain biker. She resides in Gainesville, Florida with her miniature long-haired dachshund, Logan.

You can contact Karin at www.nourishingconnections.com.

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Our Founder

Thelma J. Wayler
Founder
MS in Public Health Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University,
BS in Foods and Nutrition, University of Vermont
Registered Dietitian, The American Dietetic Association
 

A pioneering woman who started her own business when women "just didn't do that," Thelma J Wayler, MS, RD, founded Green Mountain at Fox Run at the age of 50 after an illustrious and prolific career as a nutritionist, teacher and author. Prior to Green Mountain, Thelma was a nationally recognized diabetes educator and consulting nutritionist for the US Public Health Service. Her textbook Applied Nutrition (MacMillan) is considered a classic in the field. Thelma often shares that her greatest achievement was helping women give themselves permission to eat, empowering them to take greater responsibility for their health, and most importantly, helping them begin to feel good about themselves, regardless of their body size. Strong, independent and visionary, Thelma earned the respect and attracted the support of luminaries in obesity research for this 'radical' approach to weight management. Thelma now spends her winters in Florida, but can be seen around Green Mountain in the summer, often sitting in on classes and quietly becoming the leader, sharing her now three decades of experience helping women achieve their potential.