Meet Our Team
Staff
Katharine Ray – Executive Director
Katharine has 24 years’ experience as a strategic leader in the cancer nonprofit field. She has served in leadership roles for several cancer support organizations and has been integral to their program ideation and growth, relationship development, branding, and oncology outreach. In her patient advocacy work and as a long-term cancer survivor herself, her passion for supporting those with cancer has also included interpreting and advocating for holistic healthcare, patient support, the patient experience, and the latest in oncology care. She has long been active serving in the community and beyond as a volunteer and contributor to numerous local and national cancer nonprofit organizations and their cancer publications, including American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, the Tennessee Cancer Control Coalition, and the Young Adult Cancer Committee of Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. Her heart for serving those with cancer and her passion for their nutrition security to support their healing intersect through Meals for Health and Healing.
Katharine Ray
Executive Director
Chef Sydney Desind
Sydney Desind is a Nashville native who grew up learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen. After initially pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and working in restaurants for years, she transferred to The Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts at Nashville State Community College. Her education at Nashville State led to great connections at local restaurants and she began her fine dining career at The Tin Angel, a long beloved institution in Nashville.
Sydney also has extensive experience in catering, food manufacturing, private cheffing, and teaching cooking classes to both children and adults. Her passion is getting people excited about exploring new flavors and trying foods from other cuisines. Her belief is that food has the power to heal our bodies, connect us culturally, and to celebrate our traditions and heritage.
Sydney Desind
Executive Chef
Bijal Mehta – Program and Education Manager
Bijal holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has more than 25 years of experience working in the mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence fields. Originally from Mumbai, India, she has called Nashville home for over 30 years and began her career serving the local community as a mental health specialist at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.
She later worked as a case manager in domestic violence services at the YWCA, supporting survivors through safety planning, advocacy, and resource navigation. Bijal went on to serve in a leadership role at the Jean Crowe Advocacy Center, where she trained and mentored volunteers and interns, partnered with local universities to develop tailored internship opportunities, and collaborated with community organizations to strengthen survivor-centered services. She is deeply passionate about education, empowering teens, and strengthening community partnerships.
Bijal Mehta
Program & Education Manager
Tonya Whitaker – Client Care Manager
Tonya has been a resident of the Nashville area for more than 30 years. She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in biology and has spent most of her career working in the food service industry, including co-owning a catering company and working with clients to create healthy, beautiful meals. She has volunteered with many organizations teaching cooking classes and fostering an interest in eating a life-giving diet. Her passion for a healthy diet and serving others led her to volunteer as a delivery angel with The Heimerdinger Foundation in 2020 where she developed an even deeper appreciation for the benefits of wholesome food. She is eager to help each and every client benefit from Meals 4 Health and Healing. When not working with The Heimerdinger Foundation, she enjoys cooking (still!) for her family and friends, gardening, and hiking with her dogs.
Tonya Whitaker
Client Care Manager
Susan Poteet – Kitchen Operations Manager
Susan holds a BS in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics. She also holds a 2nd degree in food service management graduating from Tennessee Tech University. She has worked for over 20 years in all aspects of the food business including broker, dealer, sales, manufacturing representation, school nutrition and clinical dietary technician. She serves as a nutritional counselor to various cancer support groups in Middle Tennessee.
Susan Poteet
Kitchen Operations Manager
Katie Levitre – Nutrition Educator
Katie Levitre is a native of Buffalo, NY. She first moved to Nashville in 2013 when her husband, Andy, was the left guard for the Tennessee Titans. She fell in love with the community and city immediately! She entered the holistic health space after dealing with chronic health issues that were not resolving with conventional treatment, but it was her children who inspired her to help create a healthier future for all. She got her Functional Medicine Health Coaching certificate in 2021, learning from the best Functional Medicine doctors at the Institute for Functional Medicine. She has taken many specialty courses in nutrition, prenatal and postpartum health, lifestyle, and mindfulness and meditation since and is currently training to become a yoga teacher. She is passionate about bringing nutrient-dense foods that are free of harmful chemicals to our community and strongly advocates for metabolic health and education.
Katie Levitre
Nutrition Educator
Board of Directors
Independent Consultant
Co-Founder at Savage Snacks, Inc.
President and Owner at Savlen Global
Kathie Heimerdinger
While Kathie’s husband, Mike, was battling cancer she became aware of the importance of integrative healing therapies, nutritious meals and the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. She realized the impact they can have on improving the health of all people, but most importantly the difference that eating right can have on the bodies of those battling cancer. She also noticed the lack of available resources for the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual support of cancer patients and their families. By co-founding The Heimerdinger Foundation, along with her children, she is hoping to create a supportive and caring community for cancer patients, their caregivers, and families. She believes awareness and healthy lifestyle education for adults and teens are the keys to decreasing the incidence of cancer in our lifetime.
Kathie has dedicated most of her life to volunteering in different capacities within the various communities she has lived. She has served on committees and volunteered her time to several educational and non-profit organizations including The Heimerdinger Foundation, The United Way of Greater Nashville, The Patricia Hart Society, Fort Nashborough Chapter NSDAR (Conservation Chair), the Department of Children’s Services, and others. She is always looking for ways to help others out and does collections for Turnip Green Creative, Nashville VA at Vanderbilt, and disaster relief.
Founder of The Heimerdinger Foundation
HCA Healthcare, Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Growth Practice Leader
Isabel Biondi
Partner at GreatDane Investment
Sales Executive at Private Health Management
VP, Product, Field Support & Investment Marketing Strategy, Jackson National Life Insurance
Senior Associate at Husch Blackwell
Advisory Board
AnneLaura Riviere
Anne Laura is an Integrative Functional Medicine Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), who is certified in functional medicine through The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and certified in Advanced Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (ABHRT). The focus of her practice is to help patients live their healthiest, most vibrant, whole, and fulfilling lives.
She was born and raised in Tennessee and attended college at The University of Tennessee to study nutrition. Her advanced education includes a Masters in Nursing Adult/Geriatric Health from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s in Nutrition from Middle Tennessee State University, a Dietetic internship from Penn State University, Duke’s Leadership Program in Integrative Medicine, and The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Fellowship (AWCIM). She is also a Certified Yoga teacher RYT-200 and a Master level Reiki Practitioner. She practices as a Somatic EMDR Practitioner and continues training in Homeopathy, HeartMath, and Culinary medicine.
Anne Laura enjoys working out at Barre3, horseback riding, and nature retreats with friends. During sessions, Anne Laura creates a personalized health plan based on an integrative total wellness model. She imparts love and a sense of gratitude to all in support of their healing path.