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Federal Way, Wash, September 10, 2020 — The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has named three new members to its Governing Board of Directors: Gail Christopher, DN, David Harris, and Loren Israelsen.
These new members are renowned leaders and experts in the fields of health equity, policy, philanthropy, wellness medicine, and human performance.  The election of these new board members represents critical steps towards achieving the advancement of functional medicine for all.

“The IFM Board of Directors is honored and delighted to welcome such accomplished community leaders to help advance our mission of health and healing for all,” states Board Chairman, Joseph E. Pizzorno, ND. “All three individuals bring strong commitment, substantial skills and important experience and insights into the health disparity issues that are top priorities for us at IFM.”

Dr. Gail Christopher has more than 30 years of experience in designing and managing national initiatives and nonprofit organizations, and is an award-winning social change agent with expertise in the social determinants of health and well-being and in related public policies. Formally, she was the Senior Advisor and VP at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and now chairs the Board of the Trust for America’s Health. She is also currently the Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. In her role at WKKF, she was the driving force behind the America Healing initiative and the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation effort.

David Harris has designed custom leadership development programs for a variety of organizations. He is currently Chief Officer of Innovation and Human Performance for Formelife, and an Optimist for Simon Sinek, Inc. Prior to this, David had a successful 25-year career at Equinox, the leader in Lifestyle Wellness, before taking on a broader role as VP of Health and Human Performance. He was also the Chairman of the Equinox Health Advisory Board.

Loren Israelsen has 40 years of experience in addressing the commercial, political and regulatory issues facing the global dietary supplement industry. He served as General Counsel and President of Nature’s Way Products Inc., and is now the President of the United Natural Products Alliance. Much of his career has involved creating and supporting efforts to allow broad access to dietary supplements and to assure product quality, safety and benefit.

“The depth and breadth of leadership and experience held by each of these individuals will be invaluable in guiding us into our next phase of strategic planning and development,” says Amy R. Mack, CEO of IFM. “In addition, it is critical to our work at IFM, as well as to the advancement of functional medicine, that the communities we wish to serve have representation on our board in the form of lived experience.”

The 2020 officers of the IFM’s BOD include Joseph E. Pizzorno, ND (Board Chairman), Terry Cook, CFP, CIMA (Treasurer), and David S. Jones, MD (Secretary). To view all the members of IFM’s Board of Directors, please click here.

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About IFM
The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) is the global leader in Functional Medicine and a collaborator in the transformation of health care. IFM is a nonprofit organization that believes Functional Medicine can help every individual reach their full potential for health and well-being. Founded in 1991 and dedicated to the widespread adoption of Functional Medicine, IFM works to advance education and training, clinical patient care, research, and outcomes in Functional Medicine worldwide. To date, IFM has educated over 16,000 practitioners from 70 countries. For more information about IFM, please visit IFM.org.

About Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.

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