The Board of Directors of Feeding Matters, a national advocacy organization for Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), is pleased to announce the appointment of Jaclyn Pederson as new Chief Executive Officer, effective as of September. She will assume the responsibilities of Chris Linn who has stepped down after 12 years of service in the role to be at home with her children during their teenage years.
Pederson has been an integral part of the Feeding Matters organization for seven years, working in the fund development and programs departments in the following roles; Development and Volunteer Manager, Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives, and VP, Programs and Strategic Initiatives. Most recently, she served as Interim CEO while navigating the challenges that occurred for the families and professionals Feeding Matters serves during the COVID-19 pandemic. During her tenure, she grew a culture of innovation within the organization and expanded Feeding Matters reach to all 50 states and 143 countries supporting families and professionals around the globe. She worked closely with Feeding Matters’ Founder and Emeritus Board Member, Shannon Goldwater, as well as her predecessor, Chris Linn and remains committed to supporting their vision as she partners with the Board of Directors on the strategic direction of the organization.
“On behalf of the board I salute and acknowledge the accomplishments of Chris Linn throughout the last 12 years, which resulted in growing the organization from an Arizona start up to a reach of all 50 U.S. states and multiple countries. Additionally, her work in supporting the founder’s vision by facilitating the process to have PFD declared as a stand-alone diagnosis while collaborating with a multitude of partners from across the U.S. to advocate for a medical code for PFD have all been essential steps in our advocacy agenda,” said Rhonda Anderson, RN, DNSC(H), FAAN, FACHE, Board Chair. “I am excited for Jaclyn Pederson to step up as the new CEO of Feeding Matters. Her leadership skills, tenure, and previous performance make her an ideal candidate and fit to continue accomplishing our vision of creating a world in which children with pediatric feeding disorder thrive,” Anderson concluded.
Jaclyn holds a Masters in Health Innovation and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with a background in nonprofit management, fundraising, program design, strategic thinking and systems change. She has been building and executing programs for 15 years in the public and nonprofit sectors. In 2017, she was selected as one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees.
“I am delighted to step into this role and continue building from our recent successes of establishing a stand-alone name, definition, and diagnosis of PFD. We are committed to making the journey for impacted children and families more consistent, inclusive and supported,” said Pederson. “I am confident that we have the right team and community support in place to make that happen and look forward to being a part of the efforts ahead.”
Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting the concerns of families with the field’s leading advocates, experts, and allied healthcare professionals to ignite unprecedented change to the system of care through advocacy, education, support, and research – including a stand-alone diagnosis, the International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference, and the Infant Child Feeding Questionnaire©.
About Feeding Matters
For kids with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), every bite of food can be painful, scary, or simply impossible to swallow, potentially impeding nutrition, development, growth, and overall well-being. Yet, there is no functional system of care for PFD locally, nationally, or internationally. That’s why Feeding Matters is dedicated to creating a world where children with pediatric feeding disorder will thrive. Established in 2006, Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting the concerns of families with the field’s leading advocates, experts, and allied healthcare professionals to ignite unprecedented change to the system of care through advocacy, education, support, and research – including a stand-alone diagnosis, the International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference, and the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire. In 2018, Feeding Matters reached more than 125,000 individuals in 50 states and 143 countries through their programs and website.
