Neighbor Samantha Cely (foreground) and Lizzie Gilliam Wrenn chop herbs and tomatoes under the watchful eye of Lizzie’s mother, Rebecca Gilliam Wrenn, Columbia Midlands Dietetic Association’s Dietician of the Year.

The handsome plaque declaring Rebecca Gilliam Wrenn is Columbia Midlands Dietetic Association’s Dietician of the Year is about the same size as her kitchen cutting board. She puts into practice all that the plaque implies on the surface where she chops and minces fresh vegetables and herbs.

“Being a registered dietician is way more than a job; for me it’s a lifestyle,” said the trim young woman. “Because I really believe we are what we eat, I try to set an example. In my family we eat organic. It would not be unusual for me to grocery shop 10 times a week to make sure we get the freshest ingredients. Organic growers treat the land better which ultimately treats us better.”

Wrenn’s award recognizes the culmination of a long career. “Dieticians interface with various areas of rehab cardiac health. They may work with large corporations in multi–areas, including research, and there are also non–traditional arenas. What we do here at SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is a good example” of how inclusive and diverse the profession is.

Wrenn says her current position is an “opportunity to work with two of my most favorite people in the world, Sandy Spann and Phyllis Allen.” As program coordinator for dietetic internships, she supervises the professional internships of 13 dieticians from all over the US.

Wrenn said, “Not until they put themselves through the rigors of the national licensing examination can they be called licensed dieticians. Professionals are rather picky about this designation.” Wrenn congratulated Erica Kirby, Outstanding Young Dietician of the Year.

In addition to statewide supervision of the 20–week internship rotations spanning community health, clinical settings, and food service, Wrenn is consistently forging relationships to establish new sites. Having and overseeing an intern can be time–intensive for a clinician, so Wrenn cannot always place interns with the same professionals. “New sites are always needed.”

Wrenn also serves as Food Stamp Nutrition Education Coordinator, an aspect of her responsibilities that falls into the community arena of her profession. “We have label reading classes and grocery store tours. We even have a play we do for children K–3 in 24 different schools in Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg, Marion, and Charleston counties. We just coordinated the actors who come from the theatre master’s program at USC.” Wrenn added the Kid’s Café is the after–school arm of Harvest Hope Food Bank.

Outside of her state–wide responsibilities, Wrenn may be seen chatting with customers at EarthFare about better nutrition. She has been known to cater by default when a committee she serves on was planning to order box lunches for their after–church meeting.

“I knew I could come up with something more nutritious,” said the St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church member. She ended up investing part of her weekend pulling together a colorful and healthy meal.

Wrenn relaxes while turning the pages of dietetic journals. “You have to know current findings and trends about organic foods and diseases like diabetes.” She gets fresh air and exercise and plans family vacations around fitness–related activities. “For her birthday we are taking Lizzie (her daughter, a second grader at Heathwood Hall) on a trip that will involve kayaks and bicycles.”

She advocates for healthful eating, not only as a means of weight control, but as a better way of living. Being trim is nice, but Wrenn said, “The important thing is to be happy in your own skin.”