Courtney Gaine, Ph.D., R.D., is the President and CEO for the Sugar Association in Washington, D.C. Prior to this appointment in January 2016, Dr. Gaine served as the Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the association. Dr. Gaine previously served as senior science program manager at the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI North America), a public, nonprofit scientific foundation that advances the understanding and application of science related to the nutritional quality and safety of the food supply. Prior to ILSI, Dr. Gaine held positions of project director, nutrition and wellness, at the nonprofit organization Convergence and science manager at FoodMinds, a public relations firm. She began her career in academia as an assistant professor at East Carolina University.

A native Washingtonian, Dr. Gaine obtained her Ph.D. in nutritional sciences and biochemistry and bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of Connecticut, where she was also a co-captain of the UConn women’s basketball team.

Chris Hogan is the Vice President of Communications for the Sugar Association. Prior to joining Sugar, Mr. Hogan was the Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs with Growth Energy, a trade association representing America’s ethanol producers and supporters. He oversaw a broad portfolio of issues, including industry communications, media relations, consumer engagement, public affairs messaging, and the American Ethanol race team NASCAR sponsorship.

Previously, he served as Vice President of Communications for the International Bottled Water Association. Mr. Hogan also served as both the Director of Communications and Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs with the American Gas Association, which represents America’s natural gas utility industry.

He holds a B.S. in Political Science from Northeastern University; a Master of Business Administration and Master of International Management, both from the University of Maryland University College; and was awarded the I.O.M. nonprofit executive certification.

Catherine Nnoka joined the Sugar Association, in June 2016. As Director of Operations, she develops and manages organizational capacities to realize SAI’s short-term and long-term goals.

Prior to SAI, Catherine was the senior director of scientific programs and executive office management at the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. She was also the director of operations for the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), a food research laboratory in Bedford Park, Illinois affiliated with the Illinois, Institute of Technology and FDA. Catherine also worked for the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit science foundation established to advance the science in the areas of nutrition, food safety and the environment. During her years with ILSI, Catherine managed numerous scientific committees, task forces and working groups, and she planned and organized a broad range of programs and projects to address a variety of food safety and nutrition issues. Notable among these was the research grant program she ran for the Technical Committee on Food Microbiology. At one time, she also managed the Allergy and Immunology Institute of ILSI, working with physicians and research scientists on a grant program to support basic research on adverse immunologic reactions to food and efforts to improve public education about and awareness of food allergies.

Educated in the United States and abroad, Catherine is a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in linguistics and a member of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Catherine also attended Westtown School (a Quaker boarding school), Bard College at Simon’s Rock and the University of Nice in France.

Alison Swietek is a project coordinator for the Sugar Association. In this role, she attends and manages the Association’s exhibit program at health conferences and assists with day to day operations to help achieve the association’s mission. Before coming to SAI, Ms. Swietek worked as the marketing and events coordinator at East Coast Saloons. There she organized fundraisers, group events and brand promotions for multiple restaurants. She also worked with promotional staff to help increase the reach and visibility of the restaurants.

Ms. Swietek came to Washington, DC, in 2010 to attend American University where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Audio Production. Although she now considers the DMV area her home, she’s originally from the small town of York, Maine.

Maria Osterhaus Scott, MPH, has worked with the Sugar Association on scientific affairs since 2015. Throughout her career, Ms. Scott has worked with both academia and industry in public health nutrition and science communications. Ms. Scott has held positions as Academic/Scientific Editorial Manager at the University of Iowa as well as Associate Writer and Project Assistant. She began her career as an Account Coordinator at FoodMinds, a public relations firm.

Ms. Scott obtained her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Iowa. She served as a captain on the track and field team and also ran cross country at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where she received her B.S. in Biology.