Gretchen A. Israelson Forsell, MPH, RDN, has established herself as a leader and expert in rural healthcare workforce development, dedicating more than 45 years to advancing health professions and nutrition management. Since 2003, she has excelled as the director of Northern Nebraska Area Health Education Center (AHEC), where she manages staffing levels based on funding, conducts fundraising activities, develops board structures and engagement, creates and evaluates programs for effectiveness, analyzes data for decision-making and expands or adjusts initiatives according to available resources. Ms. Israelson Forsell work emphasizes building long-term relationships with students pursuing health professions, encouraging them to value and serve rural communities and training health professionals outside urban centers to increase rural workforce placement.
From 2014 to 2021, Ms. Israelson Forsell found success as the project director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HPV Immunization Project with the National Area Health Education Center Organization. In this capacity, she led a seven-year initiative focused on HPV vaccine awareness, navigating challenges such as the COVID-19 Pandemic while promoting public health education.
Between 2009 and 2014, Ms. Israelson Forsell served as project manager at the Area Health Education Center Training and Consultation Center under the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Recruited as part of a three-person team tasked with enhancing evaluation practices across AHECs nationwide, her responsibilities included leading a project to promote continuing education on the Affordable Care Act, particularly engaging participants from politically conservative regions, which resulted in positive shifts in attitudes toward healthcare reform. Additionally, Ms. Israelson Forsell directed a three-year program addressing the needs of returning service members and veterans.
Ms. Israelson Forsell’s earlier experience includes her time as learning resources coordinator at Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center from 1996 to 2002, a post in which she developed educational materials and coordinated training programs for health professionals in rural areas. From 1994 to 1996, she worked as a clinical dietitian at Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital, providing nutritional care for patients with complex medical needs.
Ms. Israelson Forsell began her career in nutrition services as food service director at Seacoast Health Collective from 1986 to 1990, where she managed dietary operations and staff. She subsequently worked as WIC nutritionist at the Floyd County Health Department under the Georgia Department of Human Resources from 1990 to 1994, supporting maternal and child health through nutritional counseling.
In addition to her administrative roles, Ms. Israelson Forsell was active as a public speaker from 1992 to 2010. She delivered presentations nationwide on behalf of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where she held various leadership positions. Her public speaking engagements not only demonstrated her expertise but also fueled her passion for educating fellow dietitians and advocating for impactful program management over clinical dietetics alone.
Throughout her career, Ms. Israelson Forsell has been recognized for her perseverance in overcoming challenges, a quality that has shaped her professional growth. She is most proud of her achievements in nutrition management, focusing on understanding root causes of issues rather than minor dietary choices. Her leadership within national and local AHEC associations has enabled her to inspire others by emphasizing the importance of passion in achieving success.
Ms. Israelson Forsell’s professional affiliations are extensive, having held administrative roles in organizations such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Public Health Association of Nebraska, Kiwanis International, New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Nebraska Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to name a few. Her entry into healthcare workforce development began when she became founding director for a new Area Health Education Center in Nebraska—a program initiated through federal grants at state colleges of medicine and nursing. Drawing on prior experience in Georgia, Ms. Israelson Forsell established the nonprofit organization while also collaborating with national AHEC leadership.
To support her ambitions within her field, Ms. Israelson Forsell pursued an education at The University of Utah, earning a Bachelor of Science in food and nutrition in 1982. She ultimately concluded her formal studies at the University of Minnesota in 1992, graduating from the ISP Program in nutrition administration with a Master of Public Health. Ms. Israelson Forsell subsequently obtained a certificate of advanced studies in health science administration with a focus on health care administration and management from the University of Minnesota and her credentials as a registered dietitian nutritionist by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Ms. Israelson Forsell attributes her success to listening carefully to mentors, including her grandparents and teachers, who encouraged her to reach her potential through hard work and focus. Their guidance helped shape her approach to leadership, resilience and lifelong learning. As a testament to her stellar efforts, Ms. Israelson Forsell was honored as an Emerging Dietetic Leader by the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1999.
Born in Iron Mountain, Ms. Israelson Forsell is dedicated to mentoring others by sharing lessons learned from setbacks, reminding mentees that challenges are hurdles that foster strength rather than failures that define them. She has also provided her wealth of knowledge to others in her field through scholarly work, co-authoring “Getting Online” published by Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 1995, as well as “Longitudinal Evaluation Practices of Health Workforce Development Programs: An Incremental Approach to Evaluability Assessment” published in Evaluation and Program Planning in 2018.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Israelson Forsell hopes to leave a meaningful impression through her work while stepping away from central roles within organizations she has helped build. She aims to be remembered for empowering others toward success while continuing personal pursuits such as gardening. Ensuring her children’s happiness remains paramount as they pursue impactful careers and she encourages them always to seize opportunities regardless of any obstacles along their paths.