Vanessa Wielenga Associate Extension Educator

M.S., Community Nutrition and Health Promotion, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2014
R.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dietetic Internship Program, 2013
B.S., Dietetics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2011

Vanessa Wielenga is a registered dietitian and the Associate Extension Educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln focusing on food access. She partners with multiple state and regional organizations and communities including the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and local health departments to implement healthy food access initiatives. These initiatives include supporting food retail, vending, food service and emergency food distribution sites.

The retail food access program, Choose Healthy Here, was piloted summer 2016 and then launched the beginning of 2017. Across Nebraska, 18 retailers are partnering with local public health and Extension to increase access to affordable, nutritious and safe foods using the Choose Healthy Here program.