Nutrition Policy Expert Joins APCO Health and Wellness Practice

Washington, D.C. (April 12, 2011) – Melissa Musiker, former director at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), joins APCO Worldwide as a vice president based in Washington, D.C., Robert Schooling, managing director, announced today. A practicing dietitian, Musiker brings extensive experience as a food and nutrition policy expert.

“We’re pleased to welcome Melissa to APCO’s health and wellness practice,” said Schooling. “Her strong technical knowledge combined with industry expertise in issues related to the intersection of food, nutrition, health and wellness will make her a valuable resource among APCO’s food and health care clientele. She will also serve as a key member of APCO’s food and consumer products practice, where she will help clients address corporate reputation challenges by providing insight into pre-launch risk mitigation strategies and post-launch issues management and thought leadership opportunities.”

As director of science policy, nutrition and health for GMA, Musiker served as a technical resource and spokesperson on regulatory and legislative policy issues related to food, nutrition and health for the consumer packaged goods industry. In this capacity, she was an advisor to and advocate for the packaged food industry on food policy issues including front-of-pack nutrition labeling, sodium reduction, reformulations, obesity and marketing to children.

Musiker was also an economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, where she was actively engaged in data-based policy research on the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

“APCO is a recognized leader in health and wellness, and I look forward to working with such a talented and dedicated team of professionals,” said Musiker. “I’m eager to bring my comprehensive experience with food and nutrition policy and the relationships I’ve built with key policy-makers to provide clients with impactful solutions to the challenges they face in today’s ever-changing regulatory and policy climate.”

Before entering public policy, Musiker was a practicing dietitian focusing on pediatric nutrition in both clinical and community settings. As a pediatric dietitian at Children's National Medical Center, her primary clinical practice areas were adolescent medicine and HIV/AIDS medical nutrition therapy and nutrition support. She also served as a medical nutrition therapy consultant, where she conducted HIV/AIDS comprehensive quality assurance site visits and worked with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in New York, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

In addition to her professional work, Musiker is a member of the Cornell Institute of Food Science Advisory Council and the D.C. Metro Area Dietetic Association board of directors and is a senior nutrition advisor to the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. She recently completed an appointment on the D.C. State Board of Medicine.

Musiker joins other APCO experts with backgrounds in health care and food and consumer products, including: Cassandra Pye, former director of public affairs for the California Retailers Association and former director of governmental relations for the California Grocers Association; Chrystine Zacherau, a licensed registered nurse and health care research expert who leads APCO Insight’s health care research practice; Wayne Pines, former associate commissioner of public affairs at the Food and Drug Administration; Vada Manager, former senior director of global issues management for Nike; and Cherie Stewart, former Gap brand communications director.

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About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO clients include corporations and governments; industry associations and nonprofit organizations; and seven of the top 10 companies on Fortune's Global 500. APCO offers services related to business, industry and finance; media, public opinion and society; and government and public policy. The firm is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.