February 27, 2020

It is with mixed emotions that the Feeding Matters Board of Directors announces Chris Linn’s departure as President and CEO. Since 2008, Chris has played a critical role in the development and success of Feeding Matters. We all will miss Chris but fully support her as she transitions to spending more time with her family as she and her husband guide their children as they navigate their adolescent years. During her tenure, Chris’s inspiring leadership and passionate service resulted in significant accomplishments, including:

• Growing the organization from an Arizona start up to a reach of all 50 U.S. states and multiple countries.
• Supporting the Founder’s vision by facilitating the process to have pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) declared as a stand-alone diagnosis in a peer-reviewed medical journal, a critical first step to ensure all children have an opportunity to thrive.
• Collaborating with a multitude of partners from across the U.S. to advocate for a medical code for PFD with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If successful, this will open opportunities for insurance reimbursement, allocating research dollars to create best practices, and much more to ensure families have access to care.
• Implementing the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire that has provided an opportunity for earlier identification of PFD. The future goal is to have a version of the questionnaire available in all pediatric offices to screen for PFD.
• Working with an incredible group of families, healthcare providers, insurance companies, government agencies, and others through Feeding Matters’ PFD Alliance to continue creating a system of care for infants and children with PFD.
• Developing a phenomenal team of dedicated, passionate, and committed individuals who through Chris’s leadership have the expertise to continue the future growth of Feeding Matters.

We are conducting a search to find the new Feeding Matters President and CEO, and have selected an Interim CEO, Dan Lawler, who will work with Chris on a phased exit to ensure a smooth transition to a new leader. During this transition period, it is our priority to find the best individual to lead, while still maintaining a stable and effective organization.

We thank Chris for the 12 years of dedication, passion, enthusiasm, and inspiration she has provided Feeding Matters with over the past 12 years. She will be greatly missed by the staff, Board, PFD Alliance members, families, and partners alike. We look forward to supporting Chris as she transitions to being at home with her family.

As a mom to a child who struggled with PFD, Feeding Matters holds a very special place in Chris’s heart, and she looks forward to continuing to be an Ambassador for us. If you have any questions or concerns during this transition process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at RMAConsulting2016@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Rhonda M. Anderson, RN, DNSC(H), FAAN, FACHE
Chair, Board of Directors

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