FOUNDER & AUTHOR

Mary is a registered dietitian, mental health worker, certified diabetes educator, and certified mindfulness instructor. She is the Associate Director of Pediatric Obesity at Yale University, School of Medicine. She has 28 years of experience in adult and childhood obesity and diabetes, including the development of the Bright Bodies Weight Management Program, a healthy lifestyle program for families with children with obesity, offered at Yale. The program utilizes the Smart Moves Weight Management Curriculum, which she has written along with a Smart Moves Start-Up Manual for institutions or practices offering weight management or healthy lifestyle education. Currently the curriculum is being used both nationally and internationally in several universities that specialize in childhood obesity.

Ms. Savoye-DeSanti has been published in several medical journals including the Journal of the America Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, Diabetes Care, Pediatric Obesity, and the Journal of the American Dietetics Association, in which she has reported her research.

Ms. Savoye-DeSanti received a BS in Dietetics from Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut, and an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. In addition to being a registered dietitian, she is a certified diabetes educator and certified mindfulness instructor. She lives in Branford, Connecticut, where she has a private practice in addition to her full-time clinical and research position at Yale University. She is married, with three children. She loves to do yoga, hike, practice mindfulness, read, and cook.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR & LIFESTYLE COACH

Alyson is the program coordinator and lifestyle coach for Smart Moves. She also works as the program coordinator for the Bright Bodies Program in Norway, Maine. In addition to her work at Smart Moves and Bright Bodies, she works as a behavioral health clinician for the Comprehensive Addiction Medicine Program at Western Main Primary Care in Norway, Maine. Alyson received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Maine Farmington and a masters in social work from the University of Maine. Alyson has worked as an integrated behavioral health clinician in primary care offices for the past 10 years and has experience working with children in school based and in-home settings.

She lives in the western mountains of Maine and enjoys walks in the woods, snowmobiling, fishing, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two Labrador Retrievers.

ASSISTANT MANAGER & DIETITIAN

Clarissa is the assistant manager at Smart Moves and will soo. be a registered dietitian. She graduated with a masters degree and bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of New Haven. Clarissa did her internship at Yale University at the Pediatric-Endocrinology department and in the Smart Moves / Bright Bodies program. She finds fulfillment in the interplay between fostering community engagement and driving strategic business initiatives within a healthy lifestyle program.

She currently lives in Bridgeport, CT. She enjoys reading science fiction / autobiography books and trying new recipes.

WEBSITE DESIGNER

Esther is a current graduate student at the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale Physician Associate Program. She received her bachelors of science in Health Sciences from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. As a future healthcare provider, Esther values chronic disease prevention and hopes to empower patients through education on nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle behavioral modifications.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Esther enjoys being active in the outdoors and is an avid long-distance runner and volleyball player outside of the classroom. She also grew up in a musical family and enjoys playing piano and singing.

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST & AUTHOR OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CURRICULUM

Jose is an Exercise Physiologist certified by ACSM-EP. Master's in nutrition and health Promotion from The University of Chile. Energetic and passionate about Exercise, Nutrition, and Well-being. He has more than 14 years of experience in healthy lifestyle programs and intervention projects in the private and public sectors. He has been with Smart Moves since 2020, and has written the physical activity curriculum.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN-NUTRITIONIST

Marissa is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She received her MS in Nutrition Sciences from the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut. Marissa is passionate about guiding others and educating them on the importance of food, nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle. She has been with Smart Moves for 2 years. She strives to incorporate those beliefs into her own life and that of her family's. Marissa is passionate about exercising, healthy meal prepping, and setting the best example for her son.