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Matt Pieper / Open Hand Atlanta
Matthew (Matt) Pieper is the Executive Director for Open Hand Atlanta, a community-driven non-profit organization providing nutritious and medically appropriate meals, nutrition education and counseling to those challenged by chronic disease or disability. Additionally, Open Hand provides services to those at risk who desire to prevent the onset of chronic conditions. Open Hand’s goal is to empower individuals with the resources needed to manage their health and make better lifestyle choices. Open Hand’s clients include seniors, people living with cancer, renal failure, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and many other chronic conditions. Through the support of collaborative partners, 8,000 volunteers annually and the community at large, Open Hand prepares, packages and delivers more than 5,000 meals daily to those in need.
Jess White / Good Measure Meals
Jess White is no stranger to the world of health and wellness as Senior Vice President of Good Measure Meals. As a Georgia Native and daughter of a health care professional and exercise enthusiast, Jess spent much of her life active in outdoor sports, fitness, and healthy eating. It wasn’t until her studies at Georgia Tech, that Jess started connecting all of the dots and decided that optimizing health promoting behaviors in the community would become a personal mission. From Georgia Tech, Jess traveled west to pursue her Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science at Oregon State University, focusing on Exercise and Sport Psychology, specifically Behavior Modification and prevention of obesity and diabetes in special populations.
White worked in the corporate sector before getting back to her wellness roots and taking the position of Director of Corporate Wellness and Interim General Manager of Peachtree Center Athletic Club. While at PCAC, she partnered with Good Measure Meals to incorporate nutrition into their wellness programing. Shortly thereafter, Good Measure Meals came calling when they decided to develop a Corporate Wellness program of their own, so Jess came on board in the beginning of 2010 to head that initiative. Jess has since developed strong relationships around the community in both the corporate and medical sectors and implemented a wide variety of wellness initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles within these populations.
