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Executive Director

Gail Hall, LMSW, DCSW, CEDS - S
I received my BA from Dordt College in 1975 and my MSW from Western Michigan University in 1984. My early years as a social worker were spent in child welfare; just after graduate school I treated my first individual with an eating disorder and soon began pursuing this as a specialty. I have worked in a large outpatient psychiatric practice as part of an interdisciplinary team: and was employed for four years as the Director of the Eating Disorders Program at nearby Forest View Hospital. In 1998 I founded CTED, LLC in hopes of providing high quality, comprehensive team care in an intimate, personalized setting. It’s a blessing to support girls, boys, women, and men as they heal from their eating disorder and begin to grasp all God has in store for them in the future.

As exciting as that journey can be, however, it’s often long and difficult. How much better if we could prevent an eating disorder before it ever got started . . .

I attended my first eating disorders prevention conference in 1986 in Seattle Washington at the national headquarters of EDAP. This organization and several others merged in the 90’s to become the National Eating Disorders Association, now headquartered in New York City. We have been proud to partner with them for several events.; but have also recognized the need for a local organization. MiEDA was founded so that funds raised locally could be used for prevention efforts right here in Western Michigan. I’ve been blessed by my association with Jennifer Lane, and thrilled with the gifts brought by each of our board members and volunteers. Together we have exciting plans for the future!

Contact
ghall@mieda.org
616.236.3156

The Board

Jennifer Lane
A recovered individual who desires to offer a message of help and hope to those struggling with an eating disorder, Jen is a former high school French teacher. She is currently the busy stay-at-home mother of three children. She has been trained as a NEDA Navigator and has connected with hundreds of struggling individuals who have reached out to her for help. Jen has given her testimony of recovery in many area churches and schools. She has authored Transformed: An Eating and Body Image Bible Study which is a 12 week Bible study designed to empower and equip women to walk free from eating and body image issues.

Jennifer DiGennaro
Jennifer wears many hats in our community. She is a mother, a business professional, a volunteer, student, and an activist. In addition to pursuing a master’s degree in professional counseling at Central Michigan University, Jennifer has been volunteering at the Women’s Resource Center since 2014 and mentoring women as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor at her own business, Nourished Energy, since 2015. She is also in the process of becoming a Certified Trauma Professional and a Certified Body Trust Provider. Jennifer's professional mission includes focusing on eating disorder awareness, prevention, and education to include embracing the wisdom of the body and uncovering the depth of suffering that is often not addressed by single pronged approaches. Continuing to bring awareness to the role both mental health and weight stigma play in the development and perpetuation of eating disorders is key part of her mission as well. In addition to serving on the MiEDA board, Jennifer is co-leader of the local non-profit Moms of Grand Rapids and a member of the International Association of Trauma Professionals, the Binge Eating Disorder Association, and the Association for Size Diversity and Health.

Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, Ex-Officio, Emeritus
Dr. Lisa Lowery attended Michigan State University receiving her Bachelors of Science Degree in Microbiology, with honors. Dr. Lowery received her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. After medical school, she completed a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatric Residency program at Spectrum Health-Butterworth. Her desire to work with young people led her to complete a subspecialty research fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. While at the Johns Hopkins, she obtained a Masters of Public Health in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences with a Certificate of Concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Currently, Dr. Lowery is an Adolescent Medicine specialist at DeVos Children’s Hospital-Spectrum Health-Butterworth. She provides health care to teens in all areas including behavioral health, reproductive health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and numerous mental health issues including eating disorders.