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FAAN Names Gina Clowes as Vice President of Member Relations

Clowes to Help Families Cope with Food Allergies

FAIRFAX, Va. (Jan. 20, 2012) – The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN™) is pleased to announce that longtime food allergy advocate Gina Clowes has joined the organization as Vice President of Member Relations.

Clowes brings to FAAN an extensive knowledge of food allergies on a personal and professional level. As an author, advocate and educator, she has helped thousands of families adjust to life with food allergies. As a mom, she has helped her son manage multiple food allergies for more than 10 years.

“Gina is an invaluable resource for the food allergy community,” FAAN CEO Maria L. Acebal said. “Her ability to instill confidence and hope through education is so important.”

FAAN members will immediately reap the benefits of this new role, as Clowes unveils in the coming weeks several new programs and features including:

  • Dedicated weekly call-in hours for members with questions
  • Debriefing sessions following FAAN conferences to help members decompress and assimilate what they’ve learned
  • Monthly webinars for members on a variety of topics including safety and inclusion at school, coping with the emotional toll, and helping others understand food allergies

“My life was turned upside down when my son was diagnosed with over a dozen food allergies. I was completely overwhelmed with how much I had to learn and how little the outside world understood about food allergies,” said Clowes. “We’ve come a long way since that time; however, recent incidents at several schools highlight the fact that children are still at risk. I am very passionate about this cause and so grateful to be in a position to help even more people in my new role.”

Eleanor Garrow, FAAN’s Vice President of Education and Outreach, said, “Gina has a wonderful level of compassion and empathy. She has made it her life’s work to help others adjust to managing food allergies. I've worked with Gina on many initiatives and her expertise is beneficial to FAAN and our members. We’re delighted to have her join us!”

Clowes is an advocate, author, speaker, and the founder of AllergyMoms.com. She is the author of the best-selling children’s book One of the Gang: Nurturing the Souls of Children with Food Allergies and writes a popular column, “The Parenting Coach,” for Allergic Living magazine. Gina is a certified life coach and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Pennsylvania State University where she studied social and behavioral science.

To become a FAAN member, please visit www.foodallergy.org/membership.

About FAAN

Founded in 1991, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in information, resources, and programs for food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition that afflicts as many as 15 million Americans, including almost 6 million children. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. On May 9, 2012, FAAN announced its intent to merge with the other leading food allergy organization, the Food Allergy Initiative, pending state regulatory approval. To become a member or for more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org.

Media Contact

Nancy Gregory
Media Relations
(703) 563-3066
E-mail: ngregory@foodallergy.org