The Plantrician Project Team
Scott Stoll, MD
Co-founder & Board Chairman
Tom Dunnam, MBA
Co-founder & Board Member
Susan Benigas
Co-founder & Board Member
Kim Williams, Sr., MD, MACC, FAHA, FASNC
Editor in Chief, IJDRP
Claire Shivers, BS
Senior Managing Editor, IJDRP
Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, DipACLM
Director of Education
Brooke Lynn McGowan
Marketing and Communications
Beth Skidmore, MSACN
Development
Andrea Dunnam
Director of Events
Scott Stoll, MD
Co-founder & Board Chairman
Dr. Scott Stoll is recognized as an international leader in lifestyle medicine and whole food plant-based nutrition. He is the co-founder of the Plantrician Project, the International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference, the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, and the Regenerative Health Institute, a unique collaborative project with the Rodale Institute that integrates a regenerative vision of human health, agriculture, and the environment. He served as the chairman of the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Coordinated Health for 16 years, a team physician for Lehigh University and the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Team and was a member of the Whole Foods scientific and medical advisory board. Dr. Stoll is the Chairman of the board for The Plantrician Project.
Every year Dr. Stoll hosts the very popular one-week Total Health Immersions in Florida and helps attendees recover lost health, overcome addictions, and restore emotional balance. In addition to authoring several books and numerous scientific articles, Dr. Stoll has appeared on a wide variety of national shows including the Dr. Oz show, hosting a 2018 PBS special Food as Medicine, and numerous documentaries including Eating You Alive, Wait till its Free, and The Game Changers. As well as being a published author and member of the 1994 Olympic Bobsled Team, he is a highly sought-after international speaker. Dr. Stoll and his family live in Franklin, TN.
Tom Dunnam, MBA
Co-founder & Board Member
With attention paid to every minute operational detail, Tom has successfully married his business management expertise with his passion for health promotion in his role with The Plantrician Project. He co-founded the International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference and also serves as president of Total Health Immersions (THI). THI is a 7-day lifestyle intervention program that, several times each year, touches employees of some of the nation’s most admired employers that are committed to reining in healthcare costs and improving the quality of life for their employees.
Holding a BA in Management from St. Leo University, where Tom was a pitcher and team captain of the baseball team, he concluded his graduate studies with an MBA from the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University. Along with his wife, Andrea, and their two children, Tom calls the West Palm Beach, FL area home.
Susan Benigas
Co-founder & Board Member
Susan’s work has spanned the gamut, from running political campaigns to serving in senior management and consultant roles for organizations ranging from professional sports and media to healthcare technology and worksite health promotion. It was while president of a worksite wellness company that she had the paradigm-shift leading to her life’s passion: She questioned the status quo approach to “wellness”—all too often to diagnose and medicate—as opposed to a primary focus on identifying and eradicating the cause of disease.
With a B.S. in Communications from the University of Tulsa and a Certificate in Plant-based Nutrition from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, Susan’s passion for reaching the gatekeepers of dietary recommendations—our nation’s physicians and healthcare practitioners—led to her founding The Plantrician Project and co-founding the International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference, showcasing the efficacy of whole food, plant-based nutrition in its ability to prevent, suspend and often even reverse much of the chronic, degenerative disease afflicting our world.
Her experience and successful track record in the areas of organizational leadership, project management, strategic marketing, public relations, development, and Internet-based solutions design and development have helped to fuel the success of many organizations and endeavors. In addition to her work with The Plantrician Project, Susan serves as executive director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
She and her husband, Jon, and furry family member, veggie-eating dog Bailey Blue, reside in Town & Country, MO, where Jon serves on the Board of Aldermen and is chairman of the Green Commission.
Kim Williams, Sr., MD, MACC, FAHA, FASNC
Editor in Chief, IJDRP
Dr. Kim Allan Williams was born and raised in inner-city Chicago, and attended the College of The University of Chicago, followed by the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, internal medicine residency at Emory University, and overlapping fellowships in Cardiology at the University of Chicago, Clinical Pharmacology, and Nuclear Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.
Dr. Williams joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1986, specializing in clinical cardiology, nuclear medicine and nuclear cardiology. He served as Professor of Medicine and Radiology and Director of Nuclear Cardiology at The University of Chicago School of Medicine until 2010. Among numerous awards and honors for his teaching in the medical school, residencies and fellowships, he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha in 2008.
In 2010, he became the Dorothy Susan Timmis Endowed Professor of Medicine and Radiology and Chairman of the Division of Cardiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. At Wayne State, he has started the Urban Cardiology Initiative — a program of education of physicians on disparities in healthcare, primary school education on cardiovascular health and community health screening in inner city Detroit. In November, 2013 he returned to Chicago as the James B. Herrick Endowed Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center.
Dr. Williams has published numerous peer reviewed articles, monographs, book chapters, editorials, and review articles in the field of nuclear cardiology and minority health issues, with emphasis on education and innovations in perfusion imaging and quantitation of ventricular function. His research interests include selective adenosine receptor agonists, fluorinated perfusion PET imaging, health care disparities and payment policy, and appropriate use of cardiac imaging.
Dr. Williams has served on numerous committees and boards at the national level, including the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the Certifying Board of Nuclear Cardiology, the Certifying Board of Cardiac Computed Tomography, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC). He served as President of ASNC from 2004 to 2005. He served as Chairman of the Board of ABC from 2008 to 2010. He also served on the Cardiovascular Disease Examination Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM-CV) until 2012. He currently serves as the ACC President-Elect and is slated to serve as ACC President in 2015.
Claire Shivers, BS
Senior Managing Editor, IJDRP
Claire Shivers serves as the Managing Editor for the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention. Claire received her bachelor’s degree in Health Science Studies with a business minor from Baylor University. Claire spent several years in bench research with M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas, focusing on Leukemia. She then transitioned to pediatric orthopedic clinical research and has been in the clinical field for over six years. She brings a wealth of research knowledge to the team as well as a passion for clean eating and exercise.
Outside of work, Claire enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children, and working on the family homestead in Eastern Washington. Claire and her husband are passionate about growing nutritious fruits and vegetables using time-tested, natural methods. Claire’s other hobbies include exercising, hiking, breadmaking, reading and crocheting.
Jill Edwards, MS, CEP, DipACLM
Director of Education
Jill is a health and wellness educator with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, eLearning, and corporate and clinical education. She started her career as a high school teacher and professional dancer which set her up for success in transitioning to corporate training and exercise science. Jill is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. She worked in cardiopulmonary rehab for over 8 years educating patients on the power of lifestyle changes to manage and reverse their disease. In her role, she was instrumental in bringing The Ornish Reversal Program (ICR) to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Jill worked for the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies for 10 years, starting as a Plant-Based Nutrition Instructor and ending her tenure as the Executive Director of Education. She is most proud of her contributions in design & development to the organization’s flagship online learning product- Plant Based Nutrition Certificate offered in partnership with Cornell’s University.
Jill joined The Plantrician Project in 2022 and shares their passion for lifestyle medicine to transform and regenerate human health and health care. It is her mission to educate and empower people with knowledge about the power of lifestyle changes to improve personal and global health.
Brooke Lynn McGowan
Marketing and Communications
Brooke Lynn McGowan is a creative marketing and communications specialist with over 15 years of experience in content creation, business development, social media, design, and photography. Brooke’s specialty is working with small-to-medium sized businesses to establish, manage, and improve marketing strategy in order to maximize visibility and fast-track growth.
Brooke has a passion for connecting people and communities through the arts, storytelling, music and conversation. In 2016, after receiving a gift of “How Not to Die” and “Super Immunity” from her mentor, Brooke become a health, wellness and fitness enthusiast. She spends much of her free time researching lifestyle medicine and is always eager to share WFPB recipes and ideas.
In 2022, Brooke joined The Plantrician Project and is inspired by the many initiatives and resources they’ve created over the past 10 years. Brooke is excited to continue building upon the success of The Plantrician Project to create exponential growth and help to plant the seeds of change!
Beth Skidmore, MSACN
Development
Beth is a nonprofit fundraising professional with a Master’s Degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition and certified in Plant Based Nutrition by the T. Colin Campbell Foundation/eCornell. Beth joined The Plantrician Project (TPP) as a fundraising strategist and grants specialist in 2020. In that time, she’s worked to support the team in fundraising efforts including to launch and grow special impact initiatives Plantrician University, the IJDRP, and the Health Equity Lifestyle Project Conference.
Beth has served as a professional fundraiser for over 20 years, helping to build community around shared missions and raise more than $30 million for local and national nonprofits. Beth also currently serves as chair of a community-centered plant-based nutrition nonprofit and a fundraising consultant specializing in plant-based nutrition, healthcare and arts organizations. She holds a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Global Peace and Security from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has additionally completed masters level coursework in public policy and administration, and earned professional certificates in board leadership, fundraising and marketing for nonprofits, grant-writing, and graphic design.
After a powerful experience with plant-based nutrition and Type 1 Diabetes in her family, Beth became passionate about the opportunity for plant-based lifestyles to improve health and lower risk of chronic disease and the necessity to have this message delivered and supported by our healthcare community. Beth is honored to collaborate with the TPP team to build community and resources to advance TPP’s game-changing mission and initiatives.
Andrea Dunnam
Director of Events
Andréa Dunnam directs events for The Plantrician Project, whose mission is to educate, equip and empower physicians, healthcare practitioners and other influencers with the knowledge about the indisputable benefits of whole food, plant-based nutrition. Her responsibilities include running the Project’s annual medical conference, The International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference (PBNHC), where she oversees logistics such as event planning, registrations, exhibitors, and more.
After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University, Andréa worked in the marketing field, had a career in Education, followed by careers in the non-profit world. She is a plant-based cook and enjoys giving cooking demonstrations using simple recipes for common foods at Dr. Stoll’s Total Health Immersions.
Andréa joined The Plantrician Project team in 2017. In her spare time, Andréa does a tremendous amount of philanthropic work. She has been recognized for her commitment to helping others by The American Diabetes Association, The National Charity League and The State of Connecticut General Assembly for her outstanding service, goodwill, and generosity to the community. She and her family reside in Palm Beach County, Florida.
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