Our Health Educators

These people come from diverse backgrounds but have one thing in common. Our Health Educators are committed to providing you with the best education and support to allow you to reach your health and weight goals. They will lead your sessions every week and be available by phone if you need them for a pep talk or simply a friendly voice.

SHANNON O'CONNOR
Program Support Manager

Shannon started our Durango branch of HNT in 2005.   Previously she worked in Jackson, WY as the Community Health Coordinator for St. John's Medical Center.  That position included running their Health and Weight Management Program in addition to organizing the annual Community Health Fair and starting a Women’s Health Coalition.  She relocated to Durango with her husband in 2005 and established HNT Durango. She is now using her years of experience with both coaching and program management to assist and train HNT affiliated programs.  Shannon is a certified Wellness Coach, and her undergraduate degree is from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  When not working for HNT, she enjoys cooking healthy food, trail running, mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, yoga, and hanging out with her pets.

TINA GRAVES
RSP Coordinator

Tina holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Wayne State College in Nebraska.  In December 2004, Tina joined the HNT Indianapolis team as a health educator.  She gained immeasurable experience and thoroughly enjoyed coaching others in helping them achieve a healthier lifestyle.  In July 2008, Tina moved to Pennsylvania and helped develop the Remote Support Program where she is the Program Coordinator and has continued coaching participants. Tina takes on a personal challenge each week in her spinning cycle classes, and is a volunteer for the local hospital in her free time.

CAROL MAHONEY, MS RD
HNT Durango Program Manager

Carol is a Registered Dietitian who lives in Durango, Colorado. She obtained an undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado Boulder in Psychology, and her Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition is from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. After working as a clinical research coordinator at the Center for Human Nutrition in Denver, she moved to Steamboat Springs, CO, where she worked as a Dietitian for a small community hospital and long-term care center. Carol enjoys working as a Health Educator at HNT Durango; the best part is that she witnesses clients improving their health and ultimately feeling empowered to continue living a healthier lifestyle. In her free time Carol likes to ski, hike with her dogs, and attempts to mountain bike without crashing.

KAREN O'CONNOR
HNT New Jersey Program Manager

Karen is our newest HNT East Coast representative.  She is located in northern New Jersey, and has established a clinic to serve Sussex, Warren, and Morris counties. Karen holds a B.S .in Food and Nutrition from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She has previous experience coaching brand identity for a national franchise, and spent a summer during her college years counseling kids at a weight-loss camp. Karen sees herself as goal-oriented both on the job and in her personal life. She trained and ran the Chicago Marathon and earned funds for breast cancer research by participating in a 3-day Avon walk. She gave herself a one year sabbatical from the corporate world to widen her knowledge of how people live outside of the USA before landing in New Jersey where she and her husband are raising their son.

CHRISTINA VARVEL, RD
HNT Indiana Health Educator

Christina has been with HNT Indiana since July 2008. She is dearly loved by her patients for the incredible compassion and care she brings to the team. She is one of the three Registered Dietitians that operate as a health educator in Indiana. She works with patients in all four of the clinic sites: Carmel, Noblesville, Plainfield and Peru.

ROXANNE STANDEFORD, RD
HNT Indiana Health Educator

Roxanne is the newest member of the HNT Indiana team coming on staff in September 2009. She came to us directly out of her Dietetic Internship from Purdue University. (As did Christina) The maturity and insight brought by each member adds to a wonderful blend to meet our patients needs. She works in the Carmel, Noblesville and Plainfield clinics.