Through the Years with Lucy Mahood, P.H.Ec.

Want to meet some of the amazing Professional Home Economists featured in the Through the Years Series?
Make sure to register for OHEA annual conference. This year the conference is being held at Brescia University College on March 23, 2019. For more information, visit the OHEA Conference website.

​About Lucy Mahood, P.H.Ec. 
I am a graduate from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Applied Science with an applied human nutrition major. I became a Professional Home Economist (P.H.Ec.) after completing the Professional Perspectives course at Brescia University College with Dr. E. Bright-See in 1996. I was fortunate to have had an amazing almost 25-year career as a Professional Home Economist.

I worked as a nutrition educator at the University of Windsor, a food and nutrition advisor for the business and community sector, a family support worker with the Children’s Aid Society, and a food lab instructor at Brescia University College in London, until my recent retirement.
 
Since becoming a Home Economist, I proudly joined the Canadian Home Economics Association (CHEA), the Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) and the London Home Economics Association (LHEA). I have been actively involved with the London Home Economics as a secretary, vice president, president, chair, lately co-chair and treasurer.
 
During my time with CHEA, I have attended conferences in Truro, Nova Scotia; Edmonton, Alberta; and Ottawa, Ontario. I have been on numerous planning committees including two OHEA conferences, “Celebrating the Diversity of our Profession” in 2010 and “Building Food Skills for Eating Well” in 2014, both held at Brescia University College.  I attended most of the OHEA conferences and even arranged for students from Brescia to attend the OHEA conferences held in different cities.  Recently, I became the LHEA branch representative on the OHEA Board of Directors.
 
I believe that the future of OHEA depends on young and future members.

I have been a faculty advisor for Brescia’s Student Human Ecology Association (SHEA) for many years. I have mentored students, overseen the association’s activities, supervised fundraising events, and helped organize ACHES conferences.  
 
As Professional Home Economists, we can continue to grow the profession and impact our communities with our education, training and experience.
 
In the latest edition of Canada’s Food Guide, one of the recommendations is to cook more at home…this promotes a healthier lifestyle which, in turn, will lead to a healthier society.  Professional Home Economists play a major role in nutrition education at schools and in the community.  Home Economics is no longer looking after one family, but the entire community.  The Home Economics profession is promoting health outside of one’s own home with education focusing on topics like nutrition, food safety, dietetics and consumer behaviour.
 
There has never been a greater need for the education provided by Professional Home Economists.