What Does The P.H.Ec Designation Mean To You?

​As graduation season is upon us, we wanted to inspire new graduates to pursue their Professional Home Economist (P.H.Ec) designation. A few weeks ago we asked our members what the P.H.Ec designation meant to them. These are some of their responses:

Dr. June Matthews, PhD, RD, P.H.Ec.

I value both of my professional designations – Professional Home Economist (P.H.Ec.) and Registered Dietitian (RD) – and proudly include them on my name badge, business cards, CV, and faculty webpage. I also display my certificates of registration in a prominent location in my office.

​I introduce myself to every new class by explaining my credentials and how I achieved them. Sadly, students are not aware of the P.H.Ec. designation, but once they learn about the benefits and opportunities associated with membership in OHEA (which is a professional association and a regulatory body under the laws of Ontario), they are eager to pursue this credential.

As a P.H.Ec., I have met amazing people, expanded my professional network, and been given wonderful opportunities. For example, as a member of the International Federation for Home Economics, I was invited to make a presentation at the UN/DPI Conference in United Nations’ Headquarters in New York!

Networking with other Professional Home Economists at local, national, and international levels is personally and professionally rewarding. I highly recommend it!

Maria Depenweiller, BaSc, P.H.Ec., cook book writer, owner of The Wooden Spoon

After graduating from Ryerson’s food and nutrition program I was on the look out for how to best use my degree. The program was heavily geared toward clinical dietetics and I was hopeful for an opportunity other than clinical work.

Membership in OHEA, THEA and OHEIB have given me the ideal opportunities to network with professionals in a variety of areas and to gain deeper understanding of jobs available to me. I am very grateful for colleagues who shared their career stories and helped me navigate the post-university world. Professional Home Economists are in a unique position to guide and empower people at any stage of life to help them lead happy, healthful lives.

Over time I came to understand that a household is like a small kingdom and in order to run it efficiently and successfully home economics skills are essential.
For me being a professional home economist means being an integral part of a cohort of professionals who strive to improve people’s lives daily.

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Tamara Saslove, P.H.Ec

​Being a P.H.Ec and a member of OHEA has opened me up to a world of opportunities related to nutrition, food and health. I have been able to work with companies to develop recipes and provide nutritional data, lead cooking classes and more. Being a P.H.Ec and a member of a regulated association of professionals, companies and individuals feel confident in my abilities and are eager to hire me, knowing that I will provide high quality work. I have also learned about so many diverse and unique pathways that you can take with a P.H.Ec designation, and it has inspired me to create my own nonlinear path.

Becoming a P.H.Ec was one of the best decisions that I made since graduating from university. I am so pleased to be part of an amazing, supportive and inspiring community of P.H.Ecs who I am happy to call my friends, colleagues and mentors. Being a P.H.Ec to me means providing the general public with the skills they need to make positive changes and live healthy, happy and worry free lives. I am eager to maintain my P.H.Ec status and OHEA membership as I dive into the world of culinary dietetics next spring, and continue to spread word about our profession and its importance!

Bianca Mary DeLuca, Retired Member
I, Bianca Mary DeLuca, have been a member of OHEA for thirty one years. The P.H.Ec status has allowed me to tell friends, family and acquaintances that being an educated woman who values community and family is one of the most solid things that I possess. Personally, I believe that my children and grandchildren are the beneficiaries of my knowledge, ethics and experiences. The family is the nucleus of our society. Our homes are better for having a loving, caring, understanding Professional Home Economist leading by example in this fast paced world. 

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Judy Fricker, P.H.Ec.

Even though I am retired, I continue to maintain my P.H.Ec. designation. It is an honor to belong to a professional association, and to uphold the credentials.  Friends and 'past' colleagues continue to ask for advice on matters of food safety, meal planning and nutrition and personal lifestyle and goal setting. Our teaching (let's get human ecology as a mainstay in students' education) guidance and modelling of good lifestyle choices will show our communities the importance of the P.H.Ec. designation.


To view member's responses from previous years click HERE.
To read how to pursue your P.H.Ec designation, read a step-by-step blog post HERE. 

Thank you to OHEA members for submitting their responses and contributing to helping inspire new graduates to pursue their P.H.Ec. designation. 

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