Ms. Susan Benigas
Susan serves as executive director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), the medical professional society in the United States, representing physicians, allied health professionals and healthcare executives who are dedicated to a lifestyle medicine-first approach to healthcare. ACLM leaders and members recognize that the only path to a transformed and sustainable healthcare system is for lifestyle medicine to become the foundation of clinical practice.
It was while president of a worksite wellness company that she experienced a paradigm-shift, leading to her life’s passion: She was questioning the status quo approach to “wellness”—too often focused on diagnosing, medicating and beating the drum of medication persistency—as opposed to a primary focus on identifying and eradicating the cause of disease. An introduction to The China Study and its author, T. Colin Campbell, PhD, served as the catalyst that changed the course of her professional career.
Her passion became reaching the gatekeepers of dietary and lifestyle recommendations—our physicians and healthcare practitioners—creating educational events, tools and resources for them and those they serve regarding the evidence that supports the use of lifestyle as a therapeutic intervention to prevent, suspend, and, often, even reverse the chronic, degenerative disease that’s afflicting our world. This led to Susan founding The Plantrician Project, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, and co-founding the International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference.
Having joined ACLM in the spring of 2013, Susan has played a key role in the launch of both the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance, now serving as a member of the board of directors for the former and board of advisors for the latter. She serves on the board of directors for the True Health Initiative, while also having been named as a member of the prestigious True Health Initiative Council of Directors. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors of Shape Up U.S.
Susan’s leadership, experience and successful track record in the areas of organizational development and management, strategic marketing, public relations, project management, event production, and internet-based solutions design and development have helped to fuel the success of many organizations and endeavors. Bringing vision to life is what she does best.
She and her husband, Jon, reside in Town & Country, Missouri, USA, where Jon serves on the Board of Aldermen and is chairman of the Green Commission.