JoAnn Yanez

JoAnn Yanez, ND, MPH, CAE is the executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) and the chair of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH). She also serves on the Integrative Health Policy Consortium Education Committee and Board of Directors for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Weaving a passion for illness prevention into her professional life, Dr. Yanez’s career has spanned advocacy, academia, patient care and public health. As AANMC Executive Director, Dr. Yanez oversees research, advocacy efforts, and the joint academic endeavors of the accredited colleges of naturopathic medicine. Additionally, she helps spread awareness of naturopathic medicine as a viable and satisfying career path.

Prior to joining the AANMC, Dr. Yanez was head of government relations for the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She increased recognition of the importance of licensure in the state and effectively garnered support of legislators and senior government officials. During her tenure with the NYANP, Dr. Yanez was invited to participate in a think-tank on childhood obesity sponsored by MIT, Harvard and Columbia Universities. During the summer of 2009 she found herself “on the hill” working with Congressional members and elected women to increase awareness of the importance for integrative medicine coverage in the Affordable Care Act.

Dr. Yanez served six years as a Director of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education – the accrediting body for naturopathic medical colleges. She was awarded the 2006 Legacy Award from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and 2007 NYANP Physician of the Year Award. Dr. Yanez has also been inducted into the Rho Lambda and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership and Scholarship National Honor Societies and is a member of the Delta Omega Honor Society for graduates of schools of public health.

Dr. Yanez resides in Southern California with her husband and son, and enjoys music, dancing, growing gigantic carrots, and full-throttle belly laughs. She is occasionally known to mix Yiddish, Spanish, English and German into one sentence.