Maria Elena Hallion, PhD

The Branches Outreach in Rio Grande, Cape May County New Jersey, recently named Maria Elena Hallion, PhD as Executive Director following an executive search led by Dunleavy & Associates.

Maria Elena Hallion, PhD joined The Branches Outreach in September 2022 as the Executive Director. In her new role, Maria Elena is responsible for overseeing the administration, programming and strategic planning of the growing nonprofit organization. Maria Elena’s leadership will help foster the mission of The Branches Outreach which provides a safe environment for marginalized individuals and families in Cape May County, New Jersey, to receive daily, life-saving services which include food, clothing, and assistance with social service resources.

Before joining The Branches Outreach, Maria Elena spent 23 years at Cabrini University, in Radnor, PA most recently as Professor and Department Chair of Health and Exercise Sciences.

In 2011, Maria Elena went on sabbatical to embark on a four-month learning rotation at the Dupont Children’s Hospital weight management clinic. An outcome of her research on child obesity resulted in the creation of a social justice course on the social determinants of childhood obesity called Let’s Feed Kids Well as well as the design and delivery of three regional conferences entitled the Convergence of Childhood Obesity and Hunger. As a result, she developed a regional network of organizations and professionals who shared her mission to increase the availability of healthy foods for families.

Maria Elena has published various health-related articles in scientific journals and has presented at many national health and wellness conferences. She earned a doctoral degree in health education from Temple University, a master’s in exercise physiology/cardiac rehabilitation from East Stroudsburg University, and a bachelor’s in exercise science from West Chester University.

Maria Elena is the author of a book, Health Matters, which is a compilation of articles she wrote as a columnist for The Record newspaper, once located in Gibbstown, NJ.

Learn more about The Branches Outreach.