Joel D. Kopple Award

The Joel D. Kopple Award is an annual award honoring an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of renal nutrition.

Kathy Schiro Harvey, MS, RDN, CSR, has worked in the field of Renal Nutrition for over 40 years. She recently retired from her position as Director of Nutrition for Puget Sound Kidney Centers in Snohomish County WA. Prior to that she served as Renal Dietitian for Providence Hospitals and Northwest Kidney Centers.

Early in her career, Kathy began volunteering to advance nutrition care for people with CKD. She was instrumental in starting the Washington State Council on Renal Nutrition and the Northwest Renal Dietitians organizations. She served various board positions in both organizations, plus the NKF Council on Renal Nutrition and the AND Renal Practice Group, including chairperson of Education committees, CRN Strategies workshops, RPG Nominating committee, and RPG Chairperson. Kathy served on the KDOQI Chronic Kidney Disease Workgroup and CMS Technical Expert Panel on mineral bone health. She was recipient of the AAKP 2021 Medal of Excellence Award, the 2020 NWRD Pillars of Excellence Award, the 2018 NKF-CRN Susan C. Knapp Excellence in Education Award, and the 1997 RPG Outstanding Service Award. Additionally, Kathy has volunteered as preceptor for 100’s of dietetic interns from universities and internship programs throughout the country. Her goal has been to encourage all Dietetic students to consider a career in Renal Nutrition.  

Over the past 10 years, Kathy worked with the Puget Sound Kidney Centers Foundation to create the award winning Survive and Thrive Chronic Kidney Disease Education Program. This program offers free classes and community activities to empower people with CKD, teaching ways to maintain health and slow the progression of their disease. Kathy continues to be an advocate for people with CKD as she serves on the PSKC Foundation Board.