I made a leap of faith in January 2006 to open Bay Athletic Club — a full-service health club located inside what is now the Mid-Michigan Medical Center- Alpena.
This unique medical alliance keeps the club focused on healthy living and invites people of all fitness levels to live better. My all-star team is made up of 30 personal trainers, group exercise instructors, fitness assistants, an exercise physiologist and a doctorate in physical therapy.

We give our talent and time to inspire the lives of people in our community. What a gift we are given in return. Alpena faces a lot of health challenges – ranking in the top five in our state for smoking and obesity. It’s a battle that we are fighting and making massive headway. Others might be deterred to run a health care business in a down economy, but I am fueled even more by our mission to create a happier community through fitness.

I hold degrees in journalism and French from the University of Wisconsin and have a unique background in legal writing and reporting. Before moving to Alpena, I served as a special project assistant to the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and later the Public Relations Coordinator for the State Bar of Wisconsin. My love for fitness began with varsity swimming, basketball and softball in high school and rowing for the Women’s Crew Team at the University of Wisconsin. After sports ended, I joined a health club to lose college weight, gain my strength back and have a healthy outlet from work. I had to find a new way to stay active as a working professional.

I started teaching group exercise classes 20 years ago and have never looked back. I went from the back row of class, to the front row, to teaching to owning my own club. What a journey. Although I always intended for fitness to be a hobby, I realized that there is no better career than your favorite hobby! I love leading my team and being a visionary for the business, but I will always stay in the trenches of fitness and stay connected to our members. I teach classes to hundreds of people each week to promote physical activity, movement to music, and connecting the mind and body. I teach TurboKick, Strength, Boxing, Pilates, and Boot Camps.

Aside from running the clubs, I am a mom of two amazing teenagers. I love seeing their journeys at BAC. Jade and Colt started as an infant and a toddler in our Jungle Gym when I first opened. Now, they are hard working, high school student athletes who workout at BAC and Bay Urban Fitness. Jade also works as a fitness assistant at our front desk. My former husband Jeff helped make this dream a reality, is an advocate for BAC in our community and is a regular in group classes and camps. My partner Erin lost 50 pounds at BAC. She was a busy working mom who let her own health go. She discovered group fitness and her love of being an athlete again. Her three kids love coming up to the Jungle Gym and watching the example we both set.

We all walk the walk. And we love inspiring other families of all shapes, sizes, ages and stages to live fit!