I made a leap of faith in January 2006 to open Bay Athletic Club — a full-service health club located inside MyMichigan 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 fitness instructors, membership coordinators and managers.

We share 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 a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin and have a unique background in legal writing and reporting. Before moving to Alpena, I served as a special assistant to the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. 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 in 1997 and 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 contribute to the fitness industry on a national scale as a presenter and consultant. I teach on corporate wellness, marketing, leadership and more.

Aside from running the clubs, I am a mom of two amazing young adults. Jade and Colt started as infants in our Jungle Gym when I first opened. Now, Jade is a University of Michigan graduate and certified yoga instructor. Colt is a Michigan State University student, rugby player, personal trainer and serves in the United States Coast Guard. They trained at BAC their whole lives, and worked in the family business year-round.  My wife Erin Andrews is the Group Fitness and Front Desk manager. She also trains clients and teaches classes. We all walk the walk. And we love inspiring our community to live fit!