Valerie Ellsworth Gattis is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Alive with MissionMe!®. She is the Managing Director of Victory’s Edge, a multisport coaching business servicing novice to veteran athletes. Previously, she was Vice President and Member of the Board of LifeSports, one of the first firms to utilize the internet to effectively communicate with clients. Valerie is a past President of USA Triathlon and a long-time member of the board and various USAT commissions and committees. She was Vice President of the Pan-American Triathlon Confederation (PATCO) and served as the US delegate to the International Triathlon Union's Women's Committee. She also is a certified USA Triathlon Level II coach. Valerie received her BA degree from Wheaton College in Norton, MA. She is a certified mediator in mediation and conflict resolution and a licensed commercial pilot.
Dan Gattis is a Chief Financial Officer of Alive with MissionMe!®. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of The Jacobson Group, a Chicago-based human talent firm. Formerly, Dan was Principal and National Director of the Insurance Consulting Practice at KPMG, a Senior Vice President at SEI Investments, and President of CHALKE Consulting, an actuarial technology and consulting company. Most recently, he was CEO of The Richard Harrington Company, concentrating on helping firms raise capital through the investor marketplace and through specialized balance sheet leveraging instruments. Dan attended The Lawrenceville School, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a B.A. and M.P.A. and is a licensed pilot.
Duston Morris is Senior Vice President and Clinic Director of Alive with MissionMe!® has an extensive background in health, fitness, and recreation with over 15 years of experience. He received his B.A. in Psychology & M.S. in Recreation from the University of Missouri. Duston has a Ph.D., ABD in Health Science from the University of Arkansas. He maintains national certifications through the American Red Cross, American Council on Exercise, the National Council of Therapeutic Recreation, and USA Triathlon. Duston has been recognized for his excellence in health and recreation through numerous awards including Longwood College’s 2000 Student Advisor of the Year, NW Arkansas Community College’s 2000 Faculty Award and Special Olympics Coach-Elect for the 1995 World Games. Duston is an accomplished marathoner and triathlete. He has numerous top three finishes in his age group for marathons and triathlons, and has had 5 top ten overall finishes in both sports. Other accomplishments include qualifying and participating in the Boston Marathon and competing in Ironman triathlons.
Joan Brewer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas where she teaches methods for pre-service physical education teachers and graduate courses in the department's online graduate program. Joan has been a recipient of the AAHPERD Mabel Lee Award, a national award that recognizes outstanding young professionals, as well as the Central District AAAHPERD Honor Award. She has served as president of the Kansas AAHPERD association and participated as part of the national writing team for the NASPE position paper titled, "What Constitutes a Highly Qualified Physical Education Teacher?".
Marie Lisbeth Dobbins has 30 years of experience teaching a lifestyle of health, wellness, and fitness as a Physical and Adaptive Physical Educator for the Kansas school system, having received nomination for Outstanding Adaptive Physical Education. After success as a collegiate gymnast and golfer, Liz became an active participant in triathlons winning AA honors placing in the Age Group World Championships and competing in several Ironman races. Liz served as volunteer and chair to numerous commissions at USA Triathlon. She was also the Series Coach for the Sara Lee IronKids™ program. She has co-authored several books and articles on education and triathlon during her career. She holds a Bachelors of Science from the University of Kansas.
Ric Rosenkranz is a former professional triathlete, two-time sprint national champion, and Hawaii Ironman finisher. Ric served as USA Triathlon Athlete Development Director and Junior National Coach from 2002-2004, and holds a level III elite triathlon coaching certification. Ric holds a BA in Human Development and Psychology from the University of Kansas, an MA in Psychology from the University of North Dakota, and an MS in Kinesiology from Kansas State University. Ric has a Ph.D., ABD in Public Health Nutrition at Kansas State University, his dissertation work is focused on prevention of childhood obesity through changes to the environmental characteristics of children's institutional settings. Ric works as a research assistant at KSU's Community Health Institute on the HOP'N (Healthy Opportunities for Physical Activity & Nutrition) and SNAP (Scouting Nutrition & Activity Program) projects, aiming to improve health behaviors and environments for kids.
Carla Sottovia, Ph.D., is a leader in the field of Exercise Physiology at The Cooper Clinic, the internationally recognized wellness organization that provides the most up-to-date preventive medicine expertise in the world. She believed in AMM when the program was merely an idea on a legal pad. Carla is helping to define our purpose by utilizing AMM’s protocols in her research in Brazil, in addition to projects in the US. AMM has no boundaries.
Rachel Dobbins is an incredibly talented graphics artist and designer who has worked endless hours to polish the “look” of Alive with MissionMe! Her ideas and guidance have been invaluable. It is through her eyes that our audiences will experience the excitement we believe our non-traditional, MultiSport approach to youth health initiatives will generate. |
