Biography

With a career spanning over 30 years in the health, fitness, and wellness sectors, Debi holds a prominent position as the Director of Bariatric Services at The Community Healthcare System. Since 2016, she has been a dedicated integrated health professional, providing invaluable physical activity and healthy lifestyle coaching to bariatric patients.Debi also serves as a Master Trainer for The American Council on Exercise (ACE). She is a renowned speaker and spokesperson for both ACE and the Functional Aging Institute. Her expertise also extends to serving as an Item Writer/Item Reviewer for ACE’s Health Coach, Personal Trainer, and Medical Exercise Specialist Exams. Debi’s commitment to education is evident in her role as an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Northwest, where she contributes to the development of aspiring health and fitness professionals.Her outstanding contributions have garnered her prestigious accolades, including the Program Director of the Year Award from ACE. Debi’s impactful Take5forLife school-based/healthcare system supported program, targeting health and physical activity in youth living in underserved communities, earned her the esteemed Indiana Health Achievement Award.Recently, Debi obtained her Doctoral Degree in Health Sciences from the University of Indianapolis. Her research, which explored the concept of physical literacy and its motivation for physical activity in the post-bariatric surgical population, was honored with the 2023 Outstanding Quantitative Dissertation Award through the University of Indianapolis, further establishing her as a leading figure in the field.Debi’s extensive career, unwavering dedication, contagious energy, and recent academic achievements firmly position her as a prominent and influential figure in the health, fitness, and wellness industries, with a focus on the well-being of the bariatric surgical population.