Adam Cowell
Health & Performance Coach

Adam Cowell earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Applied Exercise Physiology from Springfield College. While attending Springfield, Adam appeared in 4 NCAA playoff games in both football and lacrosse and was a member of an ECAC championship team in lacrosse. Before coming to Altheus, Adam was the Director of Sports Performance at Mike Boyles Strength and Conditioning Academy in Canton Massachusetts. Adam has also worked with a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from the NHL, NFL, MLB, MLL, US Ski Team, and countless Division 1 and 1AA althletes. Adam has also been a personal trainer for the last 5 years, actively working with clients of all abilities and skill levels.

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Aimie Sarkodie-Mensah, M.S., ATC
Health and Performance Coach

Aimie comes to us from Buffalo, New York where she completed her Masters of Science degree in Physical Education at Canisius College and her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at the University of Buffalo. Aimie was a four-year athlete at Buffalo on the track and field team,  specializing in triple jump. She has extensive experience as a physical educator and coach, and worked with a wide variety of high school and collegiate athletes and teams while in Buffalo. Aimie is the Altheus athletic trainer and liaison at Byram Hills High School, where she also teaches physical education classes. She is a national and New York certified athletic trainer and was known at Buffalo for banging around in the weight room with the big boys.

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Alex Shafiro, DPT, PT, CSCS.
Physical Therapist, Health and Performance Coach

Alex is a physical therapist and health and performance coach who has been working with Rye Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation and Altheus since 2007. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Clinical Science as well as his Master of Science in Physical Therapy and Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from Ithaca College. Alex has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since 2006. While at Ithaca, he played four years of football earning numerous honors that included being named to two All-American teams in 2004. Alex’s treatments include a variety of stretching, mobilization and soft-tissue techniques, along with a wide array of therapeutic exercise to meet the dynamic demands of each particular patient. Alex is a New York state licensed physical therapist and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association.

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Ashley Fluger
Health and Performance Coach

Ashley comes to Altheus from Indiana University where she earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Nutrition Science. This University is noted for being one of the few in the country that has a 4 year degree program dedicated solely to Fitness! While in school, she was taught by some of the leading professionals in the field, and graduated at the top of her class in the Fitness Specialist degree program.  Ashley currently holds various national personal training certifications as well as a certificate in intensive STOTT Pilates Matwork training. She has had experience teaching group exercise classes such as Cardio Kickboxing, Strength Core and Sports Conditioning. She has worked with all types of clients ranging from young children to older adults with life threatening conditions or diseases. Ashley's dedication and passion for each client's success was clearly shown when she was selected among the staff members at the University's Division of Recreational Sports to work one on one with a visually impaired client.   After working in a private training studio in Rockland County, NY, Ashley's creativity in program design really got to show through! She also created and appeared in a resistance band training video for a musician who spent multiple hours on the road touring with his band. She has a natural talent for working with people, and with great energy and excitement, Ashley now joins the team as a full time Health and Performance Coach.

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Lorri Sparks
Cycle and Body Sculpt Instructor, Health and Performance Coach

Lorri graduated with a B.S. and M.Ed. in Adult Fitness and Health Science from Boston University. Lorri is certified by the American Counsel of Exercise, the American Academy of Health, Fitness and Rehabilitation Professionals, Mad Dogg Spinning, YogaFit and Pilates Institute of America. Lorri as over 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. During her career. Lorri has worked in corporate fitness at Exxon and PepsiCo and was also a club manager for the Downtown Athletic Club and Equinox. For the past 15 years, Lorri has worked as a personal trainer. Throughout the years, Lorri has competed in numerous triathlons, marathons and road races. Lorri trains daily and is an enthusiastic fitness promoter for others as well as herself.

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Ben Zareck
Regional Manager

Ben Zareck has a double B.S. in Exercise Physiology and Health Education.  Additionally, Ben’s graduate studies included Exercise Physiology and Business Management.  He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA as well as a Health Fitness Instructor from the American College of Sports Medicine.  Ben has extensive experience within the health and fitness field including personal training, operations, sales, entrepreneurship and multiple management positions.  Ben has worked for companies such as Equinox Fitness, TSI-Boston Sports Club and ESPN Inc. including NBA, NFL, MLB and X-Games involvement.  Ben’s professionalism and passion for the field of Health & Fitness has earned him multiple awards in management, sales and customer service.

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Blakely Rogers Stinebaugh
Fitness Instructor

In addition to being a business consultant and licensed contract attorney,  Blakely has been a fitness instructor for the past 14 years.  She has competed in 13 full marathons and more than 20 half marathons.  Not stopping with those accomplishments, she has also gone onto competing in 5 Century rides and over 10 mini-triathlons.  Blakely’s enthusiasm for fitness and competition has rubbed off on her friends as well; 10 of them are now active marathon competitors!

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Brian Neale
Director of Coaching

Brian Neale is a graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Exercise Science with minors in Health, Coaching, and Nutrition promotion.  Prior to college, Brian was a member of the 2002 New York State Golden Fifty football team as a linebacker and continued on to letter in varsity football at Ithaca.  He has been a personal trainer for over 4 years working with a range of collegiate teams including football, lacrosse, basketball, field hockey, and crew.  He also has extensive experience training non-athletes of varied ages and abilities.

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Darcy Ramsey
Cycling Instructor

As a Master Spin Instructor and Cycling Instructor at Altheus, Darcy’s accomplishments are many.  Darcy is a former Connecticut State Trooper.  She left that profession to pursue a fitness career, becoming a certified personal trainer and then owning her own Spinning Studio in Greenwich. Darcy is also a Certified Coach with USATriathlon and USACycling. Darcy is scheduled to complete her certification as a Body Pump Instructor this summer and is also studying to become a Certified Life Strategies Coach.  An avid competitor, some of Darcy’s competitive accomplishments and titles are:  Master’s National Road Cycling Champion, Duathlon World Championship silver medalist, 6x Ironman Triathlete, 2x Olympic Trials Competitor (cycling), 11x winner Tour De Greenwich bicycle race, 3x member Team USA/Duathlon.

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Darian Silk, M.Sc., CEP
Head Endurance Coach

Darian Silk graduated from McGill University with a B.Ed. in Fitness Education and holds a Masters of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in Toronto, Canada. He has been an active competitor in Triathlons and other endurance activities for over 10 years and is a member of the Canadian Age-Group team headed to this year's World Triathlon Championships. Darian has extensive exercise testing experience and was a member of the official Performance Testing Team at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Darian also has extensive sports coaching experience and has helped athletes such as Junior National Team Sailors, members the McGill University Rowing team and numerous Age-group Triathletes and Cyclists achieve their goals.

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Debbie Vitollo, MS, ATC
Health and Performance Coach and Certified Athletic Trainer

Debbie comes to Altheus from Albany, NY where she earned her BA in Psychology with a minor in Sports Medicine from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. She is a Certified Athletic Trainer through the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, and has worked extensively in sports medicine and rehabilitation with the college men’s lacrosse, football, soccer and basketball teams at the University at Albany and football and baseball at Bloomsburg University in PA where she earned her Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. Just prior to coming to Altheus she worked as an athletic trainer and  health and performance coach at South Bay Sport and Physical Therapy with an athletic training outreach to Copiague High School on Long Island.

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Douglas Gray
Health and Performance Coach

This former North American Boxing Organization professional boxing champion is eager to help you by challenging you in the realm of fitness. Douglas enjoys training individuals of all exercise expertise. His program design focuses on an individual's health, wellness, and performance enhancement goals. Douglas has been equipped with education from Northern Michigan University, National Academy Of Sports Medicine, American Muscle Fitness, along with 10+ years of experience in the fitness arena. His experience of  training professional athletes and the medically challenged makes him an incredible asset! Douglas has a great personality and an in-depth knowledge of  exercise science that makes your workouts educational and inspirational!

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Elizabeth D'Ottavio

Elizabeth D'Ottavio joins the Altheus team with 25 years experience in the Health and Fitness Industry.  She currently works Full-time at PepsiCo WHQ in Purchase NY as Health and Wellness Coordinator for the company's employees and their families.  Upon obtaining her B.S. degree in Physical and Health Education from Cortland State University in 1986 she has worked in a variety of commercial and corporate Fitness Centers in NY and Connecticut and has taught everything from Low Impact Aerobics, to Step, Spin, and Reebok Slide classes.   She is a RYT (registered Yoga Teacher), an ACE certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor as well as a Power Pilates Mat certified instructor and Johnny G Spin instructor.  Liz is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Health Education/Behavioral Studies at Columbia University.   She lives in Rye with her 10 year old daughter Kaili.

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Gary Kendig
Chief Operating Officer

Gary Kendig is a multi-talented manager and leader, with over 20 years experience building and leading sales and business operations for major corporations. He was former Regional Director for Town Sports International, with startup, acquisition and bottom line performance responsibilities. He was also a Global Training Manager for Starwood Hotels and Resorts.  Mr. Kendig holds a BS in  Business Management with a Minor in Music Performance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.

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Dr. Jonathan F. Katz, Ph.D.
Sport/Exercise Psychologist

Dr. Jonathan F. Katz is a licensed psychologist and a co-founder of Altheus who developed and directed Altheus' sports/exercise Psychology. He is also a founding partner of High Performance Associates (HPA), a specialized team of performance coaches that help sucessful financial groups excel. Dr. Katz is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Dr. Katz graduated summa cum laude from Connecticut College and was elected to Phi Betta Kappa. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation in the area of sports psychology. Dr. Katz completed his clinical internship at New York University – Bellevue Medical Center.
As a sport psychologist Dr. Katz has consulted with amateur, collegiate and professional athletes. He has worked with NBA and NHL players, major league baseball teams, top ranked professional tennis players, and a variety of NCAA athletes and athletic programs. Dr. Katz has also been interviewed on local and national news and talk shows, and his expert commentaries have been widely heard on “all-sports” radio stations across the country.

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Ken Luttman, L.M.T.
Director of Massage Therapy
N.Y.S. Licensed Massage Therapist

Born in Hartsdale, N.Y. and residing in Westchester, New York, Ken is a 1998 graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy, and a N.Y.S Licensed Massage Therapist. After working in several other health clubs and spas, Ken joined the Altheus team in 2005.  With 10 years of experience as a massage therapist and personal trainer, Ken uses a simple yet effective philosophy when working with clients:  He combines individual expectations with proven therapeutic tools to create the perfect massage therapy experience.  By creating and incorporating such lifestyle programs such as deep tissue massage therapy, exercise science, nutrition and general health information, Ken is able to provide a therapeutic and relaxing massage. Ken has built his philosophy and now enjoys educating and working with a select group of massage therapists who have joined the Altheus Massage Therapy Team!   His favorite activities include cycling, music, and travel.  Every day is truly a gift.

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Marc Tascher
Chief Executive Officer

Marc Tascher is a 34-year industry veteran with an outstanding track record of operating health clubs. He was the founder and former Chairman/CEO of Town Sports International, Inc. (“TSI”), the parent company of New York Sports Clubs, and built the 3rd largest health club company in the U.S.  After selling TSI, Mr. Tascher built Sports & Fitness Ventures, and developed a chain of clubs in NY and DC. In 2006, Mr. Tascher and his partners acquired the 25 Crunch Fitness club chain. Tascher is the largest individual shareholder and an active Board member. Mr. Tascher pioneered many concepts and systems that are critical success factors in the industry, and has been credited with helping to professionalize management and improving  the reputation of the fitness industry.  Mr. Tascher holds a BA in English Literature from SUNY Binghamton and a Master’s degree with honors from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business Administration.

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Melanie Meier
Health and Performance Coach, Customer Service Director

Melanie has a strong fitness background. She holds both Group Exercise and Personal Training certifications through NDTA and teaches step, Pilates, and body sculpting.  A competitive swimmer , Melanie teaches aqua aerobics and is a Master Trainer for the Arthritis Foundation, where she currently serves as a committee member for program development at Burke Rehabilitation Center. She has trained bodybuilders for competition and designed an "on" and "off season" program for The Pelham Rowers Association.  Melanie has served on several committees for the city of New Rochelle. Melanie sits on the board of Directors as membership Director for The New Rochelle Lion’s club and is second in line for the presidency. Hobbies include exercising, spending time with family and friends and her latest endeavor is surfing! 

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Rick Ferman
President, Altheus Tennis

As a highly respected certified tennis professional and USA Tennis High Performance Coach, Rick has successfully guided the development of players from the grass roots level to the highest professional stage. Several of his students have competed at the professional level and hundreds of them have competed at the collegiate level. Rick specializes in helping junior and collegiate athletes maximize their potential and improving the performance of adult league team members.

Rick began coaching Todd Martin at age ten and was instrumental in Todd’s development as a top junior, number one ranked collegiate player and two-time Grand Slam finalist. Another of Rick’s protégés, Nathan Overholser, gained Division I All-American honors in both singles and doubles at the University of Florida. Rick’s peers have frequently recognized his achievements and he has been inducted into the Midwest Professional Tennis Association Hall of Fame.

Key to Rick’s development philosophy is breaking down the athlete’s long-term goal into an achievable shorter-term plan, creating an integrated team in support of each athlete, respect for the individual athlete, and concern for their overall personal growth.

Prior to joining Altheus as President of Altheus Tennis, Rick was Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), one of the leading sports organizations in the world and the largest governing body of sport in the United States. The organization’s crown jewel, the US Open, one of the four Grand Slams of tennis, is the most attended annual sport and entertainment event held anywhere in the world. Rick played a significant role in the creation and evolution of the USTA’s Player Development Program since it’s creation in 1988.

As a club owner and general manager with over thirty years of industry experience, Rick’s clubs have been recognized nationally for excellence in programming and operations. As an active senior competitor, he captured the 2003 Men’s 50 and Father-Son championships in New England and has been highly ranked in the USTA National Father-Son Division with his son R.D. for several years.

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Rocco Greco
Executive Director of Rye and VP of Operations

For 15 years, Rocco Greco held various senior management roles with Equinox Fitness Clubs, including Director of Personal Training and Co-developer of The Equinox Fitness Training Institute. Starting out as a personal trainer, Mr. Greco ultimately attained the position of Director of Operations, overseeing 1,800 employees. Mr. Greco created and implemented marketing plans, sales and management programs, and oversaw the startup of new locations.

Recently Mr. Greco was the Managing Partner of The Gym and The James Hotel Group in NYC, turning a failing club into one of the most successful standalone clubs in NY. He also oversaw the fitness and spa services in several hotels.

Mr. Greco was a Staff Sergeant with the United States Marine Corps for 14 years, and attended several colleges, including the City University of New York.

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Martha Kaplan
Director of Program Sales and Marketing

Martha Kaplan joins the Altheus team as Director of Program Sales and Marketing with over 20 years as a fitness professional. She brings her depth of knowledge and experience in all areas of fitness and wellness along with her extensive marketing, advertising and sales background. Prior to joining Altheus Martha was an Account Supervisor at The Fort Group, a New Jersey based full-service marketing agency where she managed and implemented strategic marketing and advertising campaigns. Previously, Martha held various roles with New York Sports Clubs, Reebok Sports Club NY and most recently Equinox Fitness Clubs where she brought her passion, motivation and energy to the industry. At Equinox, Martha taught group fitness classes and advanced from being a personal trainer to Sales Manager and Regional Account Executive. In addition to training and developing successful sales teams she created and executed marketing plans for suburban clubs in the Metro New York region and played a significant role in the development of an online National Sales Toolkit. Before pursuing a career in fitness Martha was an Art Director with several New York Madison Avenue advertising agencies including BBDO Worldwide where she designed and produced national advertising campaigns. A native of Toronto, Canada she resides in Larchmont, NY with her 2 children. She has appeared on the NBC “Today Show” and has written fitness-related articles for Woman’s Day and Redbook Magazines and The Journal News. Martha, an avid skier and runner, also likes to teach Spinning and is known for her dynamic, fun and challenging rides. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication from Boston University.

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Skip Latella, M.S.
Director of Golf and Corporate Events

Skip Latella is a Graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Health and Biology.  Skip has dual Masters of Science degrees in Human Performance from Southern Connecticut State University.  Skip brings over 25 years of experience to Altheus.  He has an extensive background working with amateur as well as professional athletes from the NBA, NHL, members of the Olympic Ski Team, National Junior tennis Champions, and has developed one of the most respected programs for training golfers.  Skip was recognized by Golf Digest as one of the Top Golf Fitness Specialists in the country.  Skip has traveled extensively working with many Top 100 PGA Teaching Professionals, several Tour players, and lectured at the 1998 PGA Teaching Summit.  He is working with the golf teams at Duke University and Notre Dame, is on the National Board of Advisors for the Spirit of Golf Foundation, and has served on the Strategic Planning Commission for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and the American College of Sports Medicine National Youth Clinics Committee.  He is the accomplished author of a top selling book “ Get in Shape, Stay in Shape, and researcher in the field of biomechanics for golf.

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Susan Jagoda
Yoga Instructor

"Ashtanga is a form of yoga therapy, which is extremely powerful and one I totally connect with; It is a moving meditation" says Rye's premier yogi, Susanne Jagoda who makes her teaching debut starting in July at Altheus.   Susanne  is also a licensed massage therapist who has acquired a fiercely loyal following strictly by word-of-mouth.  Clients are drawn to Susanne’s unique teaching style, which blends her casual, lighthearted manner with authoritative instruction. There is no mistaking her commitment to her students or the extensive knowledge she brings to the practice. Another element that distinguishes Susanne’s classes is her comprehensive background in anatomy, kinesiology and neurology, which she acquired though the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy’s clinical program. She is also licensed by New York State, which requires 1,000 hours of study.  Before becoming a yogi ten years ago, Jagoda, who grew up in Mamaroneck, was a fabric designer. She earned her degree at Syracuse University.  A fitness buff for much of her life, Susanne pursued a short career as a certified fitness instructor to work around her children’s schedules. “The goal of yoga is yoga, not about being in a full split or levitating off the ground.”

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Dr. Tom Crawford
Co-Founder and Chief Program Officer

Altheus is the culmination of Dr.Crawford's twenty years in the health and sports industries, including almost 10 years as the Director of Coaching for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). During his tenure at the USOC, Dr. Crawford led the development and management of education and performance programs for over 45 Olympic and Pan American sports, including virtually all Olympic teams and coaches. His work supporting America's top coaches was featured on NBC during the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Prior to the USOC, Dr. Crawford was Senior Director of the National Institute for Fitness and Sport, where he worked collaboratively with prestigious universities and medical centers. In his capacity as Senior Director, he led the research, development and management of preventive health and performance programs for the complete continuum of human development, including nationally acclaimed youth development programs. He also worked with athletes and coaches from the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Football League, "Top-10" professional tennis players, as well as other professional and amateur athletes from across the United States. His programs at the National Institute were featured live on "CBS This Morning."

Previously, Dr. Crawford served as a faculty member in both the Department of Psychology and the School of Health and Physical Education at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, where he also coached the men's tennis team. In addition, he co-founded the Youth Sport, Fitness and Health Clinic at the Indiana University Medical Center.

Dr. Crawford is a speaker in high demand, who presents on a variety of topics including: helping children to have successful and positive experiences in movement and sports; preventing and managing sports-related injuries; ethics in sports; and leadership for high performance - maximizing human potential. He has been a keynote/featured speaker in over a dozen countries worldwide.

In 1989, Dr. Crawford was the first person to receive a double-doctoral degree in motor development and sport psychology from Indiana University. Previously, he received his master's degree in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology from the Purdue University School of Science. Dr. Crawford graduated with honors from Siena College where he was a top singles and doubles player for the men's tennis team. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Psychological Association.

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