NESTA Faculty & Advisors

Dr. John Spencer Ellis
President & CEO

John knew from the age of 12, when he received his first health club membership as a birthday gift from his father, that fitness & personal development would be his calling. His unique business success story started in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment where he slept on the floor. He had just $2,000. What started out as a personal training business has grown into a multi-million dollar group of corporations providing a wide variety of personal development products and services to every continent and over 55 countries.

Within a span of 12 years, John competed in over 100 fitness events including the Ironman and finished 5th in the U.S. National Run/Bike Championships. It was because of John’s love of cycling and triathlons that he created Endurance Plus, the name he gave his company in 1992. Because fitness education and the business of fitness are important to John, in 1992 he founded NESTA, the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association, which educates and provides business solutions for fitness professionals. Now with over 55,000 members around the world, it is one of the largest fitness associations in the world, and the fastest growing association of its kind in the U.S.

Fitness, Wellness and Personal Development Expert:

Each week, over one million people enjoy a fitness, wellness and personal success programs created by John Spencer Ellis. His programs are implemented in the top resorts, spas and fitness centers. John is the CEO of the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), Spencer Institute for Life Coaching, International Triathlon Coaching Association (ITCA), and the Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Association (MMACA). He’s the founder of Wexford University. John created Adventure Boot Camp, the largest fitness boot camp system in the world. He also created Intense Mixed performance Accelerated Cross Training (IMPACT), Kung-fu Fitness and TACTIX. His TriActive America signature series of outdoor exercise equipment is used worldwide. He created programs used by Cirque du Soleil, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, and consults the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships).

Endurance Athlete:

John has ridden his bicycle enough miles to circle Earth. He raced in cycling and triathlon competitions for over 10 years. He completed the Ironman triathlon and finished 5th at the U.S. National Biathlon Championships.

Martial Artist:

John holds a 2nd degree black belt in Kung-fu, and a black belt in Ninjutsu. He now trains in Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Boxing and Kempo Karate.  He is a certified instructor of self-defense, fitness kick boxing and fitness boxing.

Education:

John holds two bachelor’s degrees (business & health science), an MBA, and a doctorate in education. He also completed doctoral level studies in naturopathic health education. He holds fifteen certifications including massage therapy, plyometrics, physical education, flexibility, nutrition coaching, water fitness, exercise rehabilitation, golf conditioning, Pilates, personal training, clinical hypnotherapy, sports hypnosis, PACE circuit training and yoga. His medical training includes a license in radiological technology, a medical assisting certification, and training in McKenzie rehabilitation. He has specialized training in ropes course facilitation and corporate teambuilding.

Media:

John is the former Fitness Editor for OC Flair magazine, and has been featured on Oprah radio, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, FOX, FOX Sports, FOX Reality, SPIKE and ESPN. He was featured as the fitness and lifestyle expert on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County and Daybreak OC. John has also appeared on Starting Over, Life Moments and Camp Reality. He is the executive producer of the movie The Compass. He has hosted The Fit Show, Core 360 Personal Gym infomercial, Personal Trainer TV, The OC Body, The Spencer Power Hour radio show, and the Ms. Fitness U.S.A. and World pageants on Fox Sports Net. John is featured in the movie Riches.

Awards and Recognitions:

Nominated for the California Community College Distinguished Alumni Award Nominated for induction to the Fitness Hall of Fame

Author/Co-author:

The Compass, The Code, How Badly Do You Want It, Peak Vitality, Power of Champions, The Wellness Code

Advisory Boards:

National Health Wellness and Prevention Congress, Exercise TV, Sleep Number Bed, Medical Wellness Association, Irvine Valley College, Life & Leisure TV, Health Journal Television, Fellow – National Board of Fitness Examiners

Philanthropist:

John is the CEO of the Get America Fit Foundation (GAFF) (501c3). John’s foundation helps educate the public about living a healthy life and provides exercise equipment for schools.

www.johnspencerellis.com

johnspencerellis@gmail.com

Scott Gaines, MS
Senior Vice President

Scott Gaines has over 15 years experience in the fitness industry. He is the Senior Vice President of the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) as well as an adjunct professor of Functional Biomechanics at A.T. Still University. Scott oversees the development of NESTA’s educational programs for fitness professional and is the author and contributor to many of them. He is a national speaker on fitness in areas such as biomechanics and cardiovascular program design. Scott’s education includes a Master’s Degree in Human Movement with an emphasis in Corrective Exercise from A. T. Still University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He is also an experienced martial arts instructor with a 3rddegree black belt in the traditional Korean art of Tang Soo Do.

Chris Mohr, RD, LD, MS, PhD
Registered Dietitian/Exercise Physiologist

Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD holds a bachelors degree in Nutrition, from Penn State University, and a master’s degree in Nutrition Science from the University of Massachusetts. He is also a Registered Dietitian. Chris was a sports nutritionist and worked with most of the 23 Division I teams at the University of Massachusetts. This experience allowed him to counsel hundreds of varsity athletes and work with team coaches to enhance the performance of the players.

Chris provides consultations for individuals seeking improved athletic performance and wellness, through his company Mohr Results (www.MohrResults.com). He is also an industry consultant for a variety of media outlets and dietary supplement companies. Chris has written or contributed to three textbooks that are to be published in 2006 and has also written nearly 500 articles for consumer publications, such as Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Men’s Health Muscle, and Muscle and Fitness, to name a few. He is an advisory board member for Men’s Fitness and the nutrition editor for OC Flair Magazine.

Mark Teahan
Educational Coordinator

Mark Teahan brings 10 years of experience to NESTA He began his journey into this evolving field after finishing curriculum at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science and immediately launched a successful career in the fitness industry upon relocating back to his roots in the Southern California area.

Mark has been fulfilling the role of wellness coach in the mid-Atlantic region as well as in California. His client list is impressive, including Coca–Cola Enterprises, Baltimore Aircoil Company, Roadway Freight, Conway Freight, xPedx Paper and The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers in Washington, DC. Mark was fortunate to gain access into the Wellness industry during its infancy and has contributed to the process of refining the corporate wellness genre overall. Mark has applied his skills and expertise to help many workers who came to value their own health through highly refined coaching techniques that inspire change while delivering results.

Mark holds multiple certifications in the industry, and is an instructor for NESTA and its Personal Fitness Trainer designation (PFT). To date, Mark has certified over 500 Personal Fitness Trainers and has therefore had a direct influence in the fitness industry as he travels from coast to coast and all points in between. He believes in the value of life quality by keeping people moving and healthy, regardless of circumstance or situation.

Norma Shechtman
Group Exercise Coordinator

Norma Shechtman, BS, MS, MA has talents and expertise that are well documented, ultimately leading to the ACE (American Council on Exercise) Fitness Professional of the Year Award on March 1, 2003. Previously, in 2002, Norma was nominated as one of the top three fitness professionals in the world from ACE. She holds a bachelors and masters degree in education and a masters degree in kinesiology. Norma holds certifications in Pilates, personal training, group fitness, kickboxing, indoor cycling, water fitness and many others. In addition, Norma travels the world presenting the latest training information to fitness professionals.

Janet Olsen
Certified Athletic Trainer

Janet Olsen, ATC holds a BS in Athletic Training from CSU Sacramento and teaching credentials in Physical Education and Biology. Her 12 years experience in an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic, led to her current position as the Head Certified Athletic Trainer at Irvine Valley College where she is a faculty member for the Sports Medicine and Fitness Certificate programs since 1990. Janet was drawn to sports medicine during her 10 years as a competitive club and collegiate gymnast. She served as Staff Athletic Trainer at the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships and 2004 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. She is an examiner for the National Athletic Trainers Association’s certification exam.

Jack H. Bauerle
Sports Medicine/ Certified Athletic Trainer

Jack H. Bauerle, MS, ATC, CSCS earned his Bachelor’s degree and his Jack H. Bauerle, MS, ATC, CSCSMaster’s degree in sports medicine with an emphasis in Athletic Training from Chapman University. He served as the Head Athletic Trainer and Head Strength Coach to Chapman University from 1989-1993 as a division II NCAA sanctioned school. In 1994 Chapman moved to Division III and implemented Football. His responsibilities included Head Athletic Trainer to the football program and Adjunct Professor to [then] the Movement and Exercise Science Department. In 1998, Jack accepted a full time faculty appointment where he relinquished his Athletic ties to pursue academia in the department of Kinesiology. He was later appointed the Program Director of the Athletic Training Curriculum with the significant responsibility of pursuing NATA Accreditation with CAAHEP (Commission of Accreditation on Allied Health Educational Programs). He spearheaded and secured the Candidacy Status of the National Accreditation during January 2000.

Jack has also held appointments in the fitness industry as a fitness technician and current consultant in the local Orange County area. He partakes in regional and national speaking engagements in the sports medicine arena. Jack still manages his ties to Chapman University as an adjunct professor to the Athletic Training and Physical Education Department.

Phil Black
Water Fitness Specialist/Business Advisor

Phil Black, BA, MBA has been in the fitness industry for over twelve years. While he has extensive experience as a collegiate athlete, certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, inventor, and fitness entrepreneur, his passion and expertise lies in unconventional water-based training. Phil was a Navy SEAL officer for nearly six years, spending the last two years as a Navy SEAL Instructor in Coronado, CA. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Phil lives and works in San Diego with his wife and twin sons. Phil co-developed the soon-to-be-released Aqualogix Water Fitness Certification & Business Program.

Kelley Peviani
Yoga Instructor

Kelley Peviani, BA, MA is our Sport Yoga™, Sport Yoga Kid’s™ and Strength Yoga™ instructor. She has been practicing yoga for nine years and teaching for three. Kelley has been a certified yoga instructor since 2001. She has taught yoga to all ages, children and adults, in health clubs, spas, resorts, assisted living facilities, community centers, schools, and even a modeling agency in Southern California. Kelley is passionate about sharing her knowledge and expertise about yoga with others. Her compassionate approach to teaching enables her to instruct and communicate effectively with all ages and types of people. Over the years, she has studied with many talented instructors including Rodney Yee and Shiva Rey. In the past, she has also taught Ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance, creative movement, art, and acting. Kelley is currently continuing her yoga studies at the University of California at Irvine. She also holds a masters degree in education.