Leadership
Our Team

Chuck Gillespie
CEO/Executive Director
chuck@nationalwellness.org

Trina Laube
VP of Strategic Initiatives
trina@nationalwellness.org

Kellie Straub
VP of Growth & Innovation
kstraub@nationalwellness.org

Mandy Koch
Director of Programs & Events
mandy@nationalwellness.org

Lily Caldwell
Member Support Specialist
lily@nationalwellness.org

Odessa Weiland
Content & Communications Coordinator
odessa@nationalwellness.org
Board of Directors

Lana Saal, EdD, MCHES, CWP, CTTS
Executive Team | President
Speaker & Author
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Lana Saal holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Master’s in Health, and Bachelor’s in Nutrition. In addition to being a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Lana is a Certified Wellness Practitioner (CWP) through the National Wellness Institute and holds certifications as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (CTTS), and MultiCultural Competency (MCC) through HR.com.
Dedicated to positively impacting the well-being of others, Lana has a passion for inspiring people—through a combination of education and meaningful motivation—to grab hold of health and well-being toward a healthier and happier life. She recently was the lead on the Occupational Health contract team for Health Promotion, Wellness and Fitness for NASA and is currently CEO and founder of The VitHealthity Group Wellness and Safety consulting services.
Dr. Saal, speaker, author, and inspirer of happier healthier humans is a lifelong learner and educator with 25 years of expertise leading successful strategic solutions in health promotion, behavioral and mental health, nutrition, weight loss, fitness, stress management, and tobacco cessation incorporating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion positively impacting workplace culture and work-life satisfaction and integration.
Lana has held several volunteer leadership positions on many boards in Florida and national organizations with expertise linking programs and services available to groups and individuals. She has volunteered extensively with the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Dr. Saal is a recipient of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) nationwide Circle of Leadership award, is a longtime volunteer with NWI, and currently serves as President of the NWI Board of Directors.

Stacey Krawczyk, MS, RD
Executive Team | Secretary
Vice President of Marketing and Operations
Preventia Group, LLC
In her current role, she is the Vice President of Marketing and Operations at Preventia Group where she develops and leads care provider network recruitment and management efforts, drives client success, and spearheads Preventia’s marketing and communications.
Stacey has a Master of Science degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Tennessee, which provides her with a foundation in population wellness and drives her passion for mission-driven branding and social causes. Grounded in Farm-to-Fork issues as a 5th generation farmer, she also is a passionate believer that food is more than simply nutrients – it is also the compilation of our celebrations, memories, and culture.
Click here to read bio
In her current role, she is the Vice President of Marketing and Operations at Preventia Group where she develops and leads care provider network recruitment and management efforts, drives client success, and spearheads Preventia’s marketing and communications.
Stacey has a Master of Science degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Tennessee, which provides her with a foundation in population wellness and drives her passion for mission-driven branding and social causes. Grounded in Farm-to-Fork issues as a 5th generation farmer, she also is a passionate believer that food is more than simply nutrients – it is also the compilation of our celebrations, memories, and culture.

Bridgette Stewart, MEd, CWP
Executive Team | Treasurer & President-elect
Chief Wellness Officer, University of West Georgia
Founder & Director, Center for Integrative Wellness
the Founder and Director of the Center for Integrative Wellness. She is a passionate health and wellness professional with over 20 years of experience in curriculum and wellness-initiative development. She uses her knowledge and experience as an NBC-HWC health coach and worksite wellness specialist to develop programs for students, faculty, staff, and the local community to improve their overall well-being.
Over the last ten years, she has served in numerous leadership positions and on boards of directors across the Southeast. From 2015- 2016, she served as president of her state health association. From 2011-2012, she served on the board of directors for Southern District Shape America. She served as the chair of NWI’s Council on Wellness Certification Excellence and in 2018 was inducted into NWI’s Circle of Leadership.
Bridgette continues to educate countless future professionals, organizations, and community members through presentations, initiatives, and service-learning projects. Currently, she volunteers her time teaching Mental Health First Aid the and CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program. Bridgette looks forward to shaping professional development for wellness professionals across the country.
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Over the last ten years, she has served in numerous leadership positions and on boards of directors across the Southeast. From 2015- 2016, she served as president of her state health association. From 2011-2012, she served on the board of directors for Southern District Shape America. She served as the chair of NWI’s Council on Wellness Certification Excellence and in 2018 was inducted into NWI’s Circle of Leadership.
Bridgette continues to educate countless future professionals, organizations, and community members through presentations, initiatives, and service-learning projects. Currently, she volunteers her time teaching Mental Health First Aid the and CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program. Bridgette looks forward to shaping professional development for wellness professionals across the country.

Tyler Amell, Ph.D., MSc, BSc
Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences
Chief Health and Strategy Officer, MediKeeper
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Dr. Amell is Chief Health and Strategy Officer at MediKeeper. He is also an Adjunct Faculty at Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences and Faculty Lead for Work and the Workplace. He has given seminars and presentations at over 250 events. He also serves on the Executive Board of Directors of the Work Wellness Institute, and in the past the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH), and the San Francisco Based Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI). He is a past CRO/CHO at a wellness technology company, a Partner/Vice President at a global HR consulting & technology company, CEO of an HR technology company, and Vice President of a large Healthcare and Rehabilitation company.
Dr. Amell has recently contributed to events and publications of IBI, Art & Science of Health Promotion, HERO, the Disability Management Employers Coalition (DMEC), the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Conference Board of Canada, the Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada (OEMAC), the Canadian Board of Occupational Medicine (CBOM), and the Occupational Medical Society of Canada (OMSOC).

Dr. Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, M.D., DABOM, FOMA
Physician & CEO
EmbraceYOU Weight & Wellness
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Dr. Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, MD, is an award-winning physician with over ten years of clinical experience and a dual board-certified obesity specialist with a passion for personalizing population-based data. Dr. Bollie founded Embrace You Weight & Wellness to address the disparities in personalized obesity care. Embrace You Weight & Wellness is virtual wellness & weight loss telehealth & virtual coaching service. Launched in August 2020 during the pandemic, Embrace You uses individual and group coaching to produce sustainable weight loss & weight loss. Embrace You has helped people stop obsessing over the scale, embrace nutritious food choices, and choose practical tools for individualized weight loss.
However, Dr. Bollie is more than a doctor. She is a wellness coach who has maintained 60lb weight loss for eight years. In addition, Dr. Bollie is an inspiring public speaker, content creator, obesity education consultant, and bestselling author of “Embrace You: Your Guide to Transforming Weight Loss Misconceptions Into Lifelong Wellness.” “Embrace You: Your Guide” is Healthline.com’s “Best Weight Loss Book of 2022.”
Numerous media outlets have featured Dr.Bollie’s work, including ABC, NBC, Fox, Forbes, Eat This Not That, Obesity Help, Parade, Prevention, and more.
She is the co-founder of the Overcoming Obesity Club on Clubhouse, which has over 400 members. Since March 2021, this group has met weekly to discuss various topics on obesity.
In addition to Clubhouse, Dr. Bollie is active on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, where she engages thousands of followers with person-first, evidence-based weight & wellness content.
She has been an active member of the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) since 2015 and serves on many committees. In April 2022, she will speak at the Spring Conference on “Obesity & Black Women: What are We Missing?”

Mark Campbell, Ph.D., MS, CWP
Founder | Campbell Performance
Founder & President | Nature of Wellness
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Described as a “One-man Think Tank,” Dr. Mark A. Campbell works with individuals and organizations to enhance performances in all areas of life. Mark uses his background in exercise science, sports medicine, wellness, mindfulness, and performance psychology to help create lasting change. His bold goal for Campbell Performance is to help build a world where we can all learn to create the type of life we desire.
Mark shares his unique blend of holistic education, application, and experience with audiences worldwide. He is internationally known for his work in performance psychology, specifically helping performers manage different types of adversity. His diverse background allows him to help others see the world through many lenses. Mark has worked with elite athletes in sports medicine and performance psychology at every level of competition. He extends his expertise beyond sports, working with top performers from all fields. Mark is a sought-after speaker and consultant widely known for delivering dynamic presentations and Keynote speeches to diverse audiences worldwide. He works to help them understand, embrace, and maximize their inner elite performer. Through various delivery techniques, Mark shares his unique experiences and those of the amazing individuals he has been fortunate to serve along his journey. Mark reinvigorates and challenges audiences to push their performances to maximum personal and team potential, whether in the office, on stage, on a playing field, or in daily life. These services can be tailored to your team, group, or organization and delivered in person or virtually.
Mark spent almost a decade working as a lead for the US Army’s performance psychology and resilience program serving as the Master Trainer/Lead for the Warrior Transition Command (WTC) mission, focusing on all US Army wounded/ill/injured soldiers, their families, and cadre. He acted as the lead on all WTC-related curricula and the Liaison to the Command. Mark also served as a wellness/performance consultant to the US Army, providing classes and workshops to Soldiers, Senior Leaders, and caregivers while participating in several Army Surgeon General committees and initiatives. He served as the Director of Mental Training for the Army Adaptive Recondition Program, including the Warrior Games, utilizing mental skills to optimize adaptive sports performances. He was then asked to serve as the Senior Subject Matter Expert for the Military Adaptive Sports Program, for all Service Branches, at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mark was a lead planner for events such as the Warrior Games and Prince Harry’s Invictus Games. Mark also worked with military and government leads from 14 Allied nations to develop performance and wellness-based programs for their wounded warrior populations.
Mark spent five years as the Director of Mental Conditioning for the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals Baseball Club. He served players, coaches, and staff on the Major League team and throughout the Player Development system. Mark focused on holistically enhancing mental and emotional performances on and off the field while also serving as a member of the Professional Baseball Performance Psychology Group (PBPPG).
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (English & Communications, Florida State University), a Bachelor of Science (Exercise Science/Sports Medicine, University of West Florida), and a Master of Science (Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Tennessee), and a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Wellness (Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions). Mark’s passion lies in helping individuals learn to perform optimally in all domains of their lives. He is a Certified Wellness Practitioner (CWP) and Certified Workplace Wellness Specialist (CWWS) through the National Wellness Institute. He also serves as the Senior Fellow for Healthcare and Ability for the Institute.
Mark is also the Founder/President of Nature of Wellness, a company focused on helping individuals and organizations embrace the natural world as a primary source of health and well-being. He hosts the Nature of Wellness podcast, which acts as a mouthpiece for evidence-based work to support these efforts. Additionally, Mark is a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and an Adjunct Professor for Health and Wellness courses at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Melanie Fuller
Director of Wellness | Alberta Blue Cross
Mentor | Emerging Health Leaders
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Melanie Fuller is a powerhouse of wellness and a catalyst for positive change. Driven by compassion and creative-problem solving, Melanie has made a career of helping people improve their lives.
Melanie has more than a decade of experience as a frontline healthcare provider where she helped patients improve their wellbeing. She has worked in an array of clinical settings including physiotherapy clinics, Alzheimer’s and dementia programs, cardiac rehab, and primary care.
Along with supporting patients, Melanie offered her expertise to business owners and recreation centers as a private consultant helping companies create inclusive, safe, and barrier free environments for individuals with complex or chronic health conditions from within their communities.
Realizing the importance of expanding her reach to foster holistic and comprehensive wellness practices, Melanie transitioned into a leadership role, becoming the director of a national not-for-profit wellness initiative. During this time she also lead the charge on expanding, fundraising, and managing projects for nine Primary Care Networks in Edmonton.
Melanie is now proudly supporting Alberta Blue Cross, one of Western Canada’s largest benefits providers, as the Director of Wellness. In this pivotal role, Melanie is at the helm of the programs’ mission to foster the development of healthy and vibrant workforces and empowering people on their wellness journey.
Throughout her transformative career, Melanie Fuller has proven that kindness, compassion, and creative problem-solving hold the keys to unlocking the potential for personal and community wellness.

Dr. Anita Mwalui, Ph.D., MPH, CWP
Founder & CEO
Community Engagement and Consultation Group, Inc.
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Dr. Mwalui has 15 years of experience in the public and private sectors of healthcare. With extensive experience in population/public/community health research, her focus is equitable and inclusive whole-person health in programming for client outcomes.
Dr. Mwalui serves on several boards and work groups to advance a culture of health for “Health Equity Resource Centers” (HERC). With 5 degrees under her belt and 6 professional certificates, her work presents a frontline with a business model of Valuing differences, Multicultural celebrations, and Impact collaborations. Having spent a decade developing strategies to improve community engagement in hard-to-reach communities and populations; Dr. Mwalui’s work is steered by results-based accountability a key component utilized in her non-profit work.

Nicole B. Stec, MBA, CPH, CWP
Director of Well-Being
Banner Health
In her current role, Nicole is responsible for Banner Health’s system-wide well-being strategy for 55,000+ team members located in six states. Nicole recently implemented the Banner Strong Center for Healing to support the mental well-being, healing, and recovery of healthcare workers post-pandemic. Nicole has also increased Banner’s team member well-being engagement to more than 50% in the past two years with the introduction of a holistic well-being approach and new wellness technology.
Nicole is a graduate of the University of Southern California (B.S.), the University of Phoenix (MBA) and the University of South Florida (MPH). She also holds many certifications, including being Certified in Public Health (National Board of Public Health Examiners) and a Certified Wellness Practitioner (National Wellness Institute).
Click here to read bio
In her current role, Nicole is responsible for Banner Health’s system-wide well-being strategy for 55,000+ team members located in six states. Nicole recently implemented the Banner Strong Center for Healing to support the mental well-being, healing, and recovery of healthcare workers post-pandemic. Nicole has also increased Banner’s team member well-being engagement to more than 50% in the past two years with the introduction of a holistic well-being approach and new wellness technology.
Nicole is a graduate of the University of Southern California (B.S.), the University of Phoenix (MBA) and the University of South Florida (MPH). She also holds many certifications, including being Certified in Public Health (National Board of Public Health Examiners) and a Certified Wellness Practitioner (National Wellness Institute).

Roberta Wachtelhausen
President
WellSpark Health
Prior to leading WellSpark, Bert was Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for ConnectiCare. She has also held senior leadership positions at national and regional health plans, including Cigna, Meritain and LifeCare. In addition, she co-founded a health benefits startup, Averde Health.
Bert was named to the 2021 Power 25 Health Care list by Hartford Business Journal and 2020 Distinguished Alumna by the UConn Neag School of Education. In 2019, she won the Chief Marketing Officer of the Year award from the Hartford Business Journal. Bert has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education and was a Division 1 athlete for the Huskies. She completed graduate-level coursework at the University of Hartford studying Organizational Behavior.
Bert currently serves on the board of directors for the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and the National Wellness Institute. She volunteers her time with several non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, and Special Olympics.
Click here to read bio
Prior to leading WellSpark, Bert was Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for ConnectiCare. She has also held senior leadership positions at national and regional health plans, including Cigna, Meritain and LifeCare. In addition, she co-founded a health benefits startup, Averde Health.
Bert was named to the 2021 Power 25 Health Care list by Hartford Business Journal and 2020 Distinguished Alumna by the UConn Neag School of Education. In 2019, she won the Chief Marketing Officer of the Year award from the Hartford Business Journal. Bert has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education and was a Division 1 athlete for the Huskies. She completed graduate-level coursework at the University of Hartford studying Organizational Behavior.
Bert currently serves on the board of directors for the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and the National Wellness Institute. She volunteers her time with several non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, and Special Olympics.

Barbara Zabawa, JD, MPH
Attorney/President
Center for Health & Wellness Law, LLC
Barbara is lead author of the book Rule the Rules on Workplace Wellness Programs, published by the American Bar Association. She is also author of “The Tug: Finding Purpose and Joy through Entrepreneurship,” published by Henschel Haus Publishing in Spring 2021. She is a frequent writer and speaker on health and wellness law topics, having presented for national organizations such as WELCOA, National Wellness Conference, HPLive, Healthstat University and HERO.
Barbara J. Zabawa is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee College of Health Sciences, Department of Health Services Administration where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health law and compliance, US health care delivery and health professions career development.
Barbara serves health and wellness professionals and organizations across the country as an advocate, a transactional lawyer and a compliance resource. Her commitment to improving health and wellness also shows through her community service. Barbara founded the Wellness Compliance Institute, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve wellness program and activity compliance. She has also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Wellness Institute.
Barbara is licensed to practice law in both Wisconsin and New York.
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Barbara is the founder and President of the Center for Health and Wellness Law, LLC, a law firm dedicated to improving legal access and compliance for the health and wellness industries. Learn more at www.wellnesslaw.com. She is also the founder of Pursesuitz, LLC, a mission-based fashion company featuring the Pocketwear Tank that promotes gender equality. Learn more at www.pursesuitz.com. Finally, she is the founder of Lemonspark, a movement and podcast celebrating the sparks that lead people to meaningful pursuits after experiencing life’s lemons. See www.lemonspark.com.
Barbara is lead author of the book Rule the Rules on Workplace Wellness Programs, published by the American Bar Association. She is also author of “The Tug: Finding Purpose and Joy through Entrepreneurship,” published by Henschel Haus Publishing in Spring 2021. She is a frequent writer and speaker on health and wellness law topics, having presented for national organizations such as WELCOA, National Wellness Conference, HPLive, Healthstat University and HERO.
Barbara J. Zabawa is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Missouri Kansas City where she teaches Health Law courses to law students.
Barbara serves health and wellness professionals and organizations across the country as an advocate, a transactional lawyer, and a compliance resource. Her commitment to improving health and wellness also shows through her community service. Barbara founded the Wellness Compliance Institute, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve wellness program and activity compliance. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Wellness Institute.
Barbara is licensed to practice law in both Wisconsin and New York.