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(Denver, CO) September 25th, 2020 For immediate release: The Women in Fitness Association Announces the 2020 New Board of Director Appointments.
The Women in Fitness Association (WIFA) has just completed their third round of board appointments, and is pleased to announce five new directors and one returning member to the Board.
WIFA Founder & CEO Lindsey Rainwater announced Ariel Belgrave, Stephanie Erazo, Dynasti Hunt, Rebecca Lee, and Danielle Stead Blanton will be joining the Board of Directors and Debra Siena will be returning as a founding member. Thank you to the Board Rotation committee, Amira Polack, Rebecca Cofod, and Paula Comfort for all the work you put into this lengthy process. The six board members will be joining Amira, Rebecca, and Paula to round the WIFA board to nine members for a one to three year term.
“WIFA is incredibly humbled by the overwhelming number of highly qualified candidates that applied for the open board seats. As we continue to create resources for women in fitness I am encouraged to see our new board members adding skills and experience to help us grow to new and exciting places. Welcome to our newest board members and thank you to our founding board members for their devoted service to the association, without them we wouldn’t be where we are today”. -Lindsey Rainwater
Applications are called for the WIFA Board annually between June and August.
Meet the six board members elected in 2020 (listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Ariel Belgrave is a leading voice in women’s health. As a certified health coach, fitness trainer, and the CEO of Gym Hooky, her mission is to help busy women look and feel their best. Through her signature approach, The L.E.A.N. Method, she’s helped thousands of women adopt simple and sustainable healthy habits that suit their unique body, lifestyle, and goals.
Ariel is also a sponsored athlete for Under Armour’s women brand and a lead fitness trainer for Tone It Up, one of the largest online wellness communities for women.
Her commitment to women’s wellness has earned her opportunities to work with Fortune 100 companies, influence the health programs of top colleges, and receive recognition from major outlets such as Women’s Health, Shape, Elle, Refinery 29, PopSugar, and Huffington Post.
“It is an absolute honor to be one of WIFA’s newly appointed board members. I joined WIFA because I believe in the team’s commitment to fiercely advocating and empowering women in the fitness industry. We are currently witnessing a shift in the industry and I believe WIFA will have a great impact on the future and face of fitness. I am looking forward to leveraging my past experiences and expertise to drive this impact, while scaling the WIFA community.”
After spending 7 years as a CNN producer, Stephanie Erazo decided to leave the newsroom chaos for a life of wellness, and follow her passion for health and fitness. Stephanie is an avid adventure seeker and a self-proclaimed fitness junkie. She received yoga, meditation, and pranayama breathing certifications in Rishikesh, India under master yogis. In India, Stephanie focused on the study of traditional root practices of yoga and meditation, and she now shares that unique perspective with all of her clients. She teaches bootcamp fitness and is a certified spin instructor. Stephanie is RYT 300, and is certified in prenatal and postpartum yoga. Stephanie is a trained Yoga Therapist, on a 4-year track to receive her C-IAYT from Loyola Marymount University.
“I am so honored and humbled to have been chosen to represent women in fitness across the globe. Fitness is my true passion, and I choose to use my passion to motivate, inspire, and create space and equity for all women. Joining the Board of WIFA is special opportunity to collaborate with, motivate, and empower women in fitness everywhere.”
Dynasti is an awarding winning Talent and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader, committed to redesigning workplaces with a centered racial-equity lense. Dynasti currently leads Talent and Equity for ThirdSector and is also founder of E@Work and Equity in Fitness, coaching and consulting spaces designed to support individuals and teams across all sectors lead through how to evolve their workplace equity journey.When she is not pushing for equity in all organizations, she leads fitness programming as a certified Group Fitness Instructor. A 2020 Top 100 HR Icons Award Winner, Dynasti has a B.B.A. from Mercer University, an MBA from University of Missouri, Kansas City, and an M.E.L. from The Board Center. Dynasti is also a Broad Residency Alum, Pahara Institute Next-Gen Alum, and member of the national Forbes HR Council. Her work has been highlighted In Cosmopolitan, FastCompany, Forbes, and Well and Good.
“As a member of WIFA, I have personally experienced the power of community, strength, and strive for excellence in all that the association holds within its incredible team and fellow members. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to directly support the great impact WIFA has already have and will have going forward as a Board member.”
Since 2003, Rebecca has worked in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors of the fitness industry. She is currently Vice President of Membership and Wellness for the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. In her career she has successfully led and grown personal training teams in club and regional management, and with multi-unit club leadership as a District Manager. In addition to her current role driving membership, wellness initiatives, and team development, she also counsels other YMCAs across the United States on strategies in membership pricing, member acquisition and retention, personal training, group exercise, and fitness equipment purchasing.
“The fitness industry has experienced much change over the past decade operationally, technologically, and conceptually. With that, to truly see even greater innovations and strides made in fitness is to recognize the benefits that come from inclusive, diverse, and equitable environments. There’s much more work to be done in this regard. I am excited to connect with an amazing group of dynamic leaders in continuing this work as a new member of the Board, helping women make an impact, changing the face of fitness in the industry.”
President of Midtown Health. Debra Siena has worked in the fitness and health club industry for over 30 years… and loves it. She is passionate about business development, inspiring others for positive change and driving results. Over the years, she has worked in all aspects of health and wellness. As President of Midtown Health, she oversees future strategy, clients relations, and growth of the club portfolio. Debra sees herself in the relationship business. She enjoys helping clients reach their maximum profit potential while enhancing their members’ experience.
“I am honored to continue to serve WIFA and our members for another term, as well as very excited to collaborate with the newly elected, outstanding fellow board members.”
Danielle Stead Blanton is an attorney and business coach, working with fitness business owners to provide the tools, resources, education and support to create and grow operationally efficient, legally sound and financially thriving businesses. Using her experience as a studio owner and investor, and her perspective as an instructor herself, Danielle advises, assists and coaches fitness professionals of every size across multiple continents and countless countries. In her past life Danielle was a collegiate athlete and sponsored marathon runner, turned corporate attorney at a major international law firm. She lives in her native Los Angeles with her husband and husky.
“The opportunity to serve the WIFA community as a Board member is the opportunity to steer the direction of the fitness industry for the better, and positively change how women, and especially women of color, are perceived and received. To say that it’s an honor is an understatement, but it’s also the responsibility to make this industry stronger, more inclusive, and more favorable towards women, so we can powerfully rise up together. I’m thrilled and humbled by the nomination.”