Wayne T. Phillips, Ph.D., FACSM

Dr. Wayne Phillips has a long and illustrious career spanning more than 35 years - demonstrating a remarkable blend of academic, scientific, and professional expertise and experience in the field of exercise, fitness, wellness and behavior change for older adults.

Dr. Phillips holds a Teaching Certificate from the University of Wales, UK, an MS in Exercise Science and Sports Psychology from Loughborough University, UK and a Ph.D. in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University, AZ. He is a former Post-Doctoral Fellow and Research Scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, Center for Research in Disease Prevention and Professor (now Professor Emeritus) in the Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University. While at Stanford he developed community-based strength training programs for older adults and also worked with the renowned Stanford Health Improvement Program and The Stanford Prevention Research Center, developing and applying evidence-based behavioral science to maximize the potential for adopting and maintaining active healthy lifestyles for older adults. Read More

Matt D. Essex, MS, CCN

Mr. Essex is Founder/ Managing Director of Innovative Health Solutions, LLC, and Chair/ Business Director/ Nutritional Programs Director, of the Institute of Wellness, two organizations whose mission is to advance the cause of active living and health related behavior change.

Mr. Essex holds undergraduate degrees in Exercise Science and Clinical Nutrition as well as a Masters Degree in Wellness and Health Promotion. During his graduate program, as well as being a successful teacher, he conducted a number of independent and collaborative research studies, and was appointed research director of ASU’s strength-based community wellness program, Project SSTRIVE. Initially funded by a "Great Communities" Grant from Motorola. This project grew to become a nationally recognized community-based strength and wellness program that has documented and published significant and meaningful improvements in a range of wellness related functional outcomes for older adults. Since graduating with honors, Mr. Essex has accumulated over 1000 hours of continuing education and clinical experience in Nutrition Science, making him one of the few Nutritionists in the State of Arizona (a non-licensure state) that meets the National requirements of a Clinical Nutritionist, a prestigious distinction held only top professionals in this field. Read More

Michael J. Kelley

Michael Kelley is a Marketing, Branding and Public Relations specialist, who has spent the past decade helping organizations at all levels, establish a powerful commercial presence. Mr. Kelley has worked with some of the world's leading brands and pioneered groundbreaking projects in the entertainment, technology, consumer goods and media industries.

Mr. Kelley holds an Advertising degree from Southern Methodist University. He spent the early part of his career at Ketchum Public Relations, a global PR firm located in Los Angeles, CA, developing high profile, PR/entertainment marketing campaigns for Absolut, Mattel, Estee Lauder, Frito-Lay, Bombardier, Cingular Wireless, Wendy's and more.

Following his departure from Ketchum, Mr. Kelley took directorship positions at several startup organizations and later began a successful consulting career in both Los Angeles and Scottsdale, AZ, counseling clients in the Consumer, B2B, High Tech, Software, Media, Energy and Process Improvement industries. Read More