ACE Master Trainers

ACE Master Trainers are among the most accomplished and knowledgeable exercise professionals and health coaches in their field. These fitness industry thought leaders provide cutting-edge training, workshops, talks and more to inspire and educate current and aspiring trainers, health coaches and exercise professionals.


David Bagby

David Bagby

David Bagby is an ACE Master Trainer and is GOLD Certified in all four ACE Certifications. He is an independent fitness services provider, working in-home with special populations and conditions. David works with ACE as a Subject Matter Expert in developing exam material and was recently a Master Trainer for the UFIT initiative. He holds a BS in recreation from Clemson University.

Shannon Baisden

Shannon Baisden

Shannon Baisden, MA is the Program Manager for Fitness and Nutrition Coaching at WellSpring School of Allied Health where she develops curriculum and serves as a college professor. Professionally, she has served as a Clinical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Corporate Fitness Manager and Director of the Professional Fitness Institute. An ACE Certified Health Coach, Shannon holds a BA in exercise science from the University of California, Davis and an MA in sport sciences from the University of the Pacific.

Sam Berry

Sam Berry

Sam Berry, MS, CPT, FMS is an ACE Master Trainer and Subject Matter Expert. He works with a wide range of clients and athletes spanning ages 10 to 85 and fulfilling a variety of goals and objectives. In addition, he conducts "Train the Trainer" courses for personal trainers across the United States. Sam received his MS in exercise science from Florida International University and a BS in health sciences from Keene State College.

Angel Chelik

Angel Chelik

Angel Chelik, MS is a 20-year veteran of the health and wellness industries and is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Health Coach. Based in San Diego, California, Angel teaches in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Southwestern College. She also coaches classes at world-renowned Barry’s Bootcamp. She has worked in various facets of fitness, including studio curriculum design and instructor trainings, as well as online course content development.

Tamera Clifton

Tamera Clifton

Tamera Clifton has over 30 years of experience in fitness. She is an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and an ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Tamera is also a writer and a running coach, and has written content for industry publications and websites. Tamera’s career focus has been in corporate fitness, and she is currently the Wellness Manager for a senior community in Portland, OR. She has a BA in kinesiology from University of Texas at Austin.

Bob Cosmo

Bob Cosmo

Bob Cosmo, MA Ed. is an Adjunct Professor of Exercise Science at Manchester Community College in Manchester, NH. Before his professorship, Bob was an Area and Regional Director for Bally Total Fitness for more than 22 years. Bob has been teaching a variety of ACE live workshops as a Master Trainer since 1992, and has been a contributor to the ACE development team for both exam and new workshop roll outs. Bob is ACE, NASM and ACSM certified and holds an MA Ed. in exercise physiology/sports medicine.

Makeba Edwards

Makeba Edwards

Makeba Edwards, MS is an industry professional with 20 years of experience and holds an MS in kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Performance, and a BA in sport management. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Health Coach with several specializations. She is an EXOS Corporate Fitness Program Manager, was previously a Les Mills National Presenter and Trainer, and has educated professionals as an ACE Study Coach. She has been featured in and has written content for the ACE/IDEA Fitness Journal, Muscle & Fitness HERS and Athletic Business.

Jeff Groh

Jeff Groh

A passionate movement educator, Jeff Groh is an ACE Certified Medical Exercise Specialist, an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and a fellow of Applied Functional Science at the Gray Institute. Jeff is owner of Authentic Motion and Training and has more than 15 years of experience designing and presenting continued education workshops both nationally and internationally. He holds a BS in exercise science and is an educator for ACE, Precor and the YMCA.

Clarissa Jimenez

Clarissa Jimenez

Clarissa Jimenez is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor and an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer. She is the Exercise Physiologist for The Well at Sacramento State University. Prior to joining campus recreation, Clarissa opened and operated a private personal training business where she has been training clients and teaching classes since 2012. She holds an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in kinesiology from San Diego State University.

Dan Kleckner

Dan Kleckner

Dan Kleckner owns Kutting Edge Fitness in Washington and Kinetic Fitness in Montana. He’s worked in the fitness industry for 15 years and holds a BS from Montana Tech University, where he was also a collegiate athlete. He’s been mentored by some of the top golf fitness and fitness business professionals in the country, including Thomas Plummer, Rick Mayo and Jason Glass. Dan is a well-respected speaker and presents talks on the business of start-up gyms and sports performance.

Pete McCall

Pete McCall

Pete McCall, MS is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, international presenter, host of the All About Fitness podcast and author of several articles, textbook chapters and the book Smarter Workouts: the Science of Exercise Made Simple. In addition, Pete holds a MS in exercise science and has been educating fitness professionals since 2002. Currently Pete lives in Encinitas, CA where he is a consultant and content creator for Core Health & Fitness, Terra Core Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and ACE.

Dianne McCaughey

Dianne McCaughey

Dianne McCaughey, Ph.D. is an award-winning international fitness specialist with more than 35 years of experience in personal training, group exercise, coaching and post-rehabilitation. She is a Master Trainer for ACE and The Functional Aging Institute. Receiving her Ph.D. from The Union Institute and University with a concentration in gerontology, Dianne practices and teaches optimal wellness and successful aging emphasizing the mind, body and spirit.

Melissa Myers

Melissa Myers

Melissa Myers, MS is co-owner of 1RM Performance, a premier strength and conditioning facility in San Diego. She works with junior high, high school, college and professional athletes. She has been the director of Sports Performance for several volleyball clubs in San Diego including Coast, Beach and Bay and La Jolla Volleyball club. Melissa has her MS in Exercise Physiology from San Diego State University. She is a Certified Personal Trainer a Subject Matter Expert for ACE.

Debi Pillarella

Debi Pillarella

Debi Pillarella is an ACE Master Trainer and holds all four ACE Certifications. Currently, she is Director of Bariatric Services for The Community Healthcare System and Director of MedFit, a medical fitness program. Debi is also an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Northwest in the Undergraduate Fitness Management Program. She is an advisory board member, curriculum specialist and master trainer for the Functional Aging Institute (FAI) and co-developed the Functional Aging Group Exercise Specialist certification program for FAI.

Keli Roberts

Keli Roberts

Keli Roberts is an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach and Personal Trainer. She is an SCW Faculty Member, a BOSU Elite and a Schwinn® Senior Master Trainer. In 2016, Keli received the Inspiration Award for Empower! Conventions and in 2012 she was honored as Presenter of the Year. She is also the recipient of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement OBOW Award and was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2007.

Sarah Shore-Beck

Sarah Shore-Beck

Sarah Shore-Beck is an Assistant Lecturer of Kinesiology at Ball State University and is an ACE Master Trainer and ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor. In addition, she teaches and trains at various locations around the Indianapolis area. Sarah has a BS in exercise science and aquatics from Ball State University, an MS in kinesiology from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in education and wellness management from Ball State University.

Matt Sommer

Matt Sommer

Matt Sommer, MS is the Fitness Director at Alamance Country Club in Burlington, NC where he works with clients of all abilities, ranging from youth to seniors. His specialties include preventive exercise, general health and wellness, sports conditioning and post-injury rehabilitation. He is an ACE Master Trainer and holds many certifications, including ACE Personal Trainer and Medical Exercise Specialist Certifications. In addition, Matt is an accomplished triathlete and runner, earning USAT All-American distinction every year since 2014 and qualifying for and completing the Boston Marathon annually since 2016. He graduated cum laude with a BS in sports medicine from Elon University and earned his MS in exercise physiology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Garrett Stangel

Garrett Stangel

Garrett Stangel is a health and performance coach and owner of Balance Fitness, in Milwaukee, WI. He is an ACE Master Trainer and Subject Matter Expert, as well as an ACE Certified Medical Exercise Specialist, Health Coach and Personal Trainer. In addition, Garrett is an adjunct faculty member in the Exercise Science Department at Carroll University and is a board member for Summit Wellness and MS Just Keep Moving. Garrett specializes in medical and adaptive fitness, and skills-based training while also working with everyday athletes and corporations. He has a BS in kinesiology and an MA in education.

James Thayer

James Thayer

James Thayer, MS is an ACE Master Trainer and ACE Certified Personal Trainer. James is the Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness at Washburn University in Topeka, KS. He has trained personal trainers, provided educational training for fitness staff, and organized fitness and wellness events and services for universities. In addition, James has presented at conferences and workshops, and has consulted with fitness companies and strength and conditioning programs. He holds a BS in human health performance and an MS in health physical education and recreation with an exercise science focus from Emporia State University.

Kelley Vargo

Kelley Vargo

Kelley Vargo, MPH, MS is an ACE Certified Health Coach, ACE Behavior Change Specialist and ACE Subject Matter Expert. She serves as faculty in the Exercise & Nutrition Sciences Department at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. Recently, Kelley designed the wellness and fitness program for the inaugural GW Police Department Academy. She is a graduate of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University where she received an MS in exercise science with a concentration in strength & conditioning and an MPH in public health communication & marketing.

Ashley Varol

Ashley Varol

Ashley Varol, Ph.D., is an ACE Master Trainer and ACE Subject Matter Expert, who holds ACE Certifications in Personal Training, Group Fitness Instruction and Health Coaching. She is an Exercise Science faculty member at Xavier University and built the Employee Wellness Program at the University of Cincinnati. She is passionate about education and helping others find their best selves. Ashley earned her degrees from the University in Cincinnati, focusing on health science and health education.

Shana Verstegen

Shana Verstegen

Shana Verstegen is an ACE and TRX Master Trainer, a member of the Under Armour Training Team and a 6-time world champion lumberjack athlete. She is also a certified personal trainer through ACE, NASM and NFPT. An energetic and personable speaker, she is the national spokesperson for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. She holds a degree in kinesiology/exercise science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Andi Wardinsky

Andi Wardinsky

Combining her love of music and movement and her infectious energy, Andi Wardinsky, MS has created her own non-competitive and unique teaching style. Andi believes that in order for physical activity to become habitual, it must be fun. In addition to being an ACE Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor and Master Trainer, she also holds a BA and a MS degree in exercise physiology, is a certified Pilates Teacher through the Pilates Method Alliance®, a yoga instructor and teaches many more group fitness formats.

Charles M. Ware

Charles M. Ware

Charles M. Ware, D.H.Ed. is a leading education and brain-behavior expert, and is the President of Innovative Health Education Solutions, a management and consulting firm. He has worked in higher education for more than two decades. Charles is an Associate Faculty member of the health and social sciences college at the University of Phoenix and is an International Faculty member of the United States Sports Academy. Professionally, Dr. Ware has authored numerous abstracts, several textbooks and contributed to more than 15 peer-reviewed publications. Charles is an ACE Certified Health Coach and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Julia Zuniga

Julia Zuniga

As the Fitness Director on board USS NIMITZ (CVN-68), Julia Zuniga, MS completed a combat deployment in 2003. Afterward, she worked with wounded veterans to find their "new normal" through adaptive fitness. Currently, she teaches at several colleges and has been involved with ACE as a Master Trainer, chapter author and Subject Matter Expert. She holds ACE Certifications in Personal Training, Group Fitness and Health Coaching. She earned her MS in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern University.