Meet the team
We have a team full of certified and trained coaches who are ready to work with you! Each coach comes with a different background and unique perspective. Read more about your personal coach below.
Shelly Faber
Lead Wellness Coach
Shelly is excited to be here at GVSU to ramp up the coaching program and revive Thrive! She has been in the wellness world for over 10 years. She graduated from Calvin University with a degree in Kinesiology and started her journey as a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine and soon after became a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She is currently the Director of Coaching Services for the McCahill Group and is looking forward to coaching for GVSU.
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In her free time, she loves being with her family, being outside in nature, running, biking, and moving or listening to music and watching movies.
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She is excited to work with you and can't wait to jump in!
Markel Quidera
Wellness Coach
Amy Kowalk
Wellness Coach
Meet Amy, your Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach with a 15-year track record. She's been guiding clients through health behavior transformations via coaching sessions within health insurance and health system domains. She's managed Health Promotion programs and has been in Public Health for 10 years and led many Grant Funded initiatives.
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In a previous role, she took on the role of a Network Specialist funded by higher education, recruiting primary care practices for medical research. With a Master’s Degree in Health Education and a BAA in Health Promotion, She is ready to blend professionalism with a touch of flair and fun, ensuring your health journey is not just a process but an adventure. Let's make health exciting together!
Stephanie Lobell
Wellness Coach
Markel has a background in Psychology, Human Development, as well as Healthy Lifestyles Coaching. She is a board certified Health and Wellness Coach with a strong passion for physical and emotional health and specializes in whole body wellness with a holistic approach.
Markel hopes to bring direction, positive support, and self-awareness to all of her clients. By doing so, she hope to fill the gaps between where her clients are now and where they want to be.
She will work with you to discover where growth is desired, set short and long term goals, and be held accountable as she works as your guiding force. You matter to her!
Sara Linder
Wellness Coach
Sara is a proud West Michigan native who is passionate about the health field. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and a Certified Health Education Specialist. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion, and a master's in Public Health. Her work experience includes tobacco prevention, health education, cardiology, and health coaching.
Sara is also a thriving 6-year breast cancer survivor who loves connecting with others who have found themselves, friends, or family members on the same journey. Becoming a health coach is one of the most rewarding experiences of her career – she is very passionate about helping others to tap into their own motivations for achieving success on their health journey!
She is thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with you!
Raising four children who are all involved in sports and athletics has paved the way for Stephanie to jump into health and wellness. Born and raised in NJ, Stephanie completed college with a Fine Arts/Music degree. She stayed home with her kids until the youngest started kindergarten, when she took a job as Associate Preschool Teacher. Shortly after, Stephanie started with the Health Coach Institute and became a Certified Health Coach and Certified Life Coach, and was certified with NASM to become a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach.
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She is also certified in TRX, Les Mills SPRINT, Zumba, and Strength and Mobility through NASM. She instructs a Fit Camp, Boot Camp, and 1:1 training at Gympass.
Stephanie enjoys meeting new people and working with others to help them not only achieve, but smash their goals!
Melinda Wray
Wellness Coach
Melinda is a board-certified Health Coach and a certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. She has many years of experience helping members accomplish their lifestyle goals. Whether it is starting an exercise program, looking for better nutrition, reducing stress or improving a health condition. She understands that taking that first step with your wellness is sometimes the hardest. Her style is to guide her members with compassion, patience and humor.
Melinda is excited to work with the GVSU members in the Thrive program and will be supportive as they discover their optimal wellness goals.
In her free time, Melinda enjoys spending time with her family and being active in the outdoors running, biking or hiking.
Kyle Versalle
Wellness Coach
Kyle has been a Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer for over 5 years. He is also a Mindfulness instructor for Peak Performance- where he uses principles of mindfulness, self compassion and more positive psychology practices, to promote flow, resilience and optimization.
During college, Kyle had an injury that ended his baseball days but simultaneously started his journey in holistic wellness. While healing, Kyle recognized the importance of the many other factors that equate to health. This sparked a passion for helping others recognize that wellness isn't just about being Fit or eating more veggies, but rather, includes many different spheres, such as living in accordance with our values. Kyle believes that each person's vision is unique and aims to provide a welcoming space, to help you get to that vision.
In his free time, you can catch Kyle training for a triathlon, hiking with his dog, adventuring and embarrassingly singing to Motown music.
Kyle is passionate about helping others craft a life that makes their hearts come alive and is excited to work with you on that path!