Mari Ryan, MBA, MHP
Certified Worksite Wellness Program Consultant
Chief Executive Officer/Founder

Mari has a passion for activity and healthy living, and is leveraging years as a business professional in managing and delivering the worksite wellness services of AdvancingWellness. She has held various marketing and executive roles over the past 20 years, including Vice President of Marketing for GEN3 Partners and Regional Sales and Marketing Director for ENTEX Information Services (now Siemens Business Services). Mari has also managed a successful business as an independent management consultant.

Mari holds a Bachelor Degree from Lesley University, an MBA from Boston University, and a Masters in Health Promotion from Nebraska Methodist College. She is a certified Worksite Wellness Program Consultant and is a certified facilitator in a number of evidence-based behavior change programs.

Mari’s articles on worksite health promotion topics have been published in the American Journal of Health Promotion and Occupational Health and Safety Magazine. Mari is in demand as a speaker at local and national conferences on health promotion topics.

Mari is a member of the Board of Directors of Health Promotion Advocates, a group of committed health promotion professionals who are working to integrate health promotion concepts into national health policy. She is also the founder of Health Promotion Entrepreneur's Network.

Mari’s love for walking has brought her to lead a community-based walking program in Watertown , Massachusetts , called Watertown Walks! Mari also serves as a member of the Bicycle/Pedestrian committee for the Town of Watertown and initiated a Safe Routes to School program to encourage children to walk or bike to school. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Boston Harbor Islands Alliance, a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase awareness and use of the Boston Harbor Islands national park area, and assists the owners with island management. In 2006, Mari accomplished a personal goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Janet Dyroff RN, BSN, MHP, CHES
Certified Wellness Program Manager
Vice President, Client Services

As Vice President of Client Services, Janet blends her knowledge of business, health care, health promotion, wellness programming, and health and wellness coaching into a whole person approach of program development. Janet has held various roles as a trainer and healthcare professional over the past 30 years, including training and development specialist for Bath Iron Works, then a 12,000 employee corporation; American Nurse Credentialing Center registered nurse for Keller Army Hospital at West Point Military Academy; and most recently as a health coach and staff educator for Health Dialog, Inc.

Janet holds a Bachelor Degree in Nursing from St. Joseph’s College of Maine, and a Masters in Health Promotion from Nebraska Methodist College. She is a certified Worksite Wellness Program Manager and a Certified Health Education Specialist.  Janet is also trained as a Wellcoaches health and wellness coach in preparation for her final certification.

Janet has done extensive work in the service of her community. As an executive loaned to the United Way, she has been instrumental in exceeding fundraising goals. She has served on the Health and Wellness Committee and continues as a strong contributor.  She has further been heavily involved in working with children with special needs, both in Maine and with the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. She has also planned and instituted a Meals-on-Wheels program, and been the founder and organizer of an annual senior citizens day.

Janet is a Maine native, and combines her lifelong love for the outdoors and fitness to help others focus on enjoying all that good health and life has to offer.  Janet embodies the spirit of “you are never too old to change” having completed her first triathlon at the ripe old age of … well you get the picture.  She continues to share her enthusiasm with others by helping them to plan for success while building sustainable wellness habits and positive behavior change to suit their individual lifestyle goals.

Valorie Bender, CWPC

Wellness Program Coordinator

Valorie is responsible for the management and implementation of individual client wellness programs. She has a depth of business experience in field and corporate operations, project management, training and development and special events.  Valorie’s business experience includes running a regional non-profit organization, retail management and working for BP Oil, a large multinational corporation where she developed and delivered training programs throughout the U.S. for thousands of employees. She is now combining her skills in communication, training and project management with her passion for wellness.

Valorie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University. She is a Certified Wellness Program Coordinator through the National Wellness Institute and is certified in the following evidence-based healthy lifestyle programs: Active Living Every Day and Healthy Eating Everyday through Human Kinetics. She is also certified as a Holistic Stress Management Instructor.

Valorie is active in the Northeast Ohio Wellness Council, a not-for-profit corporation chartered to promote the concept of wellness at the worksite.  She is a member of the Coaching Federation, American Society for Training and Development, and Your Holistic Health Team, a resource center for healthy living.

Valorie’s personal wellness program includes yoga, weights and hiking. She recently began a ‘netwalking’ program for professionals to walk and get fit as they network.  She also enjoys teaching classes on developing ones creativity based on the book “The Artist’s Way”.

Heidi Duskey, MA, CPCC
Co-Founder, AdvancingWellness

Heidi manages a clinical wellness coaching practice at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, maintains a private coaching practice, and presents regularly at industry conferences as a behavior change specialist. She is also a faculty member for Wellcoaches, the premier wellness coaches training organization in the US.  For 15 years, Heidi has worked in the health and fitness industry, holding positions as diverse as Smoking Cessation Facilitator for the American Lung Association, Health Educator for the Boston Regional Medical Center, Fitness Director at Healthworks Fitness Centers, and Director of Programs at the Mount Auburn Club.

Karen Handmaker, MPP

Karen is a health and productivity expert serving health management vendors, employers and health care providers. She has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, focusing for the past 11 years on health management and productivity enhancement strategies for employers. She has held senior roles at national firms including Towers Watson (formerly Watson Wyatt), Alere (Matria/CorSolutions), SHPS, Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche. Karen is a member of the editorial board for Population Health Management.  Karen earned a BA in American Studies from Trinity College (Hartford CT) and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (Cambridge, MA).