Michelle holds a Master of Education in Health & Kinesiology, numerous group fitness certifications and is a certified Behavior Change and Weight Management Coach. She has worked as a fitness instructor in multiple disciplines for over 25 years in addition to her current fulltime role as Well-Being Director for Adventist Health Tillamook, a critical access hospital and rural health clinic system. In her role, she coordinates employee and community initiatives that shape policies, systems, environmental and cultural norms to improve health and well-being.

Since 2015, Michelle has served as coordinator for Tillamook County Wellness, a county-wide, population health improvement initiative in Oregon. She is a passionate advocate for community health, social and systems change and early childhood intervention.

The PQ Initiative aims to inspire mainstream awareness and action around the importance of movement as the necessary foundation for successful cognitive, physical, and social-emotional performance.

This website would not exist without the encouragement and support of my husband and three sons. Being part of a neurodivergent family has opened my eyes to the vast and complex inner workings of the human body and mind. Experiencing life through the unique lens of differently wired minds introduced me to the concept of neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to adapt based on how we move, eat and think. These experiences serendipitously converged with my nearly 30-year career in the fitness industry, resulting in the development of my theory of Physical Intelligence (PQ) and the PQ Initiative.

I am grateful to the Tillamook YMCA where I have had the opportunity to teach people how to improve their health through movement. Through my experience working with hundreds of people over nearly three decades, I have witnessed life-changing transformation through movement in adult populations. This living laboratory has spurred my passion for researching how movement impacts brain function and what that means for early childhood development.

Acknowledgements are also due to former Tillamook County Commissioner, Bill Baertlein, Public Health Administrator, Marlene Putman, and multiple hospital presidents at Adventist Health Tillamook, for believing in my abilities and giving me the opportunity to lead population health improvement initiatives in my community. The nearly ten years of exposure through this work has amplified my research and motivation. As “upstreamists,” we are tackling the foremost factors we can modify that stand to bring about the greatest potential improvement for human health. If it were not for these opportunities, this website would not exist.

Finally, I thank God for the gifts of these experiences, the passion ignited in me to do this work and for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.