The following 30 executives are the finalists for the Fittest CEOs competition. Their test scores ranked the highest among the 80 participants in the program. The executives were tested for strength, endurance and body composition.
female over 50
Deb Bristoll-Weis
Engineered Plastics Corp.
Fitness routine: weight lifting, cardio, stationary bike
“Working out is a great way for me to relieve stress as well as keep my cholesterol in line. I am a happier person when I maintain an active lifestyle. My husband and I enjoy the outdoors and love to cut and haul wood that we will use to heat our home through an outdoor wood boiler. What could be better than staying fit and saving precious energy resources?”
Sally Miles Heuer
Computer 911 Inc.
Fitness routine: yoga, tai chi, swimming, cross country skiing, biking, sailboat racing
“Never say you don’t have time for exercise. You must make time, whether that means getting up an hour earlier a few days a week, or going to the gym on evenings or weekends. It’s your life. YOU are WORTH IT!”
Adonica Randall
Connection Strategies Enterprises Inc.
Fitness routine: Jazzersize, treadmill
“I have clarity to work long hours because of being fit.”
Jo Steinberg
Midland Health Testing Services Inc.
Fitness routine: spinning, weight lifting
“My staff members exercise in one way shape or form. They watch what they eat and one of my staff members has lost 80 pounds. I have had no turnover in the past 2-1/2 years. My staff seldom misses work due to illness.”
Jo Anne Sturiale
Sturiale & Company LLC
Fitness routine: long distance biking, pilates, stationary bike, cross trainer, treadmill, swimming, walking
“Exercise greatly improves my attitude – those endorphins are wonderful! Sometimes I feel too tired to exercise, but go anyway and end up feeling better after I’m done. Biking has opened up an entirely new world for me – a wonderful community of people in the Madison area and actually around the country. Bikers have a long time on the road with each other, so I’ve had very interesting conversations and experiences on the road with a wide variety of unusual people. Plus, it’s great to see Wisconsin from the back seat of a bike. I think Wisconsin is one of the most beautiful states in the nation. The quiet and lightly traveled “milk roads” make for great biking …and the wildflowers throughout the summer are a feast for the eyes. I like the way biking and exercise make me feel. At the peak of my season, my body feels very much alive. I can feel the blood coursing through my veins—especially in my legs.”
female under 50
Kate Borders
East Town Association
Fitness routine: cardio, weight training, walking
“We are a small office – with only two full time employees – and we try to encourage each other to work out on a regular basis. Being only two individuals, we can be very flexible with the work schedule allowing us both to fit workouts into our daily routine.”
Brigette Breitenbach
Breitenbach Weiss Inc.
Fitness routine: cardio, weight training
“We are a small company – seven women, most of us working moms. And many of us have flexible work schedules. I think it’s possible for everyone to work exercise into their daily lives if they want to. And since relaxation is a big part of wellness, we have a massage therapist at our offices every other week so everyone on staff can refuel with 20-minute massages.”
Kelly Frank
MSI General Corporation
Fitness routine: physical fitness classes “We just began a Wellness Program in the last half of 2006 and hope to take it to the next level in 2007. There are many employees that are driven to wellness and some who just don’t know how to get there and our program is giving them the information they need to change to healthier way of living.”
Sara Gilliame
Aras Promotions
Fitness routine: treading classes, body works classes, running, outdoor workouts
“I am in the process of hiring more employees and once I have a full staff I am going to start a corporate fitness plan with the Wisconsin Athletic Club. I think this is a great way for employees to have a connection with each other outside of work. I hope it helps everyone to have a “workout buddy” to help motivate each other. It could also create healthy competition which could translate into the work environment too.”
Pam Kassner
Super Pear Strategies, LLC
Fitness routine: cross country skiing, yoga, strength training, sports, Ironman triathlons
“It was only when I crossed the finish line of my first Ironman that I had the confidence to start my own business. If I could do Ironman, I could do anything and that is a motto whenever I’m challenged. I met my husband (also a business owner and competitive bicylcist) and most of my close friends through my fitness interests. And, fitness contributes to my mental well being. There is nothing like moving the body to give you energy both in body and spirit. The benfits of fitness touch every aspect of my life. I also get to eat a lot of chocolate.”
male over 50
Daniel Burkwald
Burkwald & Associates Inc.
Fitness routine: running, muscle conditioning, skiing, golfing
“I have been able to recover from a serious illness in a shorter period of time. I have more energy during the day and have a positive outlook for the time invested. I also have inspired others to be health conscious while practicing what I preach as an advisor/consultant to companies in managing their health care cost while structuring and communicating benefits and wellness initiatives.”
Joseph Fasi II
Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan LLP
Fitness routine: weight training, aerobics, boxing, treadmill
“One must have a goal and a plan. Without a plan, failure is inevitable and it is a cycle of continued disappointment and declining self esteem.”
Peter Gottsacker
Wixon
Fitness routine: workouts with personal trainer, group workouts, long bike rides
“We are in the food industry, and we care very deeply on how our products and services help others. Health and wellness is a lifestyle for us as individuals but is also a consumer trend that needs to be embraced by our company. Feeling good, doing good is good for business.”
Eric Isbister
General MetalWorks Corp
Fitness routine: bike to and from work, run, row, cross country ski, coach youth wrestling
“Personal fitness raises the threshold at which you live and work. If you are used to running 5 miles a day you are not only less apt to succumb to a cold but the effect a cold has on you is minimized. A runner with a “runny nose” would still go for a daily run. If you would go for a run, you’d better get to work. After a mile every feeling changes and gets brought in line.”
Steve Koeneke
Stir Advertising
Fitness routine: aerobic activity, strength conditioning, swim, bike, run, lift weights, hockey, tennis
“Look into a plan that will make the most sense for the employees from a cost and convenience standpoint. Allow them time during the workday to exercise. Help ease the financial part of the equation by picking up some of the costs. Plan activities that allow employees to use their fitness – outings like kayaking or hiking or cycling.”
Jeff D. Koenitzer
Helwig Carbon Products Inc.
Fitness routine: Running or cycling with some tennis, swimming, cross country skiing,and yoga
“Long distance training has helped me to maintain a high level of endurance and perseverance in challenging business situations. Good fitness has allowed me to more easily handle long, tightly-scheduled, international business trips and to retain a high resistance to sickness.”
John Maniaci Unlimited, Inc.
Fitness routine: swimming, biking, running, yoga, pilates, weight training
“Fitness and wellness does rub off. People see the change and imitate.”
Christopher Olson
T-Lon Products Inc.
Fitness routine: sand volleyball, basketball, wallyball, tennis, racquetball, training for triathlons
“Attitude is everything and physical activity (especially if there is a little competition involved) promotes a positive, can do attitude. Cleanses the mind. I come back to work after a noon hour workout and I am refreshed and ready to charge ahead!”
Mark Peters
IMPACT Engineering Solutions Inc.
Fitness routine: running, weight lifting, core work, stairmaster, elliptical machines
“Fitness has helped my self confidence, image and overall feeling of well being. Even though I’m 52, I have not noticed much of a decline in my energy levels or physical capabilities. I also believe that another benefit is that I’m very rarely sick and when you are sick you are focused on yourself rather than focusing on others. In regards to being a role model for my children and employees, it is a matter of practicing what you preach.”
Daniel Snyder
Crispell-Snyder Inc.
Fitness routine: running, cycling, cross training
“Fitness helped me focus on achieving goals and being satisfied with making the best effort possible.”
male under 50
Todd Barden
Great Lakes Retirement Advisors LLC
Fitness routine: running, biking, swimming, spin classes, lifting weights
“I have had stress reduction, improved energy and focus. I have had wonderful opportunities to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, run the Boston, Chicago, New York and Milwaukee marathons.”
Tom Bruseth
Warehouse Equipment Co. Inc.
Fitness routine: baseball, workout
“When I am in really good shape I do not need as much sleep. Being in shape keeps me mentally alert. My weight has not gone up or down more then five pounds since high school. Buying clothes is easy!”
Bill Budzien
Frank F. Haack & Associates, an HRH Company
Fitness routine: lifting weights, running, biking, running steps, swimming, triathlons
“Physical fitness helps me maintain a high energy level throughout the work day. In addition, being fit helps fight off colds and illness and if I do get sick, which is rare, it helps in a quicker recovery. I think my personal fitness helps control my employer’s health care costs and hopefully inspires others to lead a healthier life style.”
Michael Burzynski
Komisar Brady & Co.
Fitness routine: running, weight training
“For personal fitness plans, I recommend something that requires little preparation and time commitment because it is easy to avoid things that take “too much” time. For corporate wellness, we have found it helps to involve outside advisors who have more familiarity with individual health and who are able to effectively coach many different people.”
Gerald Coon
St. Francis
Children’s Center
Fitness routine: weight training, aerobic classes, pilates, yoga, yard work, walking
“We are so aware, as are most employers, of the serious impact good health and fitness can have on our health insurance costs. There are so many things we can not control in the course of the day, but our personal commitment to living a healthy lifestyle is a choice we can make, and one that pays such dividends.”
Darrell Hofland
Village of Grafton
Fitness routine: weights, cardio
“Offer incentives for employees to join a fitness club or classes. Include nutritional, health, and fitness information in employee newsletter.”
David Karls
Argus Technical, Inc.
Fitness routine: weight lifting, cardio, diet
“Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as giving them a flexible schedule so they can work out, improves both the physical and mental health of the organization. It obviously also helps keep health premiums as low as possible.”
Andy Nunemaker
EMSystem
Fitness routine: running, elliptical, strength training, core/balance
“Our entire organization has been on company health programs since 2004. We offered free fitness center memberships in our building in 2005 and 2006. We offered to pay half of all fitness center memberships in 2007 and introduced the Wisconsin Athletic Club corporate program to the company in January, 2007. Our employees have almost never needed sick leave, and their productivity is extremely high. Over half of our employees are part of the fitness program.”
Joe Sweeney
Corporate Financial Advisors LLC
Fitness routine: weight training, aerobics, yoga, nutrition, meditation, mini triathlons “Make it a part of your everyday life…find what you love to do and do it everyday. If you hate the gym and love the outdoors, then fill your health program around outside activities and not the gym. Doing what you love will insure that you will do it for a lifetime.”
Mark Wiener
MNSR LLC
Fitness routine: daily cardio, elliptical trainer, core exercises, stretching, yoga, golf, tennis
“To not only establish a daily work-out regime, but to change or alter one’s eating habits. This needs to made part of an over-all life-style change and to incorporate this plan into your daily schedule. One should not “make time for” excercise, but to make it “be part of” your daily life.”
