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I looked at a lot of certifications out there. You name it, I’ve looked at it, but AFPA stood out to me. They’re out-of-the-box thinkers and so am I. The certification process was fairly easy, it was very effective, and fun to learn."
AFPA, American Fitness Professionals and Associates, began in 1994, when co-founders Dr. Mark J. Occhipinti and Ms. Amy Campbell, M.S. joined forces to create one organization that would inspire and grow a network of fitness and health professionals with the highest quality and level of skill sets and expertise enabling them to transform the lives of millions through progressive nutrition and training concepts. With over 30 years teaching others in health, they knew they could make a dramatic difference in the way information was taught to health, fitness and nutrition professionals.
After discovering numerous outdated, debunked scientific research, Dr. Occhipinti and Ms. Campbell knew they had to step in. This created the initial vision behind AFPA to provide cutting-edge, high-quality, scientifically-backed, and readily accessible education opportunities to both fitness and health professionals as well as enthusiasts looking to start a new career.
Diane Vives, M.S.
Senior Director, Health & Wellness Professional Education
Shana Walsh, Ph.D., MCHES
Education & Curriculum Manager
Sasha Aparicio, B.A., M.S.
Instructional Designer & Content Creator
Melissa Lopez, NTP, CPT
Content Marketing Manager
Max Hostetler, CPT
Marketing Project Manager
Savannah Choate
Administrative Manager
Elizabeth Willett, M.A.
Education Specialist
Ayla Freitas, NTP
Senior Marketing Copywriter
Mark J. Occhipinti, Ph.D.
Co-Founder // VP, Health and Wellness Education
Amy L. Occhipinti, M.S.
Co-Founder // VP, Health and Wellness Education
Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Board-Certified family physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods, six-time New York Times best-selling author, and the president of the Nutritional Research Foundation
Michael Greger, M.D.
Physician, New York Times bestselling author, founder of NutritionFacts.org, internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues and founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Matthew Lederman, M.D.
Board-certified Internal Medicine physician specializing in nutrition and lifestyle medicine, and co-author of New York Times bestseller, The Forks Over Knives Plan and Keep It Simple, Keep It Whole
Alona Pulde, M.D.
Board-certified practitioner of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Family Medicine Physician specializing in nutrition and lifestyle medicine, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller, The Forks Over Knives Plan and Keep It Simple, Keep It Whole
Heather Fink, MS, RD, CSSD
Registered Dietitian and Board Certified as a specialist in Sports Dietetics, Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics, Master of Science degree in Kinesiology, and certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health/Fitness Specialist
Pip Waller
Herbalist and plant spirit medicine healer, writer and teacher, and author of Holistic Anatomy (2010), The Domestic Alchemist (2015) and Deeply Holistic – A Guide to Intuitive Self-Care (2018)
I looked at a lot of certifications out there. You name it, I’ve looked at it, but AFPA stood out to me. They’re out-of-the-box thinkers and so am I. The certification process was fairly easy, it was very effective, and fun to learn."
The reason I chose AFPA is because of the recognition that they have worldwide, designed by experts in their fields, so I felt very comfortable choosing them. The certification has been very beneficial in my career. I’m now able to attract more clients because of the certification behind my name. I’m no longer just a fitness trainer, I’m a fitness trainer and nutrition and wellness consultant."
The price of the certification and the length of time required is really achievable. It was very easy to digest and I like the way the certificatications are modular, so I was able to build on my first certification."
