Debi Pillarella, M.Ed.
Debi Pillarella, M.Ed., spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), has more than 25 years experience in the fitness industry. ACE-certified as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and advanced fitness & health specialist, Pillarella offers extensive knowledge in several disciplines, including youth fitness. Currently, she serves as fitness program director of The Community Hospital Fitness Pointe in Munster, Ind., where she supervises a staff of more than 50 fitness professionals and develops a variety of programs in aquatic fitness, personal training, group exercise, Pilates, yoga, and youth fitness. Additionally, Pillarella is an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Calumet and Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Ind., where she received the 2004 Award for Teaching Excellence. Prior to her work there, Pillarella served as the Fitness Specialist for five years at EatBetterAmerica.com. She is a licensed teacher in Illinois and Indiana who spent 15 years teaching physical education to school-aged children in the Chicago Public Schools in Chicago.
Pillarella’s most recent accolade in her distinguished list of accomplishments was being named 2009 IDEA Program Director of the Year from the IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the world’s leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals, for her work at The Community Hospital Fitness Pointe, which includes managing day-to-day operations. In 2007, she was honored with the Indiana Health Achievement Award from the Tony and Mary Hulman Health Achievement Awards, Indiana’s premier health achievement award from the Indiana Public Health Foundation, Inc. In 2004, she was the recipient of ACE’s prestigious Fitness Director of the Year Award.
In addition to contributing to a number of national publications and Web sites, including More, Oprah.com, and Prevention magazine, Pillarella pens the monthly “Fit Family” column for NorthWest Indiana Parenting Magazine. She lives in Munster, Ind. with her husband Jim and two boys, Joe and Luke.