Press Room

President of ACE Receives 2004 Distinguished Service Award

Posted: Feb 26, 2004 in

San Diego, Calif. –Feb. 26, 2004- The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, announced today that Ken Germano, president of ACE, has been selected by the Manhattan College Physical Education and Human Performance Department to receive its 2004 Distinguished Service Award. The award will be officially presented to Germano on Feb. 27 in New York.

“I am truly honored to be acknowledged by Manhattan College and its esteemed committee,” said Germano. “This award is undeniably a positive reflection of the commendable efforts the American Council on Exercise and Operation FitKids have made in building a healthier nation.”

Presented annually to alumni and faculty who are exemplary individuals in the health and fitness fields, the acknowledgement reflects exceptional service and dedication to physical education. Germano received his undergraduate degree in physical education and biological sciences from Manhattan College in 1973.

Germano has a long track record of community service. He served as a special advisor on youth fitness and strength training for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and received their Distinguished Service Award in 1992. The U.S. Jaycees and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports also named Germano one of the "Healthy American Fitness Leaders" in 1996. He advised the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and was a member of the ACE Board of Directors from 1996 until he was brought on as president in 1999.

One of Germano's proudest accomplishments was the creation and launch of Operation FitKids, which in 2002 became the official youth outreach program for ACE. OFK provides schools with one or more services to build a fitness program including commercial fitness equipment, educational materials, staff training, mentoring and/or community partnering. The program has raised more than $6 million in equipment and cash contributions and brought exercise to more than 1 million young people nationwide.

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org.