Hannah Culver - Fitness Director

Hannah has had a deep love for movement since she was a young girl. This love and desire to move guided her to begin dancing, and she spent much of her younger years in the studio or on stage. She continued her dance career at the University of Oregon and her curiosity of therapeutic movement and wellness started to blossom. She moved to Hawaii and began studying yoga and pilates and followed this study to Bali where she became a certified yoga instructor. When she returned, she began teaching right away. She seized every opportunity to teach and learn all that she could, and quickly began teaching fitness classes of nearly every variety. Soon, her passion for movement had a much bigger scope. She has spent the last decade teaching yoga and fitness classes in her home state of Oregon, and avidly learning about all thing's wellness. She became a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2017 and started working with clients privately, and leading retreats and workshops that encompassed all her passions. She learned that she had a knack for organizing and leading and knew that was the direction she wanted to move. She loves working with the community and holding space for individuals to share and grow. She has a vision of sharing her passion for wellness with all that are curious to live a vibrant healthy life and support them on their journey. NCRD is the perfect place for her to connect, share and grow with this community, and join them as they discover the joy that resides in caring for oneself.

Wendy Bakker

Wendy has had a lifelong passion for physical fitness. She was first introduced to Pilates in 2007, when she discovered the Winsor Pilates Reformer Machine and video series. Wendy was hooked instatally to the movement of Pilates and the reward of core strength it added to her body. In the summer of 2015, Wendy and her family moved from San Diego to Manzanita. She then found NCRD and joined the Core Pilates class. Wendy gained a new appreciation for mat Pilates, much different from the reformer work she had been doing for years. She attended that class like clockwork and soon was asked to take over the class because the instructor became injured. Wendy has always been open to new experiences and this felt like a great one. By November of 2017, she became a certified Spencer Pilates Instructor. Wendy was dedicated to keeping the structure of the Core Pilates class while also bringing in new material. In 2018, she launched a second class Pyflow. A class with more physical demand of the flow of movement and incorporating core Pilates routines. The strong energy that Wendy brings to her class is contagious. She has genuine love for helping people achieve their full potential, within an effective class experience. Wendy believes that strengthening the body and mind have a direct impact on one’s overall happiness. You will leave her class with your “Pilates Smiles On,” and be awaiting the next class.

Gina Grasseth

Gina believes when people find fitness fun they are more likely to reach their personal fitness goals. Her passion is to help people fall in love with fitness and find the joy in the process. The results will follow! She has worked at NCRD Fitness Department since 2013 and is local to the area. Gina is a NESTA certified Group Exercise Instructor. In 2017, she took over Boot Camp and Group Strength classes. With her wide smiles and ever so positive attitude, Gina is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic people you will ever meet! She believes that exercise is always fun and all her classes are structured that way. Gina ensures that you have a great workout experience, with abundant joy, and you will leave class with a boosted morale! When Gina is not working, she is an avid equestrian. Her horses Kayla and Beans are her heart and soul, with the exception of her beloved Sammy (a miniature pinscher ) . Her love of animals is almost equivalent to her love of fitness.

Jennie Meyers

Jennie Meyers moved to Nehalem in 2014 from Arizona. She was born in Tillamook. Her first family home was in Manzanita so the move was her "homecoming". Jennie began work in the office of the Fitness Center at NCRD in March of 2015 as Membership/Fitness Attendant. She is very active in the community in various non-profit organizations. The Warm Welcome Drop In Center at the Methodist church that began in 2015 is one of the many community organizations that she was instrumental in starting. The Food Pantry in that same location is an outgrowth of the Drop In Center. She has served on the boards of CHILD, the local group that helps children in the community for back to school needs and Christmas clothing and gifts; and Nehalem Senior Lunches that serves seniors twice a week with home cooked meals at a reduced cost. Jennie is the recording clerk for two of the area non profit boards and attends all board meetings in order to keep careful notes and creates the official minutes of those meetings. She is the Accompanist at the Nehalem Bay United Methodist Church and was the featured soloist in the first Lunch Time Concert in the Fireside Room at NCRD.

Juli Stratton

Through her 20’s, Juli spent most of her time participating in team sports. After a successful collegiate basketball career and graduating with a B.S. in Physical Education, she went on to pursue a master's degree in Counseling and Community Services. Juli also founded the women's basketball program at the University of Illinois at Springfield and by the third year coached them to the National tournament. Sports, teams and movement have been a part of Juli all of her life. After several careers that took her away from the health and wellness industry, she recognized a need to reconnect to her sacred athlete. After spending many years doing triathlons, running, cycling and lifting weights, she went in search of something new and creative. Juli became a certified personal trainer and health coach (specializing in senior wellness) with the American Council on Exercise. Juli now works with people who were also struggling to find their new "normal" as they age, and their bodies and spirits needed something different. Juli’s biggest health discovery (so far), came in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. She discovered the healing power of Tai Chi and Qigong. Tai Chi has been a missing puzzle piece to the mosaic that is my life. With a desire to help others find their missing piece, she became a certified Tai Chi instructor through TaijiFit International and through the Tai Chi for Health Institute, where she holds several certifications. ​ Juli guides her students in a fun and relaxed way to help strengthen their awareness of their energy flow, physical body, as well as giving them opportunities to explore ways to decrease the risk of falls, improve balance and resulting in better health. Juli approaches everything she does with kindness and compassion, meeting people where they are in their own journey.

Kathye Knight

Kathye has always had a passion for fitness. What started as childhood sports quickly turned into a love for running and weightlifting. Having already held an ISSA personal training certificate, Kathye joined us as an ACE certified group fitness instructor and assistant fitness director in 2008. There she taught classes ranging from step and group strength to morning core and boot camp. She really fell in love with one-on-one personal training. Kathye left us in 2011 for an overseas firefighting job. She spent her summers as a wildland firefighter. Kathye had been back in the area raising her three children and running a small personal training studio out of her house since 2013. She is eager to get back into spinning and reconnect with the community!

Tara Holloway

Michele Churchill

Michele Churchill began weight lifting in 2013 and became hooked. What was once intimidating instead grew into a passion. While always active with hiking, tennis, Zumba and dog walks, weight lifting provided a motivator for consistent work outs. In 2015, Michele began taking yoga classes at Core Power Yoga in Portland, which had a profound impact on her life. One class offered by the studio combined Hot Yoga, Strength Training and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Although the class proved challenging, students and teachers provided inspiration and support for one another, making the experience rewarding both physically and mentally. The experience was so fulfilling that Michele decided to channel her passion and become a certified instructor in 2019. This new career path was life changing after leaving behind her long-held position as a Juvenile Probation Officer for over 20 years. While Michele has been a part time member of the local coastal community for 14 years, she has consistently attended and utilized the offerings of the NCRD Fitness Center. She is now a full-time resident, as well as an NCRD instructor, and is excited to share her fitness class with the local community. She encourages her students to take every opportunity to try something new, challenge themselves to grow as individuals, and have fun making friends along the way who share a passion for fitness!

Ryan Holloway

Ryan started martial arts at 11 years old after his parents got tired of him and his older brother acting out Jackie Chan movies in the house. He eventually earned a 3rd Dan in Jidokwan Taekwondo and a 3rd Dan from Kukkiwon. While living in East and Southeast Asia, Ryan had the chance to study with some of the best martial artists in China and Cambodia. But he has never been able to land a 540 spin kick. Now in his old age he’s happy to be able to kick at all! He has been in the Nehalem area since 2017 with his wife, Tara, three great kids and two dogs.

Marie Tripp

Marie started her training in Casino Rueda style salsa as an escape from her engineering studies. She fell in love with the dance community and environment. She has studied with teachers from Miami, Havana, New York, and San Francisco. Most recently she was an instructor with Portland Casino Fridays. She is new to the coast and is excited for the opportunity to build a salsa dancing community.

Nancy Jones

Nancy's desire to stay healthy grew into a passion for fitness. Shortly after joining a gym and attending group classes, a love for fitness started to grow. She had hoped that that she would be able to learn how to be a group fitness instructor one day. Several years later, that hope became a reality. In 2009, the gym she attended was advertising for instructors and they encouraged members to try out. After taking the workshop training, she auditioned 2 weeks later and was hired. She started by teaching Strength Endurance with weights and Spin followed shortly afterwards. Since that time, she has attended numerous worship trainings and has taught a wide variety of classes - classes ranging from Step, Abs and Barbell classes to Spin an Yoga. Among her certifications, she has 200 RYT in Vinyasa Yoga, which took her 3 years to complete. An appreciation for flow of movement and learning to let go of things you can’t control has been the motivation to never give up. Nancy believes that no matter what exercise you do, choose something you enjoy. This will motivate you to stay with it and reach your goals. No mater what she teaches, she brings her dedication and love for fitness.

Libby Golden

Biography Coming Soon

Kim Gores

Kim has been practicing yoga since 2005. She is a certified yoga teacher trained in the Anusara method of yoga. Kim received her yoga certification at the Garden Street School of Yoga in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and is still a devoted student at the studio taking classes to deepen her knowledge of the practice and philosophy of yoga. She strives to create a class that is all-encompassing, using alignment-based techniques, and striving to create an uplifting and empowering experience for every student. Outside of yoga, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, bike-riding, snowboarding, rock climbing, and hiking.

Lucy Brook

Lucy is in her 25th year practicing yoga, and 15th year teaching. She has lived on the north Oregon coast, zip code 97131, since 1972. She has owned a business, serves on a non-profit board, gardens, walks, and loves to teach yoga. She finds joy as a yoga teacher sharing her deep personal gratitude and commitment to the practice of yoga. From the modern paths of yoga, she has Iyengar and Ananda strongly in her background. Stemming from that, Lucy completed a 200-hour teacher training in Purna yoga with Brad Waites in 2016-2017. Lucy presently teaches Very Gentle Yoga and Chair Yoga. She looks forward to seeing you on the mat!

Lorraine Ortiz

Lorraine Ortiz has been a student of yoga since 1986 and has been teaching since 1991. She is a certified, registered yoga teacher, trained in the Iyengar method of alignment- based yoga by her first teacher Marguerite Tyrell of the Better Life Institute in San Diego, Calif. and was subsequently introduced to the inspiring poetic teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, a direct student of Mr. Iyengar. Lorraine also holds certifications in Yoga of the Heart (yoga for cardiac patients) and Restorative Yoga. In 2017, she gained an additional certification through the Purna Yoga College with teacher Brad Waites. The institute which combines Iyengar’s alignment-based yoga and the philosophy or Sri Aurobindo was founded by Aadil Palkhivala, another direct student of Mr. Iyengar. Lorraine focuses her practice on awakening the energy of the spine and is inspired to maintain the lineage of Iyengar’s teachings amidst the natural wonders of the mountains, rivers and trees that surround the Nehalem Bay area community.

Liz Carroll

Liz Carroll began practicing yoga in 1997. She decided to deepen her practice in 2016 by attending a weekend teacher-focused workshop. Captured with the idea of growing her yoga knowledge, she registered for Purna Yoga College’s nine-month RYT-200 training in Cannon Beach. Upon becoming a certified yoga and meditation teacher in 2017 she began teaching at NCRD and hasn’t stopped learning! Liz trained with Judith Hanson Lasater in San Francisco to become a certified Relax and Renew Level 1 Restorative Yoga teacher in 2018. As a result, Liz is known for gifting her classes with long Savasana. In 2020, Liz certified as a Barre Above instructor. She incorporates Barre movement into her Feel Good Flow yoga class. Liz is registered with Yoga Alliance, Registry ID: 224940.

Janet Paulson

After years of practicing yoga, five years ago Janet completed yoga teacher training through Radiant Health Yoga, a nondenominational hatha yoga that blends ancient yogic practices with contemporary mind-body science. She teaches Midlife Yoga and Chair Yoga through the NCRD yoga program. She spends winters in Baja, Mexico, where she also teaches yoga. “Through my yoga practice and teaching, I want to help others improve quality of life, and by extension, contribute to the health of our planet,” she says.