Faculty

The Catalyst Coaching Institute’s seasoned and passionate team of wellness professionals ensure every training program is the most effective and informative experience possible. We’re here to guide and support your journey to becoming a successful health and wellness coach!

Suzanna Cooper, Catalyst Coaching Institute Faculty

Suzanna Cooper

Chief Learning Officer

Suzanna combines her background in Coaching, Counseling and Occupational Therapy with her love for lifelong growth and learning in herself and others. She has been the driving force behind one of the most recognized and respected coaching certifications in the industry. 

Suzanna brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare. She has Master’s degrees in Occupational Therapy and Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Suzanna is known nationally for her 
knowledge of wellness coaching and interpersonal communication. 

As the Chief Learning Officer for the Catalyst Coaching Institute, she is the driving force behind one of the top wellness coach training programs in the country. She is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and oversees a team of coaches as the Chief Learning Officer of Catalyst Coaching 360 and Catalyst Coaching Institute. Suzanna has been an active member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2012. She loves working alongside others to equip and encourage them to pursue their passions and to impact the lives of others.

 Suzanna appreciates the beauty of creation in nature and people, and is grateful for the opportunity to be in a career where she is constantly learning and growing – both professionally and personally. Suzanna enjoys hiking, reading on the deck, Tai Chi, and spending time with her husband and partner of over 30 years and their three grown children, their spouses and grandchild.
Brad Cooper, Catalyst Coaching Institute

Brad Cooper

Co-Founder

Brad is a nationally-recognized thought leader in the health and wellness industry.  He is the author of four books, a Licensed Physical Therapist, Certified Athletic Trainer and highly sought-after speaker.

Brad has been a lifelong student of, and catalyst for, optimal human performance. In his 20’s, he earned a Masters in Physical Therapy, which he used to treat patients across the spectrum of orthopedic/neurological diagnoses. 

Then, in his 30’s, he earned an MBA, wrote three books, moved into a vice president of operations role and worked to expand upon his clinical leadership knowledge/understanding (while continuing to treat patients). 

When Brad hit his 40’s, he became CEO of Catalyst Coaching 360, Co-founder of Catalyst Coaching Institute, wrote a fourth book and was generously identified by several publications as “The World’s Fittest CEO.” 

Now in his 50’s, he continues his CEO role while simultaneously pursuing a PhD with research focusing on mental toughness and how it can be applied in the real world. Along the way, he’s fallen deeper in love with his bride of over 30 years, treasured being a dad to three incredible kids, secured two US Patents, completed 11 Ironmans (4 times at Kona), won the Race Across America, been featured in a film shown nationwide and spoken professionally in all 50 states to a wide range of organizations. 

Liz Brown

Liz Brown

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Liz is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with more than ten years of experience. As a Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer, Liz has seen first-hand how an active and healthy lifestyle contribute to overall balance and happiness. An Ohio native, Liz now enjoys all the benefits of living in the Colorado mountains and has fully embraced activities like camping, hiking, trail running and skiing.

Liz loves to help to people realize and actualize their goals, not only on a physical level, but also mentally and emotionally.

Suzanne Brown

Instructor

Suzanne Brown is a Dietitian and Wellness Coach who eats everything, and a Health Fitness Specialist (American College of Sports Medicine) who’s willing to try almost anything. She holds dual degrees in Human Biology and Clinical Nutrition, is a published author, and has worked with sport teams, corporations, and individual clients, and has appeared on both television and radio. Suzanne knows one size doesn’t fit all, and for over twenty years has used her energy and heartfelt optimism to teach clients about mindful eating, moderation, disease prevention, and how to find exactly what works for them. Wellness to Suzanne is about helping each person find their perfect mind and body balance to fuel their life, and their fun.

Suzanne lives an active lifestyle at 8,000 feet in the Colorado mountains with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and two horses. If they’re not snowshoeing, running, or getting lost on a Jeep trail, they’re off exploring other playgrounds around the world. Suzanne has gone skydiving over a volcano in Chile, swimming with elephants in Thailand, glacier trekking in Patagonia, scuba diving with sharks in Dominica, hiking with penguins in Argentina, and mountain biking in Zimbabwe. She loves to explore the world around her, as she’s eating her way around the world. (Ask her about fried crickets and durian fruit!) Suzanne’s passion and enthusiasm for life are what drives her to help her clients maintain a sustainable, healthy relationship with food and wellness so they can stay active and engaged throughout their own lives. 

Jamie Cook

Jamie Cook

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Jamie Cook is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, receiving her wellness coach certification and master wellness coach certification from the Catalyst Coaching Institute. Jamie has a B.S, in nursing ( from Valparaiso University and has been  a nurse for over 20 years. Jamie is excited to combine her passion for health and wellness with her experiences from the medical field and enjoys helping people become proactive in identifying and improving areas of their own health. 

Originally from the Chicago area, Jamie is a city girl at heart, but has developed a love for the mountains since living in Colorado with her husband and three active daughters. She has been a lifelong athlete, yet feels that addressing all dimensions of wellness create optimal happiness and life satisfaction.

Tami Duncan

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Tami has more than eight years of experience as a Certified Wellness Coach. She realized her passion for wellness and nutrition after being diagnosed with a candida infection. Changing the foods she ate was vital in helping to attack candida,  which led her down a path of becoming a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. 

Married for 20 years with two kids, Tami has also grown to love cooking and trying new recipes. She enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, whether sitting outside to read, road biking, playing tennis, or skiing. 

She also has a new love for yoga, enjoying the benefits of strength, balance, stress-relief and more. 

Laura Henelund, Instructor CCI

Laura Henelund

Instructor

For Laura, being a wellness coach, instructor and mentor coach is both a privilege and a passion. She relishes helping her clients cultivate sustainable healthy habits that make a positive impact on their well-being and quality of life.
As a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with a Master’s Degree in Health Psychology, she brings over two decades worth of wellness experience to her coaching practice. She also has a unique clinical background as a Certified Biofeedback Practitioner. 

A Colorado native, Laura also enjoys cooking, working out, hiking, walking her dog, meditating or reading.  She loves traveling and is addicted to farmer’s markets.

Sabryna Liddle

Sabryna Liddle

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Sabryna is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach as well as a Certified Personal Trainer. With more than ten years of experience in the wellness industry, Sabryna’s specialty is finding the root of her clients’ challenges and igniting the flames of positive lifestyle change.
She is a faculty member at the Catalyst Coaching Institute and an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University, where she enjoys addressing topics like Life Balance, Positive Psychology, Emotional Eating and more.

Sabryna is the proud mom of two daughters and has been married for over 25 years. She has a passion for wellness and enjoys a variety of activities including cycling, camping, strength training, hiking, cooking, and reading. She seeks to immerse herself in activities across the various dimensions of wellness in order to effectively support her clients in creating and living their best lives.

Susan Marino

Susan Marino

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Susan has been a Certified Wellness Coach since 2011.  She added pre-med studies to her B.A. in English, expanding her interest in the science and medical fields. These interests led her to a career that included teaching secondary school as well as managing an analysis unit.

Susan has incorporated exercise into her daily life, and appreciates the boost of energy that results from her efforts. Susan lives an active life and enjoys hiking and snowshoeing with friends in the Colorado mountains. She is happy to be at a place in her life where she feels it is fun to “want” rather than “have” to exercise. 

Susan likes to try new healthy recipes and enjoys the journey of learning more about nutrition and healthy eating. She believes that we are all most successful when our goals and our happiness are tied together, and she enjoys working with her clients to achieve that connection. 

Susan McGarry

Susan McGarry

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Sharing her passion for wellness and desire to help others be the best version of themselves possible makes wellness coaching and mentoring a dream job and opportunity for Susan. She is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach with a B.S. in Physical Education. 

Susan has more than seven years of experience as a wellness coach in the corporate setting and has conducted many wellness-related presentations to students across the country. 

Susan enjoys staying active as a competitive tennis player, runner, and mountain biker with her three daughters, husband, and friends.  Spirituality is also a core value for Susan, who believes in the mind-body connection. By using the Motivational Interviewing techniques, Susan helps her clients identify individualized, realistic, and attainable goals to enhance their lives one small change at a time.

Mary Walinchus

Instructor, Mentor Coach

Mary is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) with over ten years of wellness coaching experience.  She serves as a Mentor Coach and instructor with Catalyst Coaching Institute and is also a USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach and a Group Exercise Instructor. She holds a Business Management Degree from the University of Wyoming.

Mary loves to be outside and experience Colorado through various outdoor activities with her husband and three teen girls.  A cancer survivor, Mary helped to start an adult cancer survivor camp and has her own business making care gifts for those battling illnesses. Her motto in life is “Why can’t I?” – based on the idea that we often act as our own barriers in holding back from amazing adventures.

Vanessa Carrillo

Vanessa Carrillo

Mentor Coach

A lifelong health and wellness enthusiast, Vanessa realized as a young adult how impactful healthy eating and exercise was for her. Passionate about running, swimming, and yoga, Vanessa became a certified yoga instructor in 2014.  During her training, she learned the concepts of self-love, mindfulness and living in the present moment, which she has since adopted into her everyday life. 

As Vanessa cultivated a healthy lifestyle for herself, she decided to help others do the same by becoming a health and wellness coach.  She completed the Master Certified Wellness program through Catalyst Coaching Institute and is currently a mentor coach.

Vanessa, who is also fluent in Spanish, enjoys working collaboratively with clients to see them thrive and become the best version of themselves. She believes that clients can achieve their goals and sustain a healthy lifestyle when they seek it wholeheartedly. 

Cindy Dagg

Cindy Dagg

Mentor Coach

Cindy Dagg, a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, was born and raised in a suburb of Chicago, graduated from the University of Kansas and has spent the last 25 years enjoying Colorado. Cindy is fueled with passion, energy and curiosity about the health and wellness field and has been coaching professionally with US Corporate Wellness for the past nine years. She also serves as a Mentor Coach for future health and wellness coaches and loves being a leader in this growing field.  

Cindy believes that connecting with her clients and meeting them where they are in their lives is truly where the magic starts. Cindy also makes it her focus to understand her clients’ motivation, desires and challenges to most effectively support them to create achievable goals and lasting lifestyle change.

When Cindy isn’t helping her clients or future coaches, she can be found skiing, mountain biking, cycling, camping, hiking and spending time with her husband of 30 years and her 2 college-aged kids.

Tamie Galasso

Tamie Galasso

Mentor Coach

Tamie is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach as well as a mentor coach for the Catalyst Coaching Institute.  Tamie’s interest in health and nutrition began as a young mother, striving be a good role model for her kids in living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. As a coach, she strives to help others proactively prevent disease and sickness by practicing healthy habits and self-care. With over 7 years of experience as a wellness coach, Tamie loves accompanying her clients on their journey of becoming the best version of themselves.

Tamie has been happily married for 20 years and is the proud mother of two teenage daughters. She loves reading, going for long walks, hiking, yoga and her Peloton. 

Diane Hopkins

Diane Hopkins

Mentor Coach

Diane has been involved in athletics since a young age, including competitive track and cross country. She still enjoys competing in 5Ks, half marathons and duathlons (still trying to beat her times!). In an effort to make the long Minnesota winters more tolerable, she breaks out the snow shoes. 

Diane is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach. She graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in Business Administration and eventually found herself in Minnesota where she spent ten years in corporate Human Resources. After taking some time off to be at home with children, she has spent the last ten years fulfilling a passion of helping others as a wellness coach for the. 

Diane is a wife, and a mom of two busy teenage daughters and knows what it is like to find balance between work, family and volunteer commitments. In the midst of everything, she keeps a focus on health and wellness for herself, her clients and those around her.