Don R. Powell, PhD
President & CEO
Involved with wellness since 1971, Dr. Powell has helped millions of people improve their health. He is a licensed psychologist who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He also taught in the University’s Psychology Department for eight years where he was nominated for the “Distinguished Teaching Award” and presently serves as a guest lecturer.
Dr. Powell is considered to be one of the country’s foremost authorities on the design and implementation of community and corporate health management programs. He is the author of fourteen best-selling books including Healthier at Home and A Year of Health Hints. He gave 110% in writing his latest book Best Sports Clichés Ever which Sports Illustrated called “a home run”. He also wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column and has published many professional articles.
Dr. Powell has received numerous awards for his work in health promotion. He was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame – Class of 2008. He has also won the Hod Ogden Medal from the Centers for Disease Control, the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award from the Association for Worksite Health Promotion, the Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award from the President’s Council, the Governor’s Physical Fitness and Health Award, and the U.S. Government’s Director’s Award for Innovative Public Health Contributions. He is a member of the “Healthy People 2010” project, which has set the nation’s health goals for the 21st century. Dr. Powell has also appeared on hundreds of television and radio talk shows, including “Good Morning America,” “FOX & Friends,” “CNN,” and “ESPN”, and has been featured in many publications including USA Today, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Susan Schooley, M.D.
Medical Director
Dr. Susan Schooley is the Medical Director of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, as well as the Medical Director for the Detroit, Michigan Region of Henry Ford Health System for which she has been the Chair, Department of Family Medicine since 1991. She is a licensed and board certified member of the American Board of Family Medicine. Since completing her Residency in the Department of Family Practice at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1983, Dr. Schooley has chaired or been a member of numerous professional and community organizations; instructed graduate and undergraduate medical students; given over 70 medical presentations; and written journal articles and book chapters. Over the years, Dr. Schooley has received many honors and awards, including Woman Physician of the Year in 2006 and 2005 from the Michigan State Medical Society, Best Doctor in Detroit for 2005, 2004, and 2002 from Hour Magazine, and Residents’ Teaching Excellence Award from the Family Practice Residency at the University of North Carolina in 1988.
Brett R. Powell, BA, CWPC
Vice President
Brett Powell has been involved in the Wellness field for over a decade. Most of that time has been dedicated to designing and implementing health promotion programs for companies and communities.
Brett is considered to be one of the nation’s foremost authorities on engaging a multigenerational workforce in wellness programs. Due to his expertise in this topic area, he is a sought after speaker at national conferences including the National Wellness Conference and WELCOA. He has also written extensively on the subject including an article for the American Journal of Health Promotion.
He was instrumental in the development of a comprehensive wellness program for the largest insurance company in Peru, the first program of its kind in South America.
Brett is a certified Wellness Program Coordinator. He also has a degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan. He enjoys utilizing his background in Psychology to help organizations provide suitable programs that ensure positive behavior change. Brett’s career is motivated by the prospect of affecting one person’s life in a positive manner, let alone the lives of many.
Laura Gallien, MS, CHES, CTTS
Vice President, Behavior Change Programs
As the Executive Director for Behavior Change Programs and Health Coaching at AIPM, Laura Gallien leads with appreciative inquiry, a holistic mentality, and nearly a decade of health and wellness expertise. Her commitment to clients, the coaching team, and program participants transforms and elevates the mission of the Institute.
Laura is passionate about creating and implementing wellness programs that meet participants where they are at, guiding them towards self-compassion and intrinsically motivated change. Laura developed and wrote HealthyLife® SleepWell®, a program that helps participants improve their sleep and daytime energy. She also developed a new approach to weight management, HealthyLife® Weigh. While inclusive of nutrition education building blocks, this program builds on values-driven living with strategies for designing a healthy environment (physical, mental, and social), moving in ways that feel good, eating mindfully, and more. Laura is also the Program Director for the Systematic Stress Management™ program and Smokeless® program, AIPM’s flagship tobacco and nicotine cessation program.
Laura holds a Master of Science in Public Health, Health Education & Promotion, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (CTTS).
Hope Lawless, BA
Sr. Vice President & COO
Hope has been involved in the wellness field for over a decade, enhanced by her twenty plus years of project management experience. As the executive director of AIPM’s client wellness programs, she inspires quality and consistency, while building lasting relationships with clients and industry partners.
As a leader, Hope’s approach fosters self-efficacy that motivates the AIPM team to establish high-end goals, which leads to a superior client experience and participant engagement. She is committed to cultivating talent that allows the AIPM team to be diverse, dynamic and effective. With a strong commitment to employee well-being, she actively promotes and supports a strong work-life balance, creating a happier, healthier and more prolific team.
During her tenure at AIPM, Hope has designed and implemented a robust program execution platform that allows the team to deliver well-structured wellness programs that are systematic yet flexible. She has led the team in several product and service development efforts to shape innovative wellness tools and enrich existing service offerings.
Hope has a degree in Interpersonal and Public Communications from Central Michigan University and Business Leadership from Baker College. Early in her career, she was a project manager in the high-end construction and design trade, which she has used to develop strong project management skills in the wellness field. Looking to the future, she continues to envision and execute wellness programming to meet, and exceed, the needs and expectations of her clients in the wellness industry.
Steven A. Buyers, MS, CHES
Sr. Vice President, Wellness Consultant
Steve has been an integral part of AIPM’s wellness consulting team since 2004. He has great enthusiasm in working with his clients to help their employees and members lead healthier lives through AIPM’s wellness programs, publications and virtual wellness options. He is very grateful for the opportunity to have long-lasting relationships with his clients and to see the difference that AIPM has made in his client’s lives for the better.
Steve holds a Master of Science degree in Health Promotion Management from Nebraska Methodist College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. He has also been a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) since 2012.