As a holistic health enthusiast and personal chef, Candice Cullen works with individual clients all over the central valley, offering personalized recommendations and support while integrating appropriate food choices with lifestyle options. While currently working towards her Bachelors in Holistic Nutrition from the Clayton College of Natural Health, Candice is attracted to a path of study to learn how to heal with food, positive lifestyle changes and complimentary medicine because of her own battles with sugar addiction, chronic fatigue, smoking, processed foods, and a riddled family history of cancer.

As a gourmet natural foods chef Candice Cullen is dedicated to creating healthy delicious food and providing convenient, time saving services for her clients. Having graduated from Institute of Technology, Culinary Arts School, and Candice began cooking professionally at Max’s Bistro & Bakery in Fresno, California. Working under Chef Scott Sauer and Chef Daniel Murray, Candice expanded her skills creating regional and seasonal organic menus. Her past clients have required specialized food planning with cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, portion control, wheat and other food allergies.

Discover the Butterfly Life Difference with Gina Estrada.

Gina Estrada is co-owner with her brother Clinton Peterson of Butterfly Life Willow/Nees Women’s Fitness Center.  With over 13 years of experience in the health/fitness club business as well as fitness instructor in the PE Department at Fresno State, Gina Estrada has found exactly what she was looking for in a Gym.  By combining her skills as an aerobic and fitness director and instructor with her advertising/marketing skills she brings to Women of the valley a fun, energetic, motivating, upscale, and professional fitness club just for Women. 

Gina contributes her time and effort to various organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, La Comida Guild Home Tour, Fresno Art Museum, River Parkway Trust, and the Fresno Women’s Network. 

Not just another Health Club, a whole new way of life, Butterfly Life Willow/Nees Women’s Fitness Center brings to its members a world-renowned collection of experts in fitness, nutrition, psychology, beauty and fashion.  Together, the Butterfly Life experts have developed simple and effective programs to help women succeed at weight management and healthy living.  The transformations women undergo on the Butterfly Life program are incredible.  Butterfly Life provides a nurturing and supportive environment where members can exercise using state-of-the-art fitness equipment designed specifically for women, as well as gain insight into nutrition, psychology, beauty and fashion.  In addition, we offer classes in Step, Dance, Aerobics, Core, Pilates, and Yoga through our exclusive Life Vision delivery system.  

In keeping with the goal of providing a professional atmosphere in the club, Gina has built a unique feature in her Butterfly Life club by providing a private conference room that members can use free of charge by appointment. 

Gina moved to the valley in 1986 from the Bay Area.  She has a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing.  Gina is married to Bob Estrada and has four children ages 20, 18, 14, and 9.  Her motto is, “A Women’s Place is…In the Club!”

Chasmar “Chaz” Russ is relatively new to Fresno but is loving every minute living in the Central Valley. Born and raised in New Jersey, Chaz relocated to Fresno in 2005 with her husband Trent Russ, a Kraft Foods manager. Chaz graduated with highest honors from Rutgers College with a BA in genetics and microbiology. After she started to pursue her doctorate in genetics, she discovered that the scientific research world was too stressful. Chaz has been doing yoga since she was 14; yoga helped her throughout her academic career and numerous stressful situations in her life. It seemed only natural to become a yoga instructor. Now, Chaz believes all females need a place where they can nourish themselves away from relationships and responsibilities. Her new studio located in the NE of Fresno (Willow/Nees), Sisters Yoga provides a space where the female yogi (age 7 and up) can tune into her unique melody, the same melody that serves as the soundtrack to her life.  This is a place where women can “let their hair down,” learn how to laugh at their misfortunes, tend to the garden of their self-esteem, and amaze themselves with their growing inner and outer strengths. Chaz looks to share the infinite benefits of yoga with all her eager, happy yoga students.  

Sisters Yoga, Studio, Boutique and Club
All Female. Fun Yoga. Philanthropic. Female-empowering!
(559) 298-1444
Montecito Plaza
2940 E Nees Ave, Suite 103
Fresno, CA 93720 (NW corner Willow/Nees)
http://www.sistersyoga.com

Cathy Garner, along with her ever-supportive husband Dave, founded Fresno Wildlife Rehabilitation Service over 31 years ago. The organization has State and Federal wildlife rehabilitation permits, as well as a very hard to get Federal Banding permit. 

FWR is an all-volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to caring for orphaned and/or injured native wildlife in the Central Valley.  They care for an average of 800-1200 animals per year.  The organization has two main goals:  to treat, rehabilitate and return all animals to their natural habitat whenever possible; and to educate the general public in becoming more aware, concerned and understanding of our wildlife resources.

Their work has been featured in National Wildlife Magazine, Audubon Magazine, various local newspapers, television news programs and they have appeared in over 800 newspapers around the world.  There are many aspects to the various programs that FWR has to offer, one of the most gratifying has been their work with “at-risk” kids.  The organization has satellites in Visalia, Selma, Clovis, Madera, Mariposa, Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Fish Camp, Merced and many other areas.

Cathy considers one of the organization’s finest accomplishments to be their Barn Owls In the Classroom program.  It is the only one like it permitted by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife Division.  FWR has a special Federal permit by which they operate this unique program.  The government considers it one of the very few “win-win” programs concerning both wildlife and the agricultural community.   Now the organization is working diligently to attract funding for their most exciting project yet.  The City of Clovis, in conjunction with the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, has allocated approximately 110 acres to Fresno Wildlife Rehab in order for them to create a one-of-a-kind Nature Center that will house a state of the art wildlife veterinary hospital which will also act as a teaching hospital for college students; there will be a natural history museum, auditoriums, amphitheater for falconry demonstrations, wildlife book library as well as a mounted specimen lending library for teachers, classrooms and wet labs.  Fishing in the City programs will take place on site at one of the three lakes; there will be a full size catering kitchen for weddings and special events that can be held at the ceremonial grounds and additional room for traveling exhibits dealing with art and nature. 

www.fresnowildlife.org

(559) 298-3276

 I consider myself a “valley girl”.  I was born in the Los Angeles area but I grew up in Reedley, went to Reedley High School, and then went on to Junior college at Kings River. I now currently live in Kingsburg, about 20 mins south of Fresno and have lived there about eight years. I work as a sales representative for Pacific Trellis Fruit, which is a tree fruit and grape shipper in Reedley. 

My produce career started when a teacher in college that happened to also be a farmer, introduced me to the agricultural business. He knew I was looking to make extra money to get though school and told me about the U.S.D.A.  I joined the U.S.D.A when I was 18 and started as a shipping point inspector, monitoring fresh peaches, nectarines and plums before shipment to the retail stores.  This opportunity proved to be instrumental in the development of my business career as it enabled me to develop valuable relationships with growers and shippers, and those ties still hold strong today.
           
After working a few years at the U.S.D.A, and graduating from junior college, I was offered a job as an independent quality control supervisor for a large shipper in the valley.  In doing so I advanced my knowledge of produce commodities and it opened doors to new job opportunities in the field of quality control.  I then spent seven years working my summers here in the valley and the winters in Philadelphia inspecting imported fruit from Chile and Mexico at the unloading piers.

After traveling back forth for so many years, I decided it was time to finish my degree, and went back to Fresno Pacific University, graduating in 2000 with my degree in Management and Occupational Behavior.  I obtained a position in the sales department at my and I now sell the produce that I used to inspect.  The commodities I sell include peaches, plums, nectarines, grapes, apples, pears and kiwi.

Sharon began her business career in the accounting department of Sierra Telephone in 1978, excelling in all areas of regulatory and accounting functions, concurrently earning her MBA with an emphasis in Finance and Human Resources.  In 1990 Sharon was promoted to the position of Controller/CFO just as Sierra Tel Communications Group (STCG) began a period of unprecedented growth and diversification.  What began as a small independent telephone company quickly evolved into a corporation with cellular, long distance and internet entities. In 2001 Sharon became a Certified Treasury Professional through the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) and in 2002 Sharon was awarded the Financial Executive of the Year Award by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

Sharon became involved with the FranklinCovey organization in 1999 and recognized that the structure of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” would benefit STGC and its employees.  She became a facilitator in 2000 and has taught the “Seven Habits” to nearly 30% of STCG’s employees and spouses.  Additionally, Sharon has become a facilitator for FranklinCovey’s “Four Roles of Leadership” and “Focus” courses.  To increase her effectiveness as a trainer she then started the certification process with Langevin, The World’s Largest Train-The Trainer Company.  This Instructor/Facilitator certification was completed in October of 2002. 

Sharon became a certified coach from the FranklinCovey Coach Certification (CFCC) program in 2003 and received her Primary Certification on the Marshall Goldsmith method of Behavioral Change Coaching in 2004.

Sharon’s gifted and intuitive coaching skills have helped to single-handedly change the culture of STCG, making it the premier employer of its rural mountain community.

In 2004 Sharon left STCG to form Leadership Education And Development an organization that trains and coaches small and midsize companies in all aspects of running a business including leading their staff and time management.

Jo Horn has lived and worked in Fresno for over 30 years. She and her husband Jim have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. Her professional background has primarily been sales. She has experience in the insurance industry as well as real estate and security systems. For the last few years she has focused on Commercial and Residential Mortgage loans. She is currently a Loan Officer with HousingCore Mortgage. Jo is also the Administrator for the Fresno/Clovis chapter of YouHaveALead.com, an online business to business networking organization.