Profession & Organization

  • Program Manager, Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s

Carisa Campanella

Bio

Carisa began her career as a Mental Health Worker in Wayne NJ, where she worked as a residence and day program counselor for mentally-ill adults. She managed patient caseloads while simultaneously facilitating diverse therapy groups.

After seven years she transitioned to pharmaceutical sales and spent eleven years with Pfizer promoting psychotropic agents to psychiatrists and hospital programs. After moving to Florida in 2004 she worked for Allergan promoting Botox to neurologists for therapeutic indications such as cervical dystonia and migraine. Her exposure to the neurology community and commitment to patient care led her to become a volunteer at Neuro Challenge Foundation in 2012, and in April of 2013 she accepted a full-time position as Care Advisor for Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, and has recently moved into the position of Program Manager for the organization. She is a graduate of the 2016 class of Leadership Sarasota County.

Over the past five years, Carisa has also had an active role in helping her local community adopt healthy behaviors through her work at Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s HealthFit Fitness Center. Carisa provided support as an intern for the hospital’s Wellness Coaching Program, where she offered support and guidance to individuals struggling with obesity and inactivity. She went on to perform as an Exercise Specialist assisting older adults in exercise programming and health risk assessments. She also is an enthusiastic Spinning instructor!

Carisa now focuses the majority of her efforts on helping the southwest Florida Parkinson’s community find resources that can help improve their quality of life. She is committed to the pursuit of health through sound nutrition and exercise and helps the Parkinson’s community find programs that will improve their physical and mental well-being.

Education & Certifications

BA, Speech Communications
AS, Sports Medicine and Fitness Technology
Certified Health Coach: American Council on Exercise
Certified Personal Trainer: American College of Sports Medicine
Certified Spinning Instructor: Mad Dogg Athletics
Certified Group Exercise Instructor: FiTOUR
ACE Specialty Certifications: Senior Fitness; Weight Management

Learn more about the Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s at their website, parkinsonsneurochallenge.org

Carisa Campanella