Our Staff

Kathy Sears Hall is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and a Fletcher Licensed Provider in 6 techniques, including Pilates Mat and Reformer. She also holds licenses for Zumba® and TRX. Fitness has been a lifetime hobby for her, seeing first hand the positive influence her mother Gail Sears, founder of The Center for Fitness, had on hundreds in the community over the past 40 years. While Gail was blazing the trail, earning among the first certifications offered from the American Council on Exercise, The Cooper Institute, and Fletcher Pilates, Kathy used her University of Texas accounting degree and CPA certificate to build a 27 year career in the energy industry. 

She and her husband Charles moved back home to the Hill Country in 2007, where she turned her hobby into a second career. Having had 2 back surgeries herself, she now enjoys helping clients reduce back pain and improve their posture, balance, and flexibility through work on the Pilates Reformer in addition to various pieces of strength and balance equipment.

Ken Marshall began his career in personal training in 2010 with a certification through American Council on Exercise, allowing him to do something he is passionate about and something he truly enjoys. Ken’s parents were in the medical field, so it was natural for him to want to help others and have the desire to assist individuals in achieving a healthier lifestyle. Ken graduated from high school in 2003 from O’Connor H.S in Helotes, TX and Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. He is a Senior Fitness Specialist, Golf Conditioning Specialist and Orthopedic Injury Specialist. He also specializes in strength and conditioning, fat loss and injury prevention, and has helped male and female clients from ages 12 – 90. Some of Ken’s other interests include motorsports (motorcycles, trucks, cars and boats) as well as stock market analysis, live music and sporting events. His clients appreciate the fact that he practices what he preaches and loves meeting and working with new members. Allow Ken to help you today!

Catherine Ermis, owner of Step By Step Personal Training, found her love for health and wellness at the age of 16. Over the years she has worked with all age groups leading programs like motor development, aquatics, physical education, personal and group training. She came to be a part of The Center for Fitness family in 1991 teaching group fitness.  Her focus now is personal training where she walks with her clients as advocate to their personal best. She brings her knowledge of general fitness, Pilates, yoga, balance, core training and health coaching in mind, body and spirit. Currently she is certified through the American Council on Exercise in personal training and group fitness, Stott Pilates and The Cooper Institute on the biomechanics of strength training.

Kathy Andrews is Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Her 22 years of experience includes 14 years as Fitness Director for a local facility. Kathy is also currently certified with AEA Aquatic Exercise Association as an Aquatic Fitness Professional and Aquatic Personal Trainer Specialist and holds a Special Populations Certification with the Cooper Institute, equipping her to work with auto immune diseases, pregnancy and obesity. She is certified in kick boxing, indoor cycling, Pilates Mat, TRX, and weight management. She looks for ways to support our Military and has a passion to fight the national obesity epidemic. She loves to hold workshops on myofascial releases, weight loss management, and Balancing Your Life Style!

Nelson Tumlinson is a native of the Kerrville and attended Angelo State University.  He spent 5 years at Physiofit in Louisiana, a Physical Therapy Clinic before moving back home and working at Mo Ranch.  He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach through NASM.

Cheryl Smith started teaching group fitness with our founder, Gail Sears, in 1989 (back in the "Auditorium" days) and into our current location.  For 19 years, with certifications from ACE and  the Cooper Institute, she taught a variety of classes including Step, Water Aerobics, Low Impact, Pump and Interval Training classes. When yoga came to the Center, she began an exploration with teachers Kim Chica and Patty Williamson, and naturally, studied under them.  But for a few years, teaching took a back seat to her "day job" as Co-Owner/Director of Camp La Junta for Boys in Hunt.  Continuing her study and practice of yoga "on the side", however, she finally earned her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts.  A firm believer in wellness, as a part of  "wholeness," Cheryl seeks to make yoga accessible to all levels of experience and body types by promoting conscious awareness in all parts of class and by providing modifications to enhance a student's unique experience and exploration of their best yoga practice, truest self, and fullest life.  

Maxine Sands achieved her 200-hour yoga certification in 2017. She is also an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor and CETI Cancer Exercise Specialist. In addition to her fitness certifications, she holds a degree in Registered Nursing, with a specialty in Adolescent Mental Health. Maxine’s interest in yoga grew out of her love for variousfitness formats, but it soon produced personal development and spiritual growth, and a deep desire for passing on knowledge of this incredible practice. 

Having come into yoga as an older student and then later as a teacher, she has moved past pre-conceived notions regarding ability. She uses mind body principles in addition to the traditional logic, philosophical, and historical aspects of yoga, helping students to move past obstacle and discover their own individual style and form.

Debra Parmley is a long-time resident, not only of Kerrville, but as a member of The Center for Fitness too. She started exercising with Gail Sears in the early 1980’s and began her yoga journey when Gail first introduced yoga at the TCFF in the late 1990’s. After several months she noticed increased energy levels, stronger muscles, and greater flexibility. She returned to working full time in 2007 and was not able to keep up her yoga and regular exercise schedule. After spending 10 years working for various nonprofit agencies in Kerrville, including Schreiner University and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Texas Hill Country, she realized that she was neglecting her own health. The result was increased stress and joint pain along with the inability to get a good night of sleep.

Debra didn’t like the direction her life and health were headed so she decided to make a change and pursue her dream of becoming a yoga instructor. Yoga offers many benefits beyond the physical; there are emotional and spiritual benefits as well. She wants to help others experience the benefits of yoga and being an instructor allows her to combine her love of teaching with the positive feeling she receives by helping other people. She has completed a 200-hour yoga certification with Patty Williamson of Lizard Dreaming Yoga in Fredericksburg.

Dana Cardwell is a Licensed Professional Counselor in addition to a Certified Life Coach, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor. Her goal is to incorporate integrated medicine in our community to decrease mental and physical problems. 

She describes her program as "Emmanuel Yoga: Yoga for stress, anxiety, trauma, and/or addictions”. Emmanuel Yoga works on calming the amygdala area of the brain: the fight, flight, or freeze area that generally operates on your unconscious level. “By practicing Emmanuel Yoga, we will come together (yoga means union) to know God is with us while creating strong bodies and balanced minds to lead a happy life”. She earned her 200-hour certification from The Yoga Institute in Houston.

Dana teaches Paddle Board Yoga on the Guadalupe River. This is a gentle mindfulness class with easy yoga poses.  No previous experience is necessary - think of it as Paddle Board 101 and Yoga 101.

Rick Trzcinski began studying yoga in 2007 when he attended a weekend workshop “Yoga for a Healthy Neck and Back” with Dr. Mark Uridel. Walking with a cane at the time due to neurological issues from chronic Lyme disease and a serious fall from a roof, Rick began yoga for relief of his trauma’s including PTS(D), depression, back and neck pain, etc. and he hasn’t stopped since. He went on to train with the Living Yoga Program of Austin, Texas and received his 200-hour registered Hatha Yoga Teaching Certification in 2009. He attained his RYT-500-hour certification in April of 2015 from Yoga Yoga of Austin, Texas and in 2016 attained the E-RYT 500 or Experienced certification with Yoga Alliance. He graduated from the yoga therapy training program at Yoga Yoga of Austin, Texas on May 19th, 2017, and received a yoga therapy certification with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT). He is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) and is also a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP), and Yoga for Vets.org.

Rick has trained with Dr. Daniel Libby of the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) to teach mindful resilience yoga to Veterans with PTSD and Trauma and most recently has been asked by Dr. Libby to be the Regional Development Manager for the South-Central Region for VYP. VYP is an approved vendor for the VA.  Rick has also trained with Dr. Richard Miller of the Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI). iRest, one of the principal programs offered by IRI, is a research-based transformative practice of deep relaxation and meditative inquiry and is currently being utilized in VA hospitals, military bases, hospitals and clinics, hospice, homeless shelters, community programs, and schools. Research has shown that iRest effectively reduces PTSD, depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain and chemical dependency while increasing health, resiliency, and well-being. Rick is a level 2 trained iRest teacher. He has been teaching weekly chair/wheelchair yoga at the Kerrville VA to the Alzheimer’s / Dementia group and other in-house patients since 2010. He also teaches a VYP Mindful Resilience Yoga class at his studio for Veterans struggling with PTSD and / or Trauma. This class is free but is for Veterans only. He is a member of Yoga for Vets.org. where-by Veterans get their first four yoga classes for free, to try it out.  He continues to train with numerous instructors from around the country.

He is the owner of Rick's Yoga Therapy and teaches at the Hill Country's premier Pilates and Yoga Center located at the Center for Fitness 1407 Water Street Kerrville, Texas and at the Healing Arts Center 144 Fairway Dr Suite A-1 Kerrville Texas. He has many group classes for all levels of experience and is available for private yoga therapy sessions at his clinic as well. Rick is looking forward to sharing with you what can be a life changing experience. Yoga has dramatically changed his life for the better.

• YA E-RYT-200Hr

• YA RYT-500Hr

• Certified SilverSneakers Instructor

• NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist

I am a mom of two grown sons, a 26-year military spouse, and a US Navy veteran. My husband and I have three dogs and two horses and love to stay active and have fun! I have always been passionate about fitness and nutrition and earned my first fitness certification in 2015. I started out as an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and SilverSneakers Instructor and then transitioned into teaching yoga as well in 2017. My husband of 31 years and I relocated to Kerrville, TX from Yuma, AZ in January 2023, and I am thrilled to be able to teach and share my passion for wellness here at The Center for Fitness and look forward to being part of your wellness journey.

Ali White is a Texas native and has practiced Massage Therapy professionally since 2005. Ali became a Certified Barre3 Instructor in 2018 and completed 200 YTT in 2021. Her love and passion for group fitness all started at a young age when she would attend Jazzercise classes with her mom in the early 90’s. Ali has a background in dance company and collegiate softball, and her current offering, flowER, is a fun cross training workout that meshes these two experiences in an effective and functional way, supporting wholeness and well being. 

Sara Cotton has a deep love for yoga, with one of her earliest memories being practicing with her mother when she was only 4 years old. Since then, Sara has used Yoga to overcome many of life’s obstacles. She has combined her passion for yoga and love of the human spirit into a mindful, holistic practice. Her teaching style can best be described as “slow flow," incorporating asana, breath work, and mindfulness into sequences designed to balance body, mind and spirit. Do not be deceived by the word “slow;" the pace and intensity of Sara’s classes work to bring the tapas, or fire, from within the soul to the exterior to be shared with the world around us. Her knowledge of anatomy and her open-minded approach to life allow her to assist a wide variety of students with specific physical challenges, aches and pains. Sara completed her 200 hour certification at the Living Yoga Program in Austin, TX and is currently pursuing her 300 hour certification. Sara is also certified in pre- and post-natal yoga, is an adjunct yoga professor at Schreiner University, and enjoys living, loving and sharing the joys of yoga with all ages.