Joanne Roberts
Adjunct Professorial Lect
Department of Health Studies
Bio
Dr. Joanne Roberts is an exercise physiologist with over 25 years of experience in wellness, fitness, and performance. Her extensive work in health promotion, wellness, fitness, and performance physiology includes work with Montgomery County residents, Montgomery County firefighters, United States Navy Divers, United States Army service men and women, and the United States Secret Service. She has experience in designing, developing, and maintaining data driven, results-oriented wellness programs that target major health risks. Her areas of scientific expertise include occupational task analysis, health promotion, cardiopulmonary function, metabolic function, exercise prescriptions and programs, job specific training, core and functional training and performance nutrition. She has an extensive knowledge of wellness theory and best practices with areas of expertise in analyzing health metrics, designing behavioral change strategies, developing educational materials and seminars, and techniques to motivate and inspire people to be mindful about their health choices. She currently serves on the State of Maryland Health and Wellness Advisory Council.
She is currently the Health and Wellness Program Manager for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation. Dr. Roberts has developed an extensive framework for wellness, fitness, and performance programs to enhance the lives of Montgomery County residents. She has developed and directed the following programs and initiatives Move More Montgomery and the NACO award winning 100 Mile Challenge, Healthy Summer Activity and Eating Programs. She implemented the Let's Move program; developed and implemented the Road to London Fitness Challenge and supported Be Active Montgomery a county wide health and fitness initiative Recently Dr. Roberts has developed the Montgomery County Recreation 2020 COVID health and wellness guidelines for summer camps, outdoor programs and classes, and softball and soccer league play. She has trained well over 200 staff and contractors on the 2020 guidelines and continues to lead Montgomery County Recreation to safely implement programs during a pandemic.
Prior to working for the Recreation Department Dr. Roberts was the Exercise Physiologist for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the MCFRS Wellness, Fitness and Nutrition program; with 60 firefighter personal trainers at 42 worksites. In addition, during her tenure with MCFRS she developed program strategies to promote employee wellness and designed fitness programs for career and volunteer firefighters. She has also work with all branches of he military and the United States Secret Service to design health and well programs and improve occupational and operational performance.
As a professional educator Dr. Roberts has been teaching and giving presentations for over 30 years. She has taught at all levels and in all types of organizations from public school (K - 12) to institutions of higher education, from private companies to government and non-profit organizations. Her teaching experience includes exercise physiology, health promotion, and exercise programs, training programs for personal trainers, and wellness and fitness program design. She is always the teacher, trainer, or educator whether it is in the classroom, at a presentation, on the ski slopes, and with her staff and customers. She has specialized in making difficult concepts easy and fun to learn. Dr. Roberts has given numerous workshops and lectures to the lay community in the areas of adult fitness, aging and exercise, health and wellness, stabilization of the core, the female athlete triad, exercise, and pregnancy, designing fitness programs and sports nutrition.
Dr. Roberts is an American College of Sports Medicine certified Exercise Physiologist, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Peer Fitness Trainer and holds ACE certifications in both Senior and Youth Fitness. She is a certified Level I Alpine Ski Instructor and a Children’s Specialist I with the Professional Ski Instructors of America. She is a certified Outdoor Education Specialist and a Professional Association of Diving Instructors certified Open Water Diver.
