The Team at Les Mills Northeast

Don Murphy

Owner/President

Don’s passion for fitness began 22 years ago, when his mother entered the fitness industry as a co-owner of a local club in 1984. He held numerous jobs in her multiple clubs through the years, including front desk reception, personal trainer, and club manager. Don graduated with a finance degree from the University of Notre Dame (Go IRISH!), and held a number of business jobs before following his passion in his mother’s footsteps. They and partners Bill Austin and Kim Kenyon, now co-own 3 world class Gold’s Gym locations in New York’s Hudson Valley, and were awarded “Franchisee of the Year” at the 2006 Gold’s Gym convention in Las Vegas.

Don and partners also co-own the newly appointed Les Mills Northeast distributorship, where he is acting President. On top of these responsibilities, Don is further driven by his passion as a BODYCOMBAT™ trainer and presenter. He is working toward trainer status in BODYPUMP™ as well.

In his spare time (if there is such a thing), he enjoys good times with family and friends, skiing (deep powder baby!), scuba diving, mountain biking, and water sports. He’s also known to become a freak when it comes to tracking extreme weather events.

Betsy Mancine

Club Coach/Event Coordinator

With a background in fitness and health education, and a passion for group fitness management, being part of the Les Mills team is a natural fit and dream career for Betsy. As a former swimming and life guard instructor Betsy used to watch fitness classes from the pool deck. After taking her first group exercise class (BODYSTEP™) on a dare, she was hooked and started teaching college PHE classes less than three months later… and never stopped.

In Tucson, AZ, Betsy was introduced to the Les Mills system, became certified in 5 of the Les Mills programs, and was amazed as the systematic approach to managing, marketing and selling a club through Group Fitness, thus changing the face of the entire team, facility, and members, where Betsy was the Group Fitness Manager. She went on to successfully manage two additional facilities where Les Mills programming became the backbone of membership activity. She began working for Les Mills North America as a launch coach and GFM presenter in July 2005. Betsy is now excited to be part of the Les Mills Northeast team as Strategic Advisor and GFM presenter, bringing the Les Mills experience to her own backyard.

While her hair-style and color might change every time you see her, Betsy’s passion, drive, and fire for spreading the Les Mills vision to clubs, managers, and members is constant.

Rebecca Fairburn

Licensing Consultant

In September of 2005 Rebecca attended BODYSTEP™ training and says “it was nothing short of life changing.” In the following year, she received her BODYSTEP™ certification and traveled an hour or more to participate in programs that weren’t offered at her gym. Rebecca says, “There just aren’t enough clubs offering these programs – there needs to be more!” In her previous company, Rebecca consistently earned top performance awards. She also ran her own consulting business and trained hundreds of sales reps world-wide. Now, as a Program Advisor with LMNE, Rebecca hopes to use this experience to impact the lives of many by introducing the Les Mills programs to clubs across the Northeast. She is passionate in her belief that the Les Mills management system has the ability to change the life of a club in the same way the programs change the lives of the club’s members.

In Rebecca’s mind, “free time is for the dogs” – literally. She spends most of her free time out in the woods with her favorite 4-legged friends.

Jeannine Corrigan

Training Coordinator

Absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Les Mills Northeast team, Jeannine joins LMNE with ten years of business development and marketing experience in the engineering and architectural industries. Combining her passion for Les Mills state-of-the-art fitness classes with her background and degree in business administration and marketing, she has finally found her niche! She currently handles the training and marketing coordination (among other things) for LMNE. Jeannine is inspired and continuously "WOWed" by the enthusiasm and energy of the Les Mills choreographers, trainers and presenters; every encounter and experience with Les Mills has been an exceptional one!

As a certified instructor, she also brings the excitement of Les Mills programs to the Hudson Valley Gold’s Gym organization. Certified in BODYSTEP™, BODYPUMP™ and BODYCOMBAT™, she was recently named, “Team Leader”, for their BODYSTEP™ program.

She is married (to a soccer nut) and the proud mother of three wonderful (nutty) children.

Kim Kenyon

NE Owner

Kim grew up in the health club industry, holding several part time roles in the family business throughout her high school and college years. There is no education like experience, and upon graduating college Kim joined the industry full time, serving as manager of several of the clubs through the years. Today, Kim, her father Bill, Don and Mary Murphy are the co-owners of the Hudson Valley Gold’s Gym Organization. Kim is actively involved in the day-to-day operation of clubs in Fishkill, Newburgh, and Lagrange. Kim also oversees the marketing arm of the organization. At the 2006 Gold’s Gym convention in Las Vegas they were awarded “Franchisee of the Year”. Kim and partners also co-own the newly appointed Les Mills Northeast distributorship.

When not working, Kim loves spending time with her two children, Kyra and Austin. Then if she has time, she loves to ski or go to the beach with her family. Family and good friends are important to her.

Jane Austin

Assessment Coordinator

Jane has been associated with the fitness industry for many years through her husband, Bill Austin and his partner Mary Murphy. Jane is currently the Assessment Coordinator for Les Mills Northeast. Previously, she was a teacher for the City of Poughkeepsie School District where she taught both regular and special education for 33 years. Along the way she has also been active in the fitness business helping out in different areas over the years.

Jane is also active in the Poughkeepsie community serving on the boards of Catharine Street Community and Meals On Wheels of Greater Poughkeepsie. She is also a member of the Pleasant Valley Lions Club ands the Poughkeepsie Garden Club.

In her spare time, Jane enjoys her two grandchildren Kyra and Austin Kenyon and relaxing in Vermont.

Brenda Killackey-Jones

Customer Service/Marketing Coordinator

Brenda began her journey with Les Mills as a BODYPUMP™ instructor in Rochester, New York, way back in 1998 when Les Mills first came to the US. As Les Mills evolved she also began teaching BODYCOMBAT™ and BODYFLOW™, using her yoga and kickboxing experience, while acting as GFM at a local facility.

With a Masters in Health Promotion, and degrees in Exercise Physiology, Ancient Philosophy and Studio Art, Brenda has a love of learning and experiencing new things. Moving to Beacon, NY to work for Les Mills is the latest big experience in her life. Currently, Brenda is the Marketing Coordinator, Newsletter Coordinator, and Customer Service at Les Mills Northeast.

She has a three year-old daughter, Wisteria whom she is grooming to be the next Rachael Newsham, and a marathon running husband named Mike.

It has been quite a ride since 1998 experiencing the growth of Les Mills on our shores. She is continuously amazed at the professionalism, energy, and profound care that Les Mills puts into every product and every message. When you truly believe in whom you work for, getting up in the morning is such a great thing!

Renee Martin

Licensing Consultant

Renee has been in the Fitness Industry for the past 18 years. She has seen a lot of trends come and go in the group exercise field.

Renee holds many Group exercise certifications, including ACE, AFFA and NETA. She also has over 10 years of Yoga and Pilates training. There is not one format or style of class she has not taught or “attempted” to instruct. Her philosophy has always been fitness should not only be safe and effective but also fun, a great fit for working at Les Mills.

As the current GFM for two Gold’s Gyms in the Albany, New York area, she was introduced to the Les Mills training program in early 2005. “I knew Les Mills was an instant fit for me and my clubs as a program with staying power, unlike many programs that have come and gone.”

Renee became instantly addicted and certified in BODYPUMP™, BODYATTACK™ and BODYSTEP™. After her introduction with the LMNE team, Renee knew she had to be part of this fantastic company!

Renee currently resides in Albany, New York. In her spare time she likes to watch NFL football (Go Steelers), hang out with her husband Greg (who is also a BODYJAM™ instructor) and her Chihuahua “Chido Bandito” (who is always sporting the latest in doggy fashion outfits and gets carried around in a puppy purse, but of course)!

Bill Austin and Mary Murphy

NE Owners

Bill and Mary have been involved in the fitness industry since 1978, forming many strong relationships along the way. Both have reputations that precede them as leaders during the fitness industry’s ongoing growth over the past 25 years. They currently own and operate three award-winning Gold’s Gym facilities in Newburgh, Fishkill and Lagrange, New York.

• In 1980, Bill and Mary represented the first northeast U.S. health club to utilize the concept of electronic billing (EFT), and effectively wrote the first club check-in system using an IBM personal computer.

• Bill co-wrote a personal training evaluation system for new members, which was later sold to RCM Computer Company for industry-wide use.

• Bill holds the position of Vice President of the Gold’s Gym Alliance of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

• Bill presently sits as a member of the marketing committee for Gold’s Gym International.

• Bill was a founding member of the board of trustees of NEHRSA.

• Mary’s role as a pioneer in the growth of the “aerobics industry” during the 1980s was pivotal to the success of the group fitness programs of many health clubs during that period.

• Mary has sat on numerous group fitness panels and has presented at both regional and national conferences.

• Both were members of the search committee for John McCarthy.

• Both have spoken at many past NEHRSA, IHRSA and Gold’s Gym conventions.

• Bill presented at the 2005 Gold’s Gym International Convention, on trends and competition in the industry.

• Both acted as national consultants from 1984 to 1996, specializing in sales, marketing, and group exercise programs for health club facilities in the eastern U.S.

Andrea Richards

Licensing Consultant

Andrea’s first aspirations into fitness came by chance when she started an internship with a local gym in Livermore Falls, Maine. With a bachelors degree in Community Health Education, she quickly found her self moving into a Group Fitness Management position. She began to realize she was getting involved with something that was bigger than just exercising.

BODYSTEP™ was Andrea’s first Les Mills certification. BODYSTEP™ really encapsulated what she enjoyed about exercising, and she became certified in BODYFLOW™, BODYCOMBAT™, and soon to be BODYPUMP™ certified. She has joined the Les Mills Northeast team with hopes of spreading the Les Mills name into many more clubs in the Northeast.

Andrea currently resides in Livermore Falls, Maine. She and her husband have recently begun construction on a new house in a neighboring town. She enjoys spending time with her husband, their dog Craven, and two cats, Bob and Lily, as well as with friends and family.

Jericho McDuffie

Club Coach

This California girl followed her passion for Les Mills all the way across the US! At age 18 and the beginning of her college career, Jericho started teaching freestyle hip hop and kickboxing classes. Not much time passed before she found herself in a BODYPUMP™ module. Six years later, she has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a minor degree in Physical Education and Kinesiology, and numerous personal training and group exercise certifications. Jericho is now trained in several of the Les Mills programs, and serves as a national trainer/presenter for BODYCOMBAT™.

Jericho’s fervor and excitement for the programs brought her all the way to NY, as she now proudly serves as a Club Coach and Master Class Presenter for LMNE. She looks forward to sharing the success of Les Mills and its culture to clubs all throughout the Northeast!

In her free time, Jericho enjoys traveling, snowboarding, wakeboarding and various other outdoor sports. She also loves to shop and spends hours on the phone with her identical twin sister who still resides on the west coast (whom she misses very much)!