Melanie Marchand is
a native of New Orleans. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical
Engineering from Tulane University in 1984. She worked as a production and
efficiency engineer at Union Carbide Corporation and Air Products and Chemicals,
Inc. She continued her education at the Wharton School of Business at the
University of Pennsylvania and earned her MBA in 1991. Ms. Marchand returned
to the corporate world and worked in corporate planning, product management,
technical sales, and marketing management.
Melanie resigned from Corporate America
in the Spring of '98 to establish Sisters in Shape Fitness Consultants, an
organization focused on leading African-American women towards a healthier
lifestyle primarily through one-on-one personal training and nutrition counseling.
She began acquiring fitness certifications more than 15 years ago and is considered
an expert in fitness and wellness. She has certifications from the American
Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA),
Step Reebok and Mad Dogg Athletics in Lifestyle and Weight Management Consulting,
Personal Training, Aerobics, Step Reebok and Spinning. She has competed in
and judged bodybuilding competitions. She serves as fitness consultant to
the Philadelphia Black Women's Health Project, Black Men in America.com and
Soulpsych.com websites. In February 2001, Sisters In Shape, in partnership
with the Einstein Heart Institute, established a free, 12-week wellness program
at Germantown Hospital dedicated to the fight against heart disease in African-American
women. Ms. Marchand continues on her mission to share her knowledge and experience
with African-American women to improve the health of this population. Through
the operations of Sisters in Shape, her primary goal is to educate, inspire
and motivate as many people as possible.
