Meet Dr. Suzie Carmack

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Dr. Suzie Carmack is an award-winning well-being promotion scholar, coach, speaker, educator, and author of two #1 best sellers that bring the science of work/life well-being to the public: Well-Being Ultimatum (2015) and Genius Breaks (2017). She is also the leading science contributor on the topic of stress management for the forthcoming Weight Loss for Life (Hopkins Press, 2021). 

With 30 years of experience as a trusted coach and advisor, Dr. Carmack has been personally commissioned to create well-being promotion programs and build well-being strategy frameworks for global and national public health agencies, including the Pan American / World Health Organization (2013-2015); the Department of Defense (2016; 2018); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016-2017); the National Parks Service (2015); and most recently the U.S. Treasury Department's Treasury Executive Institute (TEI). In 2018, she was personally commissioned by General James Michael Holmes, USAF (retired) to create the first-ever resilience training for senior leaders in the U.S. Air Force, and in 2020, she was personally commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department to create a well-being science webinar series for senior leaders (SES and GS14, GS15) from all 45 U.S. government agencies, during the rapid rise of Covid-19 (March - June 2020). She also led the award-winning stakeholder engagement efforts that brought the Cloud to the CDC as a shared service in 2016, and designed the interactive media-based story-telling approach for the U.S. Surgeon's General 2020 Report on Public Health, Community Development and Economic Prosperity. 

Committed to training the well-being change agents of tomorrow, Dr. Carmack is the CEO of YogaMedCo, where she and her team have trained 100's of leaders, yoga teachers and health coaches from 5 continents  in her evidence-based method in-person and virtually.

As an applied well-being scholar (who brings well-being research into real-world practice), Dr. Carmack serves as a Senior Scholar for the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University. She is currently engaged in a well-being research study with UNC Chapel Hill, exploring the utility of well-being coaching for clinician-scientists' leadership development and personal work/life well-being.

As a sought-after speaker and c-suite consultant, Dr. Carmack provides customized training and consulting solutions to senior leaders and organizations in the public and private sector.

A firm believer in the power of paying her success forward, Dr. Carmack enjoys mentoring future thought leaders through her Genius Inner Circle. She also donates a portion of her time to mentor community-change agents and applied researchers through her Genius Break Project Leader program. And, she serves as a volunteer advisor for the Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association and the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching.

Personal

Dr. Carmack is the proud mother of Chris, Brandon, and Sophia; bonus mom of Devon and Brian; and bonus grand mom ("ZuZu") of Levi. After spending decades in Northern Virginia living outside of Washington, DC, she and her fiancee Bob Shircliff relocated to Summerville, SC (near Charleston, SC) to enjoy putting Suzie's well-being research into the practice of their life.

 Education

• PhD, Health and Strategic Communication, George Mason University (2014)
• MED, Health and Kinesiology, University Texas at Tyler (2009)
• MFA, Theatre, University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival (1991)
• BA, Communication Arts/Theatre and Writing, Allegheny College (1989)

Professional Education

• C-IAYT, Yoga Therapy (exp. 2022)
• ERYT 500, Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Yoga Alliance (since 2006)
• PMA-CPT, Pilates Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Pilates Method Alliance (since 2003)
• NBC-HWC, Board-Certified Health Coach and Trainer of Health Coaches, National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (since 2018)

Awards

• George Mason University
  • Department of Communication: Alumnae of the Year (2018)
  • Mason Core Award for Teaching Excellence (2017; 2019)
  • Difference Award for Teaching Excellence as Nominated by Students (2014)
  • Dissertation Grant (2014) George Mason University (Provost’s award)
  • Dean’s Challenge Award   for Faculty (2013) 
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant and Funded PhD Student (2011 - 2014)
• MITRE Corporation 
  • Program of the Year (2018)
  • Roar Award for Research Recognition (2017 & 2018)        
  • Director’s Award (2017)                   
• Junior League of Northern Virginia, Volunteer of the Year, (2014)
• Who’s Who in the World; Who’s Who in America (2006 - Present)
• U.S. President’s Volunteerism in Schools Award (2002)