WOMEN PRESIDENTS' ORGANIZATION. :: Who We Are :: Board of Directors / Judi Sheppard Missett

Judi Sheppard Missett
Founder, Chief Executive, Jazzercise
International Board of Directors

Founder and chief executive officer of Jazzercise, Inc., Judi Sheppard Missett has turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon. A fitness advocate and aerobic dance pioneer for more than 38 years, she continues to break new ground in the industry through innovative class formats, exciting customer/instructor conventions, and broadreaching community service programs. In addition to serving as president and CEO of her international franchise business, which oversees more than 7,200 instructors and employs 161 support personnel from its Carlsbad, California headquarters, Judi continues to:

• choreograph new routines every 10 weeks for franchised instructors to teach
• teach Jazzercise classes every week
• star in Jazzercise home DVD products and “Jazz Cardio Strength Stretch,” a
half-hour workout program designed specifically for local Public Access cable stations
• spearhead activities to give back to the community
• travel extensively as a guest presenter for fitness events and philanthropic causes
• conduct media interviews and appearances

Judi’s passion for bringing the joy of fitness to thousands of individuals has led to great success and numerous honors, among them:
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (2007)
• Mary Lehman MacLachlan Award for Economic Empowerment from the Women Presidents’ Organization (2007)
• #3 Placement in the San Diego Business Journal’s “Top 50 Women Owned Businesses in San Diego List” (2007)
• Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce “Lifetime Achievement in Business Award” (2006)
• Induction into Enterprising Women magazine Hall of Fame (2006)
• Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro Magazine’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” (2005)
• “Women Who Mean Business Award” from the San Diego Business Journal (2005,1995)
• “Leadership and Empowerment Award” from the National Foundation for Women Legislators (2003)
• Induction into the National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE) Hall of Fame (2002)
• “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” from the National Foundation for Women Legislators,
Business Women’s Network, and the Small Business Administration (2000)
• Induction into the IDEA (International Association of Fitness Professionals) Hall of Fame (1992)
• IDEA “Lifetime Achievement Award” (1991)

A native of Iowa, Judi attended Northwestern University earning her degree in theater and radio/television in 1966. She worked as a professional dancer throughout college and after graduation. While teaching traditional jazz dance classes in Chicago, Judi turned her students away from the mirror and created a special “just for fun” class which marked the beginning of Jazzercise. In 1972, Judi and her family moved to Southern California. Five years later, she began training new instructors, which led to the rapid spread of Jazzercise
around the globe.

Over the years, Jazzercise has acted upon Judi’s philosophy of “giving back to the community.” Judi and her legion of instructors have raised more than $26 million for a wide range of charities by leading special large-scale workout classes, performances at major sporting events, and local benefits. Other activities include “Kids Get Fit,” a free workout program designed to help school districts promote fitness as a way of life to children; and the “CyberStretch School Giveaway Program,” featuring free innovative software that guides users through energizing stretch breaks in an easy-to-use interactive screensaver format. CyberStretch by Jazzercise can help reduce tension and the risk of repetitive stress injuries. The screensaver reminds users to do stretch before starting work on a computer, as well as throughout the day.

Jazzercise has spawned several other successful businesses, including JM DigitalWorks, an award-winning fullservice, video and multimedia production company and Jazzertogs, a multi-million dollar fitness apparel mail-order catalog business.

The Jazzercise philosophy states: “We believe fitness is an important aspect of well-being and enhances the overall quality of people’s lives; therefore, Jazzercise is committed to helping people understand and value the importance of health and fitness.” Judi remains focused on this philosophy, and continues to forge ahead on the industry’s cutting edge to promote fitness for all.