Grand Valley State University was recently awarded the Governor’s Fitness Council’s Diamond Award for creating and maintaining an “outstanding healthy workplace.”

The award was presented to GVSU representatives, Sue Sloop and Lindsey DesArmo, on April 25 in Lansing.

GVSU was nominated for the diamond category along with six other Michigan workplaces including Gentex in Zeeland and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

“It is a testament to the work that Grand Valley has been putting in to this and of energy and effort that we have been striving for,” DesArmo said. “Our mission is to be the healthiest campuses in Michigan and we were the only university on the nomination list. This is a good place to start, or to at least show that we are working toward that mission.”

According to a statement released by State Rep. Roger Victory, “the purpose of the Governor’s Fitness Awards is to recognize individuals, organizations and events that encourage others to make healthy choices by teaching, volunteering and engaging in their community.”

The award was given specifically for the university’s fitness initiatives for faculty and staff at GVSU.

“Over the past eight years, GVSU has worked diligently to develop a holistic and inclusive approach to health and wellness,” Sloop said. “The scope of our services include a large variety of fitness classes for faculty and staff, free counseling services, programming on wellness for both physical and emotional health, fitness challenges and even the farmers market.”

The school has offered programs such as “Know Your Numbers,” a free program for faculty and staff to participate in a clinical health risk assessment, the healthy choices program and the exercise release program which allows extra time for faculty and staff to exercise and then freshen up.

“Our program is innovative and follows best practices,” Sloop said.

Over the summer months, the GVSU Health and Wellness Center will be planning for the 2014-2015 academic school year. Sloop said there will be more fitness challenges and possibly a campaign centered around treating each other with respect in the workplace.

“The overall mission of the GVSU Health and Wellness program is to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles to enhance the quality of life for the GVSU community and their families,” Sloop said. “The end result is faculty and staff being able to serve our students better.”

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