The Gold Standard

Our medical director, Dr. Kerry Neall, is a practicing emergency physician and comes with a wealth of leadership experience.  For twenty years he served as the medical director of the large emergency department where he is currently employed.  He is also board chairman of a charitable organization.

After completing his medical degree, he went on to obtain a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis in health promotion and education. He is also certified in functional medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine. He has extensive experience teaching classes on how to achieve optimal wellness using lifestyle change. He has been involved in residential NEWSTART programs and taught CREATION Health and Lifestyle Matters seminars.

One of his greatest joys has been seeing lives transformed through the adoption of healthy lifestyles. He is excited to bring his over 30 years of medical experience to this retreat.

Dr. Guthrie is the Assistant Director of Advent Health’s Family Medicine Residency and program director of their Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship.  He holds board certifications in Family Practice, Lifestyle Medicine, and the American Board of Nutrition Specialists (CBNS).  He is a Certified Diabetic Educator (CDE), and has a special interest in lifestyle management for those with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and coronary heart disease. He also holds a master’s degree in Public Health with a focus on nutrition from the School of Public Health and the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University, where he was a faculty member.  He has been the host of a number of health related TV and radio broadcast series.  His warm style and expertise make him a sought after speaker.

Dr. Guthrie has been involved in the development of a number of lifestyle programs including the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), the Wellspring Diabetes Program, and the CREATION Health program at AdventHealth. He is a published author of three books (most recent - Eat Plants, Feel Whole) and 13 scientific articles.  

Dr. DeRose is Board certified in both Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine.  He also has a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis in health promotion and education. In addition to his conventional training, Dr. DeRose has three decades of experience in treating patients using lifestyle interventions and preventive medicine. He has been employed at some of the nation’s most innovative health centers, including over six years as a founding physician, and later Medical Director, of the Lifestyle Center of America.

Dr. DeRose is a popular talk radio host, public speaker, and prolific writer.  He is co-author of the Amazon bestselling cardiovascular book Thirty Days to Natural Blood Pressure Control, as well as his more recently released book The Methuselah Factor. He is known for his ability to make complex health subjects easily understood to people across educational and cultural lines. His eclectic medical background provides a breadth of experience guaranteeing that all will relate to his compelling presentations of life-changing health information.

Dr. Mayer is the exercise physiologist for Divine Retreats.  He is an associate professor in the School of Physical Education, Health and Wellness at Southern Adventist University.  He directs the human performance laboratory and does clinical research on optimal exercise efficiency. 

For eight years he was the director of fitness at the Lifestyle Center of America. He obtained a Masters in Public Health with the emphasis of health education, weight control, and wellness promotion.  He completed a graduate fellowship in exercise physiology from San Diego State University, and then obtained his PhD in Health Services with an emphasis in exercise physiology from Walden University, Minneapolis.  His current research and publications in metabolic efficiency are establishing practices for energy balance, conditioning, and weight control.

His expertise is in helping individuals develop and incorporate lifelong physical activity habits to achieve total wellness. As the developer of the IT technique, he is in demand as a public speaker for civic clubs, schools, and corporations.

Mrs. Rafferty is a registered dietitian specializing in health education, nutrition counseling, and research. She is a published expert in the field of nutrition, publishing a monthly “Alive” health series.  She has given many TV interviews on achieving a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition.  She is an avid chef who also loves to provide healthy cooking demonstrations and instruction, with innovative recipes to improve various disease states.

She is a motivating nutritional counselor and engaging speaker with a passion for health promotion and empowering clients to commit to change.  She has consistently received accolades from her seminar participants for her personalized examples and the candidness of her presentations.  As an active listener and competent communicator, she is experienced in leading both large group presentations and one-on-one sessions with sensitivity and attention to individualized needs.

Andrew Roquiz, MD is faculty lead for the Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship Program at AdventHealth Sebring. He is also on faculty for the AdventHealth Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Roquiz is double board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. He has been adjunct faculty for Loma Linda School of Medicine and now teaches both residents and medical students in Sebring, Florida. Dr. Roquiz has taught multiple seminars on preventing and reversing diabetes. He is certified in the Nedley Depression & Anxiety Recovery Program and Optimize Your Brain Program. Dr. Roquiz is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is a board member of the AdventHealth Physicians Network. Dr. Roquiz also practices telemedicine part-time seeing patients in Idaho, Washington, California and Florida. He practices at AdventHealth Family & Lifestyle Medicine where he seeks a whole-person approach to medicine.

Dr. Neall is the licensed physical therapist for Divine Retreats.  He graduated in the top of his class from Andrews University with his doctorate in physical therapy.

He has provided physical therapy services and given educational seminars in lifestyle medicine centers in Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and the United States. Dr. Neall specializes in the Mckenzie Method* and has presented seminars and radio talk shows on the benefits of movement and flexibility.  He has acclaim for his motivational movement techniques that have consistently helped his patients quickly regain their health and exercise abilities. 

* “A biopsychosocial system of musculoskeletal care emphasizing patient empowerment and self-treatment.”

Mr. Muschette is the talented retreat musician for Divine Retreats, showcasing piano peices throughout the retreats. He has been playing the piano for over 30 years and has been truly touched by the impact his music has had on the mental wellness his listeners. This musical gift that the Lord has blessed him with has generated a bevy of emotions from people in multiple states. Music, specifically classical and Christian music, is therapeutic and in essence brings peace and healing to the mind and body.

Dr. Schwirzer is the mental health coach for Divine Retreats.  She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC). She holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Capella University.  She is currently completing her dissertation for a doctoral degree in education from Liberty University.   She has extensive experience in individual and group counseling and has presented seminars all over the world.  She is a prolific writer  and has authored 14 books. 

Dr. Schwirzer is a sought-after public speaker.  She has been a featured presenter on talk radio shows and made many TV appearances, lecturing on the principles of mental health.  Two of the most popular series are Finding Peace, a seminar on individual mental health, and To Love and Be Loved, a seminar on relationship health. She is the founder of an Orlando-based counseling firm.

Mrs. Schwirzer specializes in wholistic counseling and recovery from eating disorders. She uses an eclectic approach, which includes cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as interpersonal and motivational interventions.

For over 20 years, Rico developed, launched and oversaw hit TV programs for MTV’s Nickelodeon and was Vice President of Programming for Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network. Since leaving Hollywood, Rico has launched Beehive International, where he now focuses on producing healthy people and hosts his own health show, From Sickness to Health.

He serves on the Divine Retreats’ team as the emcee and also provides spiritual support and prayer for guests who so desire.

Mrs. Friedrich is a registered dietitian for Divine Retreats with a Masters of Public Health, specializing in nutrition counseling. Most recently she was an outpatient dietitian in the Center of Nutrition Excellence at AdventHealth. She has conducted weight management classes over the years. She has been involved with CHIP (Coronary Health Improvement Program) and plant based cooking classes. She is a strong believer in lifestyle management and wellness to improve quality of life.

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Dave played his first piano tune at the age of two and has been studying and playing all styles of music by note or by ear since.  Dave is an experienced and sought-after chamber musician, accompanist, solo performer and is known to play all styles of music anywhere a piano is available.  Dave taught piano full-time successfully for nearly a decade.  

Dave began performing 22 years ago. He has a passion for communicating the power and benefit that music can have on whole person health, whether as performer, or through appreciation as a listener.

Jayson Rhea serves as the Director of Operations for Divine Retreats. He oversees company operations as well as Divine Retreat's humanitarian efforts. With his experience as an educator and work in hospitality, Mr. Rhea leads and supports the entire team. His passion for excellence and his high standards are well known by all who interact with him.

Mr. Rhea is inspired to build experiences that enhance guests’ long-term health and well-being, allowing them to become the best version of themselves. His personal goal is to educate those who desire to “better themselves” through programs that will equip them for success.

Chariolett is the Retreat Manager for Divine Retreats. With 22+ years of experience, she’s planned and managed events of all sizes, from two guests to as many as 70,000 guests. She is dedicated to curating and transforming events into an experience and has a passion for excellence.

She’s a proud Baltimore native with roots and culture from Jamaica. She holds a master's degree in event management. Chariolett is recognized by her peers for her calm spirit and influence with a can-do attitude! Her goal is to help set everyone up for success through communication, planning and teamwork.

She considers it a privilege to serve with the esteemed team of curators for Divine Retreats in producing an enriching and educational event experience that will be practice for a long life of good health and wholeness.

Mr. Neall is the visionary and founder of Divine Retreats. He is a current leader at the Ritz-Carlton with a passion for luxury wellness travel and years of experience in hospitality.

In his time working at The Ritz-Carlton, he fell in love with the Gold Standards. Now, from his entire family's background in medicine, he has brought enhanced, whole-person care into Divine Retreats’ ultimate personalized experience.

Along with his well-known passion for the resort, he has become an expert in the field of luxury wellness retreats. He has conducted extensive research on each element of Divine Retreats and has created a retreat program that highlights the most acclaimed aspects of luxury wellness retreats nationwide.

His team has developed these retreats specifically for Ritz-Carlton resorts so that they highlight the best elements of the luxury resort while combining heightened personalized service with custom health care.

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Mr. Acosta is the retreat expert for Divine Retreats. He brings The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes experience to the Divine Retreats team.

His guest services background and enthusiasm for the resort and locale add to the richness of our retreat guests’ experience. He strives to give guests unparalleled service and memorable stays.

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Mrs. Neall is the nurse manager for Divine Retreats and has over five years of experience in whole person care.  She has traveled extensively all over the world providing compassionate healthcare to those in need. 

With a passion for wellness, Mrs. Clarke most recently was an Employee Clinic nurse for 10 years at AdventHealth Altamonte Springs. She enjoyed caring for the employees with an emphasis on prevention as well as monitoring blood pressure and Diabetes with lifestyle changes based on the Creation Health’s plant-based diet and exercise modules.

She also enjoyed coordinating community onsite events including testing and counselling for elevated glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure. From 1993-2003, she was the lead nurse for Corporate & International Health, providing testing and treadmills for executives, firefighters, and police. She has been blessed to serve at AdventHealth for 25 years as part of her 40-year nursing career.

Her happiest moments as a nurse have been witnessing her clients’ lifestyle changes leading to better life. Ultimately, she has strived to provide care for her patients and clients that extends the healing ministry of Christ. She brings this wealth of care and commitment to her roles as Divine Retreats’ medical assistant and health coach.