ASIS Massage School Administration
ASIS Massage Education is proud to say that it is yet another off shoot of the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville Florida. This transpersonal whole person approach to massage therapy has been a long standing philosophy.
In the early 1990′s Joseph and Jamie Rongo, while teaching at FSM assisted friends with the opening of their schools, and the training of their staff. The Finger Lakes School of Massage in Ithaca & Florida School of Therapeutic Massage in Pensacola were both inspirations for the launching of ASIS Massage Education.
Founded in 1995-96, ASIS Massage Education (ASIS) was originally located in the Healing Arts Center in Old Town Cottonwood. The main campus of ASIS is now situated on nine beautiful acres of high desert overlooking the meandering Verde River and the mysterious Sycamore Canyon.
The ASIS instructors and staff, work closely with students, honoring diverse learning styles and developing a supportive classroom environment for all learners to flourish. Respect for each individual, reverence for life itself, enthusiasm for the healing potential of massage therapy, and a commitment to the learning process are at the core of ASIS Massage Education
ASIS Founders
Joseph and Jamie Rongo
Joseph and Jamie are co-founders, curriculum directors, and directors of teacher training for the Arizona School of Integrative Studies (now ASIS Massage Education). Their energetic and creative style of living is reflected throughout their work in both the classroom and the business world. Together, and in partnership with all the ASIS staff, they envision massage therapy education and practice to be concrete steps toward self-empowerment and world peace. Joseph and Jamie are parents to three wonderful, individual children, and as a family they live in their hand-built home overlooking the Verde River in Clarkdale, Arizona. Both Jamie & Joseph were trained at the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, Florida.
Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.
Dalai Lama
School Administrators
Karen Mackenzie Hemleben, CMT
Karen Mackenzie Hemleben, was raised in southern England and spent a decade working in the Marketing & Media industry before moving to the 
United States in 1992. Health issues had lead Karen to follow alternative treatments at a Chinese Hospital in London. The focus on Thai Chi & bodywork lead Karen to study Iyengar Yoga at a School in Southern California, followed by complimentary studies in Viniyoga. Karen completed her Yoga Teacher Training through ASIS in 1999 and had the opportunity to teach Yoga for over 10 years. The focus and fascination of the human system led Karen back to ASIS for the Massage Therapy Program, and she never left. Karen lives in the funky artists community of Jerome, with her son Cole Mingus.
Sara Freeman, BS, LMT
Sara is the administrator and director of ASIS in Prescott. She is a graduate of Southwestern University with a BA in Biology and holds advance certifications in NMT, Teacher Training, and Sports Massage. Ten years of a massage practice in Texas and Arizona helped her discover a way of seeing through her fingertips. Her love for the human form and feel has influenced her as an artist. Currently, she creates figurative and abstract sculpture, with an emphasis on human form, as well as functional pottery commissions. With enthusiastic energy, good-will, active outdoor pursuits, and great quality of life, Sara brings an exciting learning experience to NMT and Therapeutic Processes.
John Morris, M.div.
John has a multifaceted career in educational and therapeutic settings. His compassionate approach is reflected in his personal commitment to take responsibility for his own life and learning. John is committed to his work in promoting positive change in his role as Drug Court Coordinator, working with a team of professionals to offer hope and healing. He is also an instructor at the Probation Officer’s Academy of the Arizona Supreme Court and a certified instructor for Yavapai College. John is married to Greta Stromberg and has two daughters and two grandchildren, all of whom he is exceedingly proud. He also enjoys hiking, reading, writing, laughter, and the preparation and taste of good food.
Michele Rose Munday, NCTMB
Michele is the Administrator and Clinic Supervisor at ASIS Massage School in Prescott, AZ as well as a practicing Massage Therapist. She joined ASIS after completing the Massage Therapy Training in Prescott. Michele brings to ASIS a life experience as an entrepreneur and a member of local networking groups and community organizations. She works with a desire to help others achieve their goals and meet their desires to learn more of the human body, mind and spirit. Michele is also wife and a mother, two roles that she thoroughly enjoys. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family and in nature, as well as drawing and painting, & sports. Michele is a collector of comic books and comic memorabilia.
Lisa Viada, LMT
Lisa, a graduate of ASIS, is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has raised her family of two amazing children, in Flagstaff and has strong 
community ties. Lisa has also has a strong knowledge of Holistic nutrition, her business, “Fresh Delights” serves fresh/raw foods that are gluten, dairy and GMO free. She is a former Personal Fitness Trainer, Hospice care worker, and volunteered for Flagstaff Little League. Lisa studied accounting, Green Building, Planning and Estimating and was a Project Engineer for Commercial Contractors before deciding to follow what she feels is her true path, assisting others in health. By doing so, her life became de-stressed as she studied to become a Massage Therapist.
Jodi Johnson
A graduate of three Cranial Sacral Programs, Jodi Johnson brings her love of life and considerable knowledge, combined with a deep respect for the healing process and safety to her clients and students. Upledger Institute trained among other schools, she is a therapist, healer and teacher. Jodi is devoted to facilitating her clients and students in accessing their own inner wisdom and healing. Her exploration of the healing arts began after experiencing a profound transformation of her own chronic health issues. She has studied extensively for more than a decade and a half; and now teaches in the fields of cranial sacral therapy, infant massage, polarity therapy, hot stone massage, essential oils,communications and ethics.
Sierra Snyder, LMT, NCTMB
Upon graduating from ASIS, Sierra immediately returned to the Sedona/Verde Valley campus in April to start Teacher Training. After experiencing the profound and cathartic effects of massage school, she is now aware of the efficacy of ASIS and promotes this message as an administrator in the office. With excitement, Sierra witnesses others cultivate their own self-awareness and presence in being. In alignment with her lifetime goal of studying Ayurveda and holistic health, she is moving toward one day becoming a Naturopath. Sierra is a Vipassana meditator and finds joy and clarity in drumming and rhythm, writing music, painting, doing yoga and lavishing her love on cats.
Dr. Mayur V. Shah, Pharm.D.
www.mrxicorp.com
Mayur received is Doctorate in pharmacy from Mid-Western University in Chicago. He has specialized in Oncology & Pain Management at Elmhurst Hospital. He has received the Leader of the Year award & the Rho Pi Phi chancellor pin, and has co-authored the written protocol for sickle cell pain crisis management. He lives in Chicago with his wife and 2 children, where he is the director of MRXi corporation, where he facilitates the teaching of Pharmacy Technician students.
Greta Stromberg, MS, LISAC, LMT
Greta holds a Masters of Science in Health and Human Services, is a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC), a Licensed Massage Therapist and a certified holotropic breathwork practitioner. Greta owns and operates a private practice in Prescott, where she utilizes a holistic approach to healing. She conducts counseling sessions, bodywork, breath-work and lectures at local treatment centers. On the Prescott campus of ASIS , Greta teaches personal growth, communications, problem-solving and overall being human courses. Her passions are her family, friends, and her dog Bailey. She loves the outdoors, hiking, biking and swimming.
The aspiration that guides ASIS is to create a safe, supportive, and evocative learning environment, while celebrating the diversity, uniqueness, and beauty of each individual being’s body, mind, and soul.
