Gail Maxwell Already a Familiar Face at Butterfield
Butterfield has added to its Fitness & Wellness team a longtime fitness professional who has worked extensively with the senior-adult community in Northwest Arkansas.
Gail Maxwell is Butterfield’s new Exercise Specialist. She will work with BTV Fitness & Wellness Director Jennifer Neill teaching group exercise classes, working one-on-one with residents and facilitating activities and events, like ping-pong, group hiking and fall prevention testing and monitoring.
A local fitness instructor and personal trainer, Maxwell has been teaching exercise classes to the 55+ community since 1997, in locations including Fayetteville Athletic Club, the Washington Regional Center for Exercise, and the Fayetteville Senior Activity & Wellness Center.
Maxwell holds a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the University of Texas at Austin. Over the years, she has taught yoga and Pilates, and has earned a number of certifications, including group fitness instructor by the Athletics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). She is also a Silver Sneakers exercise instructor, and has expertise in Neuromuscular Integrative Action (NIA) techniques, free-form dance and movement.
As BTV Exercise Specialist, Maxwell looks forward to working with residents and teaching exercise classes, especially those involving dance and music.
“I love music from all generations and genres,” Maxwell said. “The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, classical. Overall, my style of teaching is relaxed and lends itself to having a good time. I’m all about having fun.”
Some residents have already met Maxwell in her other role at Butterfield: daytime-weekend receptionist at the front desk! She has held the position since January 2021 and will continue to do so.
Maxwell came to the Village after classes she was teaching at the senior center were cancelled due to the pandemic. She applied at BTV for the weekend receptionist job and was interviewed by Program and Events Director Riki Stamps, who wondered whether Maxwell would enjoy a stationary desk job.
“Riki is right that I love to be moving, but this is an active front desk – that keeps you on your toes, so to speak” Maxwell said. “I am so thankful to have had extensive training with receptionist Kelly Goff. From my first day I saw how Kelly keeps all the balls in the air. It’s a mental workout!
Jennifer Neill said Maxwell’s experience and expertise make her a great addition to the Fitness & Wellness team, and her part-time receptionist role is a plus.
“Gail is an enthusiastic and energetic person who brings a lot of fun and energy to whatever she does,” Neill said. “At the front desk, she’ll be able to promote fitness and wellness activities to residents, and then share another side of herself teaching exercise classes.”
