AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College has been designated a Gold Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association (AHA) in recognition of the college’s commitment to providing physical activity and wellness opportunities to employees.

This marks the third consecutive AHA distinction that Daemen has received in the Fit-Friendly Worksites Program that serves as a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping workplaces make the health and wellness of their employees a priority.

“We are honored to have Daemen selected again for this national designation, which is a testament to the positive emphasis we place on the well-being of our employees and to making our campus a healthy workplace,” said Daemen President Gary A. Olson.

In addition to promoting a culture of wellness, Daemen received gold-level status for offering employees physical activity support, providing healthy eating options, and implementing at least nine criteria outlined by the AHA in physical activity, nutrition and culture.

Daemen’s campus-wide wellness efforts for employees, which are overseen by Kelly Pogore, assistant director of human resources, encourage a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and healthy food choices, exercise, stress reduction activities, wellness focused resources and events, and a range of other activities throughout the year.

“As we continue to build on the success of our wellness programming, our efforts have been instrumental to creating a workplace environment that encourages our employees to engage in healthier lifestyle habits that impact overall wellness while also helping to mitigate health care costs,” said Pamela Neumann, Daemen director of human resources.