Joe Wions

Joe Wions was born and raised in New Jersey, where he resided with his wife, Diane, son, Dan, daughter Julie, and his health aide, Jimmy until 2011.  He was a graduate of Rutgers University, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in social history and a Master of Education degree, with a primary focus in counseling psychology.  During the early part of his career, Joe put his education to use in the fields of management training and organization development.  Over a fourteen year span, he sharpened his skills while under the employment of Johnson and Johnson, American Hoechst Corporation, and Merck & Company, Inc.  He then put his extensive experience in executive coaching, team development, change and transition management, and management and leadership training to work as an organizational development consultant. In 1992, Joe joined forces with Howard Guttman, and helped to build Guttman Development Strategies, Inc. (GDS) into one of the top management consulting firms in the country.  Over his twelve years with GDS, Joe consulted with numerous fortune 500 corporations and non-profit organizations in the United States and internationally. He spoke on a wide variety of topics, including: leadership, conflict management, team building, listening and assertion, performance management, development of management curricula, and earning management support.

In 2003, after three years of struggling with a growing weakness in his right leg, Joe was conclusively diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease).   By the fall of that same year, he was forced to bring his consulting career to a premature end in order to address his health issues.  Refusing to accept the inevitability of what is typically viewed as a medical death sentence, Joe turned his formidable coaching skills on himself, infused himself with a positive outlook, and set out to explore healing options outside of the traditional medical paradigm.  After six years of determined experimentation, and almost 12 years of living with ALS, Joe achieved a halting of many symptoms of the disease, and showed a significant increase in lung capacity over the course of several years… a feat that is said to have been impossible.

Diane Wions

Diane Wions retired in 2011 from a wonderful teaching career in Edison.  She now enjoys her time teaching piano, observing student teachers for Rutgers University, exercising, swimming, hiking, and traveling.

Dan Wions

Julie Wions

Now a Los Angeles-based model and actress (www.JulieWions.com), Julie displays her moving and insightful original artwork and photography on her website, www.CreationsByJulie.net.  A portion of all profits from your purchase of her products is donated to the ALS Association, to support the fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  Like her father, Julie is passionate about helping others in her community.  She works part time as a residential technician for victims of abuse, trauma, mental illness and addiction, and volunteers for the homeless on her time off.

SerenAIDe

Throughout much of Joe’s illness and out of love and gratitude for their teacher, Diane Wions’ choir students at J.P. Stevens High School, in Edison NJ, produced a benefit concert that featured teachers, other students, community members, and alumni of the school. Proceeds from the concert went toward ALS research and helped the Wions family, as well as others fighting ALS. This concert has become an annual event that brings together the community, builds confidence in kids, and creates beautiful and moving musical experiences. Footage is available through a quick Google or YouTube search of “SerenAIDe JP Stevens.” To date, they have raised more than $75,000 for ALS research and support for families affected by the disease. To view more, visit their facebook page: SerenAIDe.