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WHO IS ROCK STEADY .
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SCOTT C. NEWMAN President and founder of Rock Steady Boxing Foundation. Diagnosed at age 40 with Parkinson’s Disease, Newman also founded a non-profit corporation, Young Parkinson’s of Indiana, which continues today to offer support and assistance to younger people diagnosed with this presently incurable, degenerative disease. Newman helped conceive the idea of Rock Steady Boxing, inspired by his personal experience of rolling back the ravages of the disease by lacing up his first pair of boxing gloves at age 43, and learning to fight his way out of the corner. Recently, Newman was appointed Public Safety Director for the city of Indianapolis/Marion County. He also co-founded and previously served as President & CEO of Strand Analytical Laboratories, LLC, a growing DNA testing laboratory. Before founding Strand Laboratories, Newman served as an Assistant United States Attorney, was elected the district attorney for Indianapolis/Marion County in 1994, and was re-elected in 1998. Newman is a 1982 summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, and a 1985 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.
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Scott C. Newman President
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VINCENT PEREZ . RSB Vice-President and co-founder. Currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Forensic ID, a DNA device company he founded. Before starting Forensic ID, he was the General Counsel for Strand Analytical Laboratories. Prior to attending law school at George Mason School of Law, Perez was a Police Officer is Omaha, Nebraska, combating gang violence as a part of a federally funded special gang unit. He also became involved in amateur boxing, winning the district Golden Gloves tournament in 1996. Somewhat unwittingly, Perez first took on Parkinson’s Disease when he sought to motivate his friend, Scott Newman, then suffering deterioration from the effects of the disease. Perez’s instinct to keep Newman punching became the germination of the Rock Steady Boxing idea—an idea that is just now beginning to find support in Parkinson’s research. His two young daughters, Gabrielle (11), and Colette (8), completed the Rock Steady idea when they began to express their desire to follow in their father’s footwork, by learning to box.
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Vincent Perez Vice President/Certified Trainer
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KRISTINA ROSE FOLLMAR . RSB Executive Director. Follmar is a 2003 graduate of Ball State University, majoring in Telecommunications and Sociology. After working as a production assistant for the Indianapolis affiliate of Fox television (Fox59 Morning Show), Follmar worked in sales and marketing for an Indianapolis-based Emmy Award-winning video production and new media development firm. Follmar began her boxing career as Indiana Golden Gloves Women’s Champ (1999, 2000) then went on to become world-ranked professional boxer becoming the first ever Women’s Indiana State Champion and NABC Featherweight and Super Featherweight Champion (2002, 2003). With several nationally televised bouts to her credit, Follmar retired from the ring in 2005 with a 15-1 record (9KO) to focus on her professional career and motherhood. Follmar feels proud of the part she was able to play in creating a more positive perception of women in professional boxing, and grateful for the confidence and discipline she gained in all aspects of her life. Follmar is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Association of Sports Medicine. She views Rock Steady as an opportunity to bring her ring experience, certifiable knowledge of physical conditioning and formal education in communications and marketing to the task of running a successful foundation that builds capacity among women, while helping those suffering from Parkinson’s to move forward with a stronger body and mind.
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Kristina Rose Follmar Executive Director/Certified Trainer
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