BY KRISTINE HUFFMAN

Throughout 2023 , Pulse will feature interviews with experienced practitioners whose insights about spa specialties will help facility leaders to recruit , engage and retain staff members .

KRISTINE HUFFMAN for Pulse : How did you find yourself in the resort world ? DAVID CHESWORTH : My interest in fitness started in my junior year of high school . I asked for a weight set for Christmas and I ended up getting hooked on working out . At that same time , my dad had a rotator cuff injury and after surgery went through physical therapy . I discovered a passion for working out , and I saw a real-world application to help people .

Then , with my degree in exercise science , we had to do two internships . First , I got to experience work in a strength and conditioning gym at Bowling Green . For my second internship I discovered Hilton Head Health and I

fell in love with wellness tourism .

I ’ ve been here now for 10 years . I started out leading a variety of classes : fitness classes , personalized stretching , recovery sessions , personal training . I got a look at how the marketing department did things , guest services . I ’ m now in a place where I am bringing in specialists who are truly better than me at certain things to create the programs . But I can always go back and do the things I ’ ve done before as a fill-in .

Pulse : In your program director role , you ’ re hiring people into the industry . You mentioned the specialists you hire . What do you look for to fit them into your programs ?

26 PULSE ⁿ APRIL 2023