FROM YOUR CHAIRMAN
ISPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
IT ’ S MIDSUMMER , and here in the U . S ., I ’ m sure many of us are looking forward to the cooler temperatures of the fall and the continued march towards a return to regular life as we work to put the pandemic firmly in our rear view mirrors . It ’ s difficult to believe that the last “ normal ” fall we had was two years ago . At ISPA , we too are returning to normal , and the work continues . Since well before the pandemic , our industry has faced serious workforce challenges — we simply did not have enough therapists to meet the expanding needs of our businesses .
Now that spas have reopened and demand for their services is on the rise , the need for therapists is even more pressing . To that end , ISPA is busy working on creating a Talent Toolkit to help our members attract and retain the best therapists , spa support staff and spa leaders . We are approaching this toolkit in much the same way as the Reopening Toolkit we developed last year : with the help of countless groups and individuals throughout the industry and by asking our members about their real-time needs and building a tool specifically designed to meet them . It ’ s truly an all-hands-on-the-rope effort .
The past year and a half reinforced the importance of addressing these kinds of critical spa industry issues through dialogue with our industry colleagues and experts . Our workforce challenges are just one example . We have also programmed hundreds of hours of virtual town halls , interviews and mindful messages to keep the membership engaged and up to date on the happenings within the industry . As we head into Conference in 2022 , we will keep these important virtual discussions coming to you on a monthly basis until we can all meet together again in Las Vegas .
All of this to say that we as an industry and an association have not merely survived the pandemic , but in our recovery , we have found new ways to thrive together . Now , we look forward with cautious optimism , more confident than ever in our ability to flex , pivot and turn on a dime . Whatever the future holds , our resilient ISPA community will be ready for it .
— PATRICK HUEY , CHAIRMAN
ELECTED OFFICERS CHAIRMAN
Patrick Huey Montage International
VICE CHAIRMAN
Michelle Adams Somerville Woodstock Inn & Resort
SECRETARY / TREASURER
Kelleye Martin The Edgewater Spa
DIRECTORS
Natasha Burns Resorts World Las Vegas
Brennan Evans Trilogy Spa Holdings
Lynelle Lynch Bellus Academy
Dawn MacLellan St . Andrews Country Club
Jay Muller Technogym
Frank Pitsikalis Foundation Chairman ResortSuite
Eric Savage Freedom Spa , LLC
Yvonne Smith Seeking new adventure
Jessica Timberlake Éminence Organic Skin Care
ADVISOR TO THE BOARD Garrett Mersberger
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Todd Shaw
Lynne McNees President International SPA Association
MEDICAL ADVISOR Brent A . Bauer , MD Mayo Clinic
2 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2021