2 A Message from Your ISPA Chair
BY KENNETH RYAN
8 ISPA News
11 ISPA at 35 From Community to Industry— and Back Again— a discussion with Jim Root
10
KATE MEARNS 2026 ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award Honoree
12 Legislative Updates Interstate Compacts
22 Sound Off Best Mentor Advice
23 Celebrating Our Pulse Advertisers
48 Snapshot Survey Analysis From First Impression to Long-term Retention— How Spas Are Redefining Hiring and Onboarding
11
54 ISPA Town Hall Retail Refresh— Fresh Ideas Spark Revenue
58 Member News
61 Board Briefings
62 ISPA Foundation Focus
BY TODD SHAW
63 ISPA Headquarters Team
TOWN HALL RECAP
54
64 End Notes
BY LYNNE MCNEES
ABOUT THE COVER
AMID THE SHIFTING TIDES of professional growth, mentors can serve as lighthouses. They need not steer anyone’ s course or determine a destination; instead, they can offer a steady presence— consistent, grounded, quietly illuminating the waters ahead. Their light doesn’ t choose a path, but it can help team members and leaders alike navigate with greater confidence, clarity and purpose. In that gentle illumination, new possibilities come into view.
COVER IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / MARJA WALKER / AMY FINDER
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