2016 ISPA DEDICATED CONTRIBUTOR AWARD RECIPIENT industry leaders. Apart from leaving her role as director of wellness business at Kohler Co. before she retired last year, Kolb has also served for several years on the ISPA Board. Part of her legacy is her leadership as ISPA chairman, leading a stronger ISPA community in the face of an economic downturn. Yet with all her contributions to the spa industry, Kolb has more to give.“ When it comes to my biggest accomplishment, I choose to think I haven’ t achieved it yet. There’ s so much more we all can do,” she says.

To get a glimpse of this year’ s ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award recipient’ s journey in the spa industry, here’ s a timeline that reflects a few of her career highlights.

Childhood age when Kolb first discovered her love of spa and fitness.“ I was 10 years old when my mom took me to an aerobics class. Not long, this gangly and awkward little girl became coordinated and confident,” she says, recalling the moment when she first learned the benefits of spa, fitness and health.

The year when

Kolb was first introduced to ISPA and started working at the Kohler health club called Sports Core.“ We had four treatment rooms that were converted from old closets. I knew we could do better. A professional speaker, Mikki Williams, who I knew from the health club industry suggested I attend the ISPA Conference & Expo. I thought:‘ What can it hurt? I may learn a thing or two!’”

That same year, Kolb also met some of the spa industry’ s pioneers, including Erica Miller, Frank van Putten and Jeff Kohl, who was then with PGA National Resort & Spa. To help her become more familiar about the spa industry, Kolb also toured day spas and met with Noelle DeCaprio, founder of Noelle Day Spa.

A highlight year for Kolb’ s career at Kohler Spa.

On December 18, 2000, Kohler Waters Spa opened in the tiny village of Kohler, Wisconsin.“ It opened with high expectations and we were going to make sure we did not disappoint. The months leading up to it were just like pregnancy, and then the 72 hours before were pure labor pains,” Kolb recalls.“ We not only had a beautiful and world-class facility, I felt very strongly about hiring world-class staff members who were going to lay a strong foundation for the future. It was a memorable time.”

Year when Kolb first served as

ISPA Chairman. Several years prior to serving as ISPA Chairman, Kolb had already served as an officer on the ISPA Board.“ My good friend, Jim Root, just finished his chairmanship and the opportunity for me to throw my name in the hat was there. I felt a sense of duty and honor in even being considered for the role,” she says. The timing couldn’ t have been any more perfect. At that time, both of her sons were already in college and she also just finished her own college studies.“ I knew I had more to contribute. What I didn’ t know then was that the economy was going to tank. However, looking back, I still would have done it. It was a time of great debate on many issues, but also strong

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26 PULSE ■ July 2016