ISPA FOUNDATION
THE SECRET TO ALL AROUND
PRODUCTIVITY:
FOUNDATION
Supporting the Future
of the Spa Industry
2017
ISPA FOUNDATION
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
CHAIRMAN
Frank Pitsikalis
ResortSuite
VICE CHAIRMAN
Sharilyn Abbajay
Abbajay & Associates, LLC
DIRECTORS
Todd Shaw
ISPA Chairman
Todd Hewitt
ISPA Vice Chairman
Lynne McNees
ISPA President
MEDICAL ADVISOR
Brent Bauer, M.D.
Mayo Clinic
HONORARY BOARD
MEMBERS
Ruth Stricker
The Marsh, A Center for
Balance and Fitness
Deborah Szekely
WELLNESS WARRIOR
The ISPA Foundation
wishes to thank the following
supporters for their generous
contributions:
LUMINARY
Ruth Stricker
BENEFACTOR
Dr. Howard Murad
PATRON
The Foundation holds a key to the productive future of the
industry by supporting future and current students through
the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship. It is the ISPA Foundation’s
hope that students touched by these scholarships will not
only provide comfort and care to people who need it, but
also serve as an inspiration to others to join the spa profession. In the spirit of reflecting on
personal productivity, I’ve connected with two previous Mary Tabacchi Scholarship recipients,
Margot Mangiarotti (2016) and Kate Sornson (2010), to see what they have gained from the
scholarship and where the industry has taken them.
Frank Pitsikalis: How has receiving the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship enriched your
professional life?
Margot Mangiarotti: Receiving the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship has been impressive to the
companies that I have applied to and has offered an opportunity for thoughtful conversation
related to the spa industry and wellness! In addition, the
scholarship has given me exposure to a variety of
companies, especially those that are in the ISPA family.
Kate Sornson: When I began my spa management
degree at the Conrad N. Hilton College, I was the only
one of my friends pursuing a career in spa. Receiving the
scholarship and attending the 2010 ISPA Conference in
Margot
Kate Sornson
D.C. opened my eyes to the thousands of others Mangiarotti
pursuing the same dream and hardened my desire to
make a living in spa and wellness. The connections I made through applying for the scholarship
and those made annually at the ISPA Conferences have opened many doors I wouldn’t have
otherwise found.
P: What have you learned from being in the industry that you would share with current
students?
M: I have learned the importance of relationships! These relationships include those between
employees, managers and clients.
S: That no matter what your passions are, there’s a place for you in spa and wellness. As a $3.7
trillion global industry, wellness offers endless opportunities. For example, my career has allowed
me to travel the country promoting wellness, develop and implement a Five-Star training program
for a large urban spa, assist in the creation of The Global Mentorship Program, and manage spas
from three rooms to 22. There are so many ways to make a spa and wellness career your own!
Red Door Spas
ResortSuite
TO READ the rest of Frank’s
interview with Margot and Katie,
click here.
—FRANK PITSIKALIS, ISPA FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN
June 2017
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