BOARD BRIEFINGS
BOARD BRIEFINGS
KELLEYE MARTIN’ S TIME AS ISPA CHAIR concludes in June when new 2025-26 ISPA Board officers are elected and begin their terms.( Watch for that story in the August Pulse.) Here, she shares a few of her favorite experiences leading the association and reflects on accomplishments and initiatives that make her most proud.
A THOUGHT-PROVOKING CONVERSATION“ OUR STRATEGIC VISIONING SESSION with Jean Kolb this past year was a real‘ aha moment.’ After spending the last four years navigating Covid and everything that came with it, we’ d been in survival mode. During that time, planning for ISPA’ s future meant looking just one year ahead— we, like everyone else, had no idea what the world would look like beyond that.
“ This time— during the 2024 strategic session— we were finally able to step back and take a broader view. We looked five, 10, even 20 years ahead. That shift made it feel like we were no longer just surviving, but truly moving forward and thriving.
“ One of the ideas that came out of that conversation was iLearn— our new learning management platform that launched in early 2025 as a member benefit. With so many new leaders entering the spa world, whether they’ ve
grown within the industry or come in from other fields, we started asking: Where can they go to gain that deep, essential knowledge of spa leadership? We recognized a gap— and we knew we had to fill it.”
INVESTING IN FUTURE SPA LEADERS“ I’ m especially excited about the internship program we’ ve launched through ISPA’ s Collaborative on Higher Education( CoHE).” CoHE brings together experts in university recreation and wellness from across North America and serves as a think tank and sounding board for the spa industry.
As educators and ambassadors for ISPA, CoHE members are driving innovation and helping ensure the next generation of spa professionals is prepared, passionate and well-supported.“ It was incredible to see so many properties step up and apply to host interns— it really shows how committed our industry is to developing future leaders.”
PULSE n JUNE / JULY 2025 58