Meet
karen smegal-Butler
Our ISPA
community is full
of diverse talents and
inspiring stories, all
working towards
the same goal:
a healthier
world.
eXecutIve recruIter • hutchInSon conSultIng • BurlIngton, vermont
“ever since i Was very little, I loved thunderstorms.
Much to my mother’s dismay, I would sit out on our front
porch as the thunder and lightning cracked all around me.
As I grew, so did my passion for all kinds of weather and
when I was in high school, I decided to go to Lyndon State
College [to study] meteorology and broadcast journalism.
My dream was to chase tornadoes and deliver live reports on
The Weather Channel. The math classes were much harder
than I expected, and my dreams did not come to fruition.
After graduating with a degree in communications, I took a
job that would allow me to pay my bills and figure out what I
was really going to do with my life. That job just happened to
be at Canyon Ranch! After a few years and some amazing
mentors, I looked back and realized that the spa industry was
exactly where I was meant to be.
“After nearly twenty years in operations, I knew it was
time to spread my wings, and when my longtime friend
Michael Tompkins asked me to join the team at Hutchinson
Consulting, I couldn’t resist! I am incredibly grateful to be part
of a company that does so many wonderful things for the
industry.”
Karen has had an equally fruitful experience as a parent
and stays actively involved in her children’s lives amid her
professional responsibilities.
“Personally, I am most proud of my children. All teenagers,
I believe my kids are well-grounded, have great work ethics
and, most importantly, are kind and compassionate human
beings. I am very involved in their school activities, and I
believe anything that can be done to support them through
life and prepare them for entering the crazy adult world is
time well spent. My favorite way to unwind is by focusing on
my family. Whether it is watching my older two children play
sports, shopping with my youngest or just relaxing on the
couch with my husband—there is no better cure for stress
than being with the ones I love the most.”
90
PULSE
■
SEPtEmbEr 2019
n