Pulse September 2020 | Page 6

FROM YOUR CHAIRMAN “Far from tearing us apart, this pandemic has galvanized us. We are singularly focused. We are engaged in saving our industry. We are charting a new way forward.” 2 PULSE ■ SEPTEMBER 2020 WRITING THIS LETTER FOR PULSE will be the first official duty I perform as ISPA Board Chairman, a role that has been so ably filled by so many great names in our industry—Kolb, Tompkins, Kent, Waldvogel, Root, Segerberg, Shaw and Mersberger, to name a few. I’ll be honest: it’s daunting, facing the blank page as the blinking cursor asks, “Well, what do you have to say?” Today, our industry is at a crossroads, and it often feels as though our very survival is on the table. I am here to tell you, ISPA family, that we will survive this time, and we will come out of this stronger and more resilient than we previously thought possible. But I don’t want to talk about face masks, cleaning solutions or that pressing question, “To glove, or not to glove?” Instead, I want to talk about the silver lining surrounding the cloud that is COVID-19: the collaborative spirit our industry has demonstrated during the pandemic and the incredible level of engagement our industry has had with ISPA these past few months. ISPA’s Reopening Toolkit and our recent virtual events reveal the impact of that engagement and collaboration. The toolkit has had over 180,000 views and downloads since launching in April, while our ISPA Town Hall Series and our Chats with Product Pros have reached more than 18,000 participants on various platforms. Both of these successful initiatives are the results of spa professionals worldwide coming together on a volunteer basis to share their hearts, their knowledge and their real world experiences to help the brilliant ISPA staff create and deliver a roadmap to reopening during a difficult time. Far from tearing us apart, this pandemic has galvanized us. We are singularly focused. We are engaged in saving our industry. We are charting a new way forward. It’s anyone’s guess what the future holds, but our ability to weather this storm is reflected in our willingness to stay engaged with one another and safely engaged in providing treatments and services, manufacturing products, educating new service providers and mentoring tomorrow’s leaders. By doing that, each of us breathes life into our industry and creates the human experiences that are our real work. —PATRICK HUEY, CHAIRMAN ISPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED OFFICERS CHAIRMAN Patrick Huey Montage International VICE CHAIRMAN Michelle Adams Somerville Woodstock Inn & Resort SECRETARY/TREASURER Kelleye Martin The Edgewater Spa DIRECTORS Natasha Burns Seeking new adventure Jill Carlen Seeking new adventure Brennan Evans Trilogy Spa Holdings Kristine Huffman Hutchinson Consulting Lynelle Lynch Bellus Academy Dawn MacLellan St. Andrews Country Club Jay Muller Technogym Frank Pitsikalis Foundation Chairman ResortSuite Eric Savage Freedom Spa, LLC Yvonne Smith La Rive Spa at Northern Quest Resort & Casino Eric Stephenson Elements Massage Jessica Timberlake Éminence Organic Skin Care ADVISOR TO THE BOARD Garrett Mersberger IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Todd Shaw Lynne McNees President International SPA Association MEDICAL ADVISOR Brent A. Bauer, MD Mayo Clinic