WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 12, 2011 – Washington Spa Alliance (WSPA) has named its first Board of Directors. It is led by Co-Chairs Sharilyn Abbajay and Bernard Burt. Mary Elizabeth Gifford serves as Vice Chair, Ada Polla as Treasurer, and Penny Kriel as Secretary. The complete board roster and professional affiliates are as follows:

 

Officers

 

Sharilyn Abbajay, Co-Chair

Vice President, Global Spa & Retail

Marriott International

 

Bernard Burt, Co-Chair

Editor and Publisher

SpaGoer.com

 

Mary Elizabeth Gifford, Vice Chair

Senior Advisor

Island Outpost

 

Ada Polla

President & CEO

Alchimie Forever

 

Penny Kriel, Secretary

Spa Director

Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C.

 

Additional Board Members

 

Mary Bemis

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Organic Spa Magazine

 

Laurie Dietter

Director of Communication Design

Glen Ivy Hot Springs

 

Mary Gendron

President

Middleton & Gendron Brand Communications

 

Susan Gwaltney

President

Essential Spa Consulting

 

Kathleen Jo

Web Design Consultant

 

Mary Pilch

Strategic Partnership and Communications Manager

WTS International

 

Eric Sommerville

General Manager

Mint Fitness and Spa

 

The board is charged with carrying out the mission of Washington Spa Alliance which is to act as a knowledge center, connecting spa professionals within the nation’s greater capital region while raising awareness of the robust spa community here. The organization promotes the exchange of education and innovation in the field, and works to ensure that the highest ideals of spa are met through policy and action.

 

Washington Spa Alliance recognizes that the greater spa industry’s pioneering efforts encompass a unique inter-disciplinary approach to fitness, travel, alternative and preventive medicine, and a connection to nature, as well as sustainable practices ranging from economics to agriculture. The group’s role is to serve as a catalyst for discussion and action that builds coalition among individuals and organizations with complementary vision. Washington Spa Alliance is quickly capturing the interest of individuals and organizations whose interests dovetail with the group’s tenets of wellbeing and sustainability.

 

The organization’s First Annual Symposium will be held at the National Press Club on March 24, 2011.

 

Regional members of the spa and related communities may join WSPA for the following annual dues: Individual Member — $75; Corporate Member — $150 (up to 4 employees); or $300 (unlimited employees). For membership or additional information, contact: Washington National Spa Alliance, 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 201, Washington, D.C. 20007; 202.530.3931; info@washingtonspaalliance.com; http://www.washingtonspaalliance.com .

Tags: spa, spa professional