Spa Juice – November 2019

Congratulations to our Movers, Shakers & Decision Makers!

Our extraordinary Spa Industry is continuously evolving through innovation and transformation.
Highly appreciated professionals in the Spa community are taking on new
challenges and positions as they start a new venture in their career.

Christopher Myers, Spa Manager, The Breakers, Palm Beach

Recently, Christopher accepted a new position as Spa Manager at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Christopher is an experienced Spa professional who has demonstrated a history of working in the hospitality industry with diverse knowledge in daily spa operations, marketing and team management. His professional capability and leadership skills takes his job to a new level at The Breakers. Previously Christopher was the Assistant Spa Director at Salamander Resort & Spa, a 5-Star property in Washington DC for over 2 years. Prior to his employment up North, Christopher was the Manager of Spa Operations at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in Boca Raton Florida for nearly 3 years.   This is a impressive opportunity for Christopher and we’re happy to welcome him back to Florida. We wish him lots of luck at the Breakers and know he will be an exceptional asset for his new team. Congratulations Christopher!

Jade Billard, Spa & Salon Manager, Hippocrates Health Institute, West Palm Beach

Congratulation to Jade who has currently taken a new position as Spa & Salon Manager at Hippocrates Health Institute. Previous to this new role, Jade was Assistant Spa Manager at the Seagate Hotel & Spa for nearly 3 years. Prior to her job at Seagate Spa, Jade was the Spa Supervisor along with Pat Dutcher, who was the Spa Director at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Resort & Spa from 2014 -2016.   Jade has always had a passion for health and wellness and recently had the good fortune to reunite with Pat Dutcher, her previous director and mentor, and now has the opportunity to advance her career in a growing and vital health and wellness environment at Hippocrates. In addition, Jade is very excited to work with Pat again. We wish Jade the best of luck and know she will shine in her new job. Well done Jade!

Terry Prager, Executive Director of Hotel Spas and Day Spas for Natura Bisse for USA

We are excited to announce Terry’s new journey as Executive Director of Hotel & Day Spas for Natura Bisse. Previously Terry was Vice President of Business Development for The Americas at ESPA International for nearly 8 years and also the FSA Advisory Council Chair-Woman for 2 years before she moved to California to take on the role of Director of Spa and Wellness at The Estate Yountville, which she held for 3½ years. Terry is widely recognized and respected for her vast knowledge and experience in the spa industry. She is a consummate leader and visionary in both spa operations and as well as developing and growing spa brands. Terry was also a key asset for the FSA family and we were very fortunate to have her on board. She provided a lot of merit to our association and the Florida Spa Community.   There is no uncertainty that Terry will be extremely valuable in her new role at Natura Bisse and we are very proud of all of her accomplishments. Way to go Terry…. Bravo!

Industry Announcements, Promotions & Awards

Rianna Riego, The Rianna, LLC, Spa Consultancy

An Industry Veteran, Rianna Riego, recently launched a spa and wellness consultancy which will offer a ‘360 degree consulting service to companies, organizations, and individuals with focus on relevancy in today’s wellness market. Rianna has opened and operated many spa and wellness resorts throughout her 22-year career, working in corporate roles such as Manila Hamilton International, Marriott International, and KSL Resorts. She was also responsible for rebranding and converting the Two Bunch Palms Spa Resort into the first carbon-neutral resort in North America and in 2017 co-founded Civana, an affordable wellness resort. “Every step I have taken in my career has prepared me to provide my partners with the benefit of hands-on experience from creating a vision, to execution and telling the story with a unique brand of authenticity and transparency. I look forward to partnering with professionals who desire to promote wellness through their philosophy and practices”. This is an exciting new venture for Rianna and her success is imminent in her future endeavor. Best of luck, Rianna!!

Paul Wright, Senior Vice President of Sales & Lemi Brand Manager, Ready Care

Ready Care just announced the promotion of Paul to Senior Vice President of Sales & Lemi Brand Manager. Paul has served Ready Care for the past 13 years as Regional Vice-President of Sales for the state of Florida and the Caribbean. During this time he grew his region in annual sales year after year and his hard work, dedication, and customer relationships in the Spa, Resort, and Club communities has yielded growth and postured Ready Care as the leader in supplies for the Spas and Clubs in Florida. Paul will be responsible for Lemi sales in the US while overseeing the new Regional VP in the South region, working directly with the Ready Care team and Lemi Corporation based in Italy for marketing, promotion, and sales for the US market. This is a significant accomplishment for Paul and well deserved. We know he will do an outstanding job and very excited for Paul…. Kudos!!

Alena Stavnjak, Director of Spa & Wellness, Bamford Haybarn Spa, 1 Hotel South Beach

Best wishes to Alena for recently winning Florida’s Best Hotel Spa 2019 Award at 5^th Annual World Spa Awards held at the Armani Hotel Dubai, UAE. Celebrating Spa Industry excellence, World Spa Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in the spa and wellness industry. Launched in 2015, the annual awards program aims to foster growth, innovations and best practice on a global scale. This award was an illustration of Alena’s leadership skills and supreme reputation for success in spa operations. “It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment to make the best spa in Florida in less than 3 years”.   Alena has proven to be a resourceful and strategic Spa, Wellness and Retail Director with experience in Luxury Hotels and a variety of Spa brands located across the Florida, Caribbean & Virginia/Metro DC markets with Spa experience in Europe. Alena is also the Co-Founder for Luxury Spa Consulting, LLC and Spa Wellness Events.   Winning such a prestigious award was an outstanding achievement and we are very happy for Alena…. Congratulations and well deserved!