Date: 12/7/2022
Subject: Hot Topics December 2022
From: Jessica Meath

BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Hot Springs Association will be celebrating a new year with new board members. We look forward to welcoming Lyn Ettinger-Harwell as the new board President, Paige Curry as the new Vice President and Jim Mikula as the new Treasurer. Jake Foerstner will remain in his role as Secretary.

Thank you to Mark Begich for his service as President and all he has done to support the Association over the past several years.

Lyn Ettinger-Harwell, President

A childhood spent on a farm in northeast Ohio shaped Lyn Ettinger-Harwell’s views on community and how shared resources strengthen ties between people and shape the fabric of a society. Lyn’s approach, whether it is in the preparation of a gourmet meal, community activism, or the myriad details of running a health and wellness spa, is a holistic one, informed with purpose, passion, and attention to specifics. This is balanced with a heart for service. He is a firm believer in the therapeutic properties of water.

Throughout his careers, his focus has been on the whole-body connection and how that is nourished not only with pure food and water, but also through meditation and yoga. While living on an ashram in the early ‘80s, Lyn was able personally to put this into practice and then use it to shape his work philosophy. He always seeks to nurture an organizational culture that also integrates the mind-body connection while creating an environment that encourages job satisfaction and growth for employees and an unforgettable experience for guests.

Paige Byron, Vice President

Paige has 20+ years in fundraising and non-profit management experience. She has led multiple capital campaigns of $5M+ for projects focused on the civic commons. Born out of a belief that the “civic commons” has the power to improve livability, economic stability and long-term sustainability of communities, she works in the spheres of social benefit business development and non-profit management to create spaces like parks, museums, and theatres. Over the past 10 years, she has honed sharp project management skills, along with strategic relationship management, permitting and financing skills, and fundraising expertise to support projects such as the protection and creation of Astoria Hot Springs and Park, Jenny Lake Trail Renewal Project in Grand Teton National Park, building the first Jackson Hole Children’s Museum facility, and remodeling the oldest children’s theatre in the ountry: Nashville Children’s Theatre.

Paige values strategic decision making, financial responsibility, and community-driven design processes. She works collectively with stakeholders to understand visions for spaces that will connect people, engage people in their communities, and creatively bridge divides in communities. Paige has deep expertise in community engagement, financial modeling for hot springs and other visitor service businesses, facilitating meaningful public-private partnerships and securing funding under tight timelines.

Jim Mikula, Treasurer

Jim Mikula is an experienced senior executive in the lifestyle industry including hotels, resorts, fractional and private clubs. He has worked in operational, marketing & sales, development, and consulting roles with companies such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hunt Realty Investments, The Irvine Company, Telluride Ski Resort and others. An author and expert in the areas of leadership, service innovation and motivation—he has conducted workshops in North America, Asia and Europe.

Jim lived in Asia for ten years while working for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and experienced the use of hot springs for wellness. He enjoyed soaking in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. Most recently he served as the Director of Development and Operations for Gable S Corporation that owns and operates Ojo Caliente and Ojo Santa Fe Resorts in New Mexico. Currently, he is the Vice President of Business Development for Off Road Hospitality Group.

Jake Foerstner, Secretary

Jake Foerstner is the second generation owner of Riverbend Hot Springs, a riverside "Ma and Pa Spa" in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico USA. Jake's parents started Riverbend as a youth hostel over 30 years ago and it has evolved into a unique resort over the past 17 years under Jake's leadership. He enjoys emulating natural hot springs settings, while offering resort amenities and showcasing beautiful local art. Jake is eager to meet other owners and experience other healing waters across the globe.

MODEL AQUATIC HEALTH CODE UPDATE

This past quarter the Hot Springs Association ramped up its activities to develop recommendations for the national Model Aquatic Health Code. Updated every three years, this national code template covers municipal swimming pools, but does not currently address the special needs of hot springs resort owners who want to preserve natural mineral water in their soaking venues. The Hot Springs Association plans to develop recommended language for the next aquatic code that will include a flow-through option in lieu of chlorination or other chemical sanitation methods.

The Hot Springs Association is currently conducting reviews of hot springs flow-through regulations and water safety codes in place in several Western states. A collection of evidence-based articles on best practices including flow-through, disinfectants, pH, pathogens and dilution processes have been gathered throughout the process. Research on international models and regulations are also being conducted.

A committee made up of Hot Springs Association members, representatives from the Center for Disease Control and state public health representatives will meet next quarter to begin crafting language that would allow flow-through options for hot springs resorts.

The Model Aquatic Code is purely voluntary, but it is used as a model by state public health departments that don’t have their own code development processes. The initial review of the Model Aquatic Code is being conducted by Angelia Taylor of the Hot Springs Association and Jeff Birkby of Birkby Consulting LLC.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON

November 13-16, 2023

Plans are underway for the 5th annual Hot Springs Connection conference to be held at Murrieta Hot Springs near Temecula in Southern California. Watch your inbox for news on pricing and additional details.

HOT SPRINGS CONNECTION