The Spa & Hospitality Management Program at UC Irvine Extension has earned the respect and support of SpaTrade and Spa Finder. Nancy Griffin, CEO of SpaTrade, and Susie Ellis, President of Spa Finder, have joined the UC Irvine's Spa & Hospitality Advisory Board, and will take an active role in the program's strategic vision.
"Spa Finder is pleased to support UC Irvine's Spa & Hospitality program,' says Ellis. 'The spa industry is in dire need of qualified spa managers, and my husband Peter and I believe this program is a great step in the right direction. UC Irvine also holds a special place in our hearts. We lived in Newport Beach before relocating to New York to run Spa Finder, and our son graduated from UC Irvine. Peter was also the keynote speaker at the UC Irvine graduation a few years ago.'
SpaTrade's executives are also happy to be working with UC Irvine. 'SpaTrade's VP Jeremy Rhoten are I are both alumni of University of California. Jeremy graduated from UC Santa Cruz and I went to UC Santa Barbara for my undergraduate degree,' says Griffin. 'It definitely feels good to be supporting our alma mater.'
'UC Irvine's Spa & Hospitality Management program is ideal for professionals looking to enhance their industry skill set, or actually open their own spa,' said consultant and UC Irvine Extension instructor Peter Anderson, in a recent SpaTrade Podcast. 'The program is flexible, interactive, and hand-on, with a great spa internship program. The fall semester which starts in September marks three years and, although the focus of the program remains the same, it is constantly being refined to meet the needs of students and spa employers."
Spa Finder and SpaTrade will begin joint initiatives with UC Irvine Extension in the areas of research, recruitment, and placement. UC Irvine will also become a repository for the best research and literature on spa management and operations.