Books

Collaboration and research are my mainstays when it comes to the books I’ve written. With the exception of a series of ghostwritten self-help books on topics such as divorce prevention and hormone replacement, the books I write are textbooks.

The textbooks have been used in classrooms around the country and some have been used around the world. They form the foundation for certifications ranging from line-level positions to top executives for such industries as private club, spa and lodging.

Co-written with Elizabeth Johnson, “SPA: A Comprehensive Introduction” was jointly published by the International SPA Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and was used in hospitality classrooms around the country.

This was the first major spa textbook that approached the spa business through the lens of experts in the field. We met and interviewed spa managers, owners, and therapists. One goal of this text was to capture the stories of spa pioneers before they passed away so that future generations would have their gems of wisdom.

Chapters include the history and philosophy of spas, trends in the industry, spa careers, a day in the life of a spa director, leadership, spa treatments, and more.

Co-authored with Elizabeth M. Johnson, “Retail Management for Spas” addressed the often-overlooked need to manage a retail space within a spa and to use it to successfully improve the bottom line while meeting the needs of guests. Jointly published by the International SPA Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, this textbook was used as part of certifications for professional spa managers. We met with a panel of experts in the spa and beauty industry to identify important learning competencies, write case studies and address pressing spa concerns.

As a writer/editor for the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, I was project manager and instructional designer for a two-year hospitality management program. This program included two textbooks, two student workbooks, a skills assessment booklet, exams, and a multitude of teacher resources from PowerPoints to classroom activities to chapter-by-chapter assessments.

The program also included mentorship and internship elements.

The program was approved by both the Department of Education as a high school skills-based curriculum and the Department of Labor as a school-to-work/welfare-to-work program.

The START textbook was designed as a one-year high school or skills training program. It was highly focused on the skills needed to do a variety of entry level hospitality careers such as Front Desk Representative, Restaurant Server, Guestroom Attendant, Maintenance Employee, and Kitchen Cook. The book was the foundation for several line-level certification programs.

I worked with multiple focus groups of workforce development professionals, educators, and hospitality managers to develop this textbook and its supporting workbooks, teacher materials and assessments.

These two-volume series collected a series of white papers that I wrote for club managers on various topics as identified by the Club Managers Association of America. I interviewed club managers, attended club management professional courses and visited clubs.

Topics included such things as board management, committee management, capital budgeting, operating budgeting, marketing and more.