IHRSA's Board of Directors
Board of Directors 2011-2012
Chairperson
Art Curtis: President
Curtis Club Advisors, LLC
Boston, MA
Linkedin Profile
Dr. Art Curtis led Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, LLC, operator of six Sports Club/LA locations and Reebok Sports Club/NY, as CEO from the company's inception in 2006 until January of 2011 when he moved over to Millennium Partners, the parent company of Millennium Partners Sports Club Management to focus 100% of his time on Mergers and Acquisitions and New Club Development for their sports club business. Early in 2012, he left Millennium to form Curtis Club Advisors, to provide strategic solutions to the Fitness and Wellness Industry. His prior executive roles include CEO of Stonewater, a national consolidation of more than 20 day-spas, and COO of Wellbridge, which was the nation's fourth largest operator of multipurpose athletic clubs and spas during his tenure. He has also held a number of impactful positions in the industry including: Director of Education, Research and Program Development for US Health, Inc., and Vice President of American Health Management and Consulting Corporation, where he developed corporate fitness facilities for Fortune 100 companies. Dr. Curtis received his Ph.D. in applied physiology from the University of Maryland. While completing his graduate degree, which was funded by research grants from the Department of the Navy and Maryland Sports Medicine Center, he served as a strength and conditioning consultant to the Washington Redskins. He also holds master's and bachelor's degrees in business administration from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, which he attended on an athletic scholarship for football where he was an all-conference selection in both football and lacrosse. Art is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and has held appointments at the graduate schools at both the University of Maryland and American University in Washington, DC.
Senior Class
Kilian Fisher
Gerinwalder Marketing Services International
Dublin, Ireland
W: greinwalder.com
Kilian Fisher is an International Leisure Consultant focused on Business Improvement and Standards and is an associate Consultant with IMSPA (Institute for the Management of Sport & Physical Activity- the first Industry Professional Body to achieve Chartered Status in the UK). Fisher represents IHRSA on the BIAC Health Task Force advising the OECD. He is the former CEO of ILAM, The Industry Body for Sports, Fitness, Aquatic Facilities, Spas & Wellness in Ireland, and the Managing Director of ILAM Consultancy Services for the past 11 years. Born and raised in Dublin, he began in the industry 30 years ago as a swimming teacher and coach. At the age of 24, Kilian moved to London where he gained a range of qualifications and experience, including obtaining a certificate and diploma in sport and recreation management, a diploma in marketing (chartered institute of marketing UK), a post-graduate diploma in management studies and awarded fellowship of ISRM (now IMSPA). During his 12 years in London, he managed a group of six fitness centers and worked at a strategic level and in consultancy. Kilian has experience working at National (UK and Ireland) and European levels with a wide range of industry, government and other organizations. In 2007, he joined the IHRSA European Council as one of its founding members and was also admitted as a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland. He is a founding board member of the European Confederation of Outdoor Employers, which is looking at standards in the outdoor sector and has been instrumental in developing the fitness qualification standards for Europe. Fisher also led the development of ILAM White Flag Award for Spa & Leisure, which is the quality club/facility certification standard in Ireland and established REPS Ireland (the new national register of exercise professionals)
David Hardy
Franvest Capital Partners
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
W: franvest.ca
David Hardy was the president of Club Fit, a chain of clubs in Edmonton, Canada, until 2008, when the company was sold to a private equity firm. He maintains an investment in the new company, International Fitness Holdings Inc. (IFH), and serves as a consultant and on the company’s board of directors. IFH currently operates 19 clubs with more than 65,000 members in Alberta, Canada. In 2005, David founded the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC), the not-for-profit trade association that represents the commercial fitness industry in Canada. He is currently the president of Franvest Capital Partners Inc., a private investment company seeking to make investments in the fitness club industry in the United States. An avid skier, water skier and cyclist, David holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toronto, and is a Certified Business Intermediary. He and his wife, Erin, have four children.
Chuck Runyon
Anytime Fitness
Hastings, MN
W: anytimefitness.com
From the inception of Anytime Fitness, Chuck Runyon has been involved in virtually every facet of the business -- including strategic planning, operations, training, franchise development, and marketing. Honored as a John McCarthy Industry Visionary of the Year (2009), Runyon has earned a reputation for his creativity and innovation. Under his leadership, Anytime Fitness has been at the forefront of new industry trends – like integrated billing and security systems, and 24/7 access to clubs – and grown into an international powerhouse with nearly 1,300 clubs in 48 states and five countries. "For most of our franchisees," Runyon says, "their first exposure to Anytime Fitness was as a member. More than half of our club owners now own multiple locations. To me, that says our people are satisfied, successful and love what they’re doing."
Junior Class
Bill McBride
Club One, Inc.
San Francisco, CA
W: clubone.com
Bill McBride has worked in virtually all aspects of club sales, management and operations. In 2006, he was promoted by Club One, Inc. from his position of vice president, commercial clubs to COO. Prior to joining Club One, Bill was the senior vice president of sales & business development for The Sport & Health Company. He has served as president of the board of directors for MACMA, was a contributing faculty member of Club Success Magazine and currently serves on ACE’s Industry Advisory Panel, the Wellness Health Education Advisory Board, and Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro Advisory Panel. Bill is originally from North Carolina and graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from East Carolina University.
Kay Yuspeh
The Elite Fitness and Racquet Clubs
Brookfield, WI
W: eliteclubs.com
Kay Yuspeh started writing a newsletter for a tennis club in 1974, and a year later was the club’s general manager. She ran that club for 12 years before buying her own tennis club. She currently buys existing tennis clubs and converts them to multipurpose clubs. She currently owns 4 family-friendly facilities. Kay was the first executive director of the Greater Milwaukee Indoor Tennis Association (GMITA), and is a founding member of Envisions, a women’s business group. She is a recipient of the Governor's Trailblazer Award for women business owners in Wisconsin. She has also received the Bill Letwin Tennis award from the Wisconsin Tennis Association, which is the organization’s highest honor for dedication and furthering the growth of tennis.
Sophomore Class
Richard Bilton
Companhia Athletica
Sao Paulo, Brazil
W: ciaathletica.com.br
Since Richard Bilton joined Companhia Athletica in 1988 as a partner and CFO, the company has grown from one to 15 clubs in Brazil. He became president of the Companhia Athletica Group of Companies when a holding company was formed ten years ago. Richard has participated in IHRSA conventions since 1989, as a speaker in the Latin American Forum in 2008, and as ambassador to Latin America since 2008. He is an accomplished horse rider, having won state and national amateur show jumping championships.
Brent Darden
TELOS Fitness Center
Dallas, TX
W: telosfitnesscenter.com
Brent Darden is Owner and General Manager of the TELOS Fitness Center in Dallas, Texas. TELOS is a multi-purpose club known for its’ distinctive design, commitment to service, and integrated approach to fitness programming. Formerly, he served as Vice President of Cooper Aerobic Enterprises, and during his tenure there, was recognized by IHRSA as General Manager of the Year. Darden volunteered as Executive Director of Shape Up Texas!, a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the health and well being of all Texans, and has managed many of the worlds largest corporate wellness programs. He is an accomplished author, speaker, and consultant on health & fitness management and is a faculty member of the IHRSA Institute for Professional Club Management, and frequent contributor to IHRSA’s Ask an Industry Leader Program. An avid exerciser, he participates in a variety of activities, including “Discovery Channels: Eco – Challenge Adventure Race in British Columbia”. He and his wife of 27 years have two sons.
Scott Gillespie
Saco Sport & Fitness
Saco, ME
W: sacofitness.com
Scott Gillespie is the owner and General Manager of Saco Sport & Fitness, a multi-purpose athletic club in Southern Maine. Gillespie bought his first club in 1993. A fire destroyed that club in 1994, and he redesigned and rebuilt it 1995. Since then, Saco Sport & Fitness has enjoyed steady growth including many renovations and expansions. The Club has recently been featured in Club Solutions Magazine, and was also recognized as 2009’s “Best Club in Maine” by Down-East magazine. Gillespie has also served on the NEHRSA board of directors and is a founding member of Maine Clubs for Fair Competition. Gillespie played Collegiate Soccer and is currently coaching a nationally ranked U-18 Boys Premier Soccer Team. He has been a professional mogul skier, a tri-athlete and a competitive golfer. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys alpine rock climbing and backcountry skiing. Scott is married, has two children, and his wife Beth works with him in the club.
Carol Nalevanko
DMB Sports Clubs
Scottsdale, AZ
W: dmbclubs.com
Carol Nalevanko currently serves as president of DMB Sports Clubs, a privately owned company located in Scottsdale, Arizona. DMB Sports Clubs, a multi-club operation specializing in upscale family health clubs and spas, is rated by Club Industry as one of the top 100 clubs in the nation. Nalevanko is a 30-year fitness industry veteran. She graduated from the University of South Dakota and began her career as an Activities Director at a small, multi-recreational health club in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2000, Club Industry named Nalevanko “Distinguished Business Woman of the Year”. A long-time member of IHRSA, she has attended the last 25+ IHRSA conventions, is a member of the ILC, a past IHRSA board member, convention speaker and supporter of IHRSA’s Washington D.C. Legislative Summit. Nalevanko and her husband, Richard, reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. She enjoys tennis, hiking, golf, travel and of course, exercising at her Village Clubs.
Freshman Class
Robert Brewster
The Alaska Club
Anchorage, AK
W: alaskaclub.com
Robert Brewster is president of The Alaska Club, a network of 18 multipurpose facilities. Over the past 28 years, Robert has managed a full spectrum of clubs: low price/high volume, sports training, tennis, large multipurpose, key club and ultra high end. This broad experience and his long relationship with IHRSA has given him a clear grasp of the circumstances facing the club industry.
The opportunity to combine his passion for sports and physical activity with a penchant for business development led Robert to the industry. His lifelong participation in competitive athletics includes being named to the U.S. Biathlon team, selection to participate in the World University Games and a gold medal at the Masters World Cross Country Ski Championships. Most important to him is the life he shares with his wife Liz and his two teenage sons, Brandon and Bryant.
Jasmin Kirstein
My Sportlady Fitness fur Frauen GmbH
Munich, Germany
W: my-sportlady.de
Jasmin Kistein is a 27-year industry veteran, is the founder and CEO of My Sportlady in Munich, Germany. She opened the first of her two clubs in 1984; it was one of the first clubs for women only in Germany. Jasmin has continually worked on developing innovative programs to serve the needs of women. In an effort to encourage her members to improve their diets, she opened a cooking school focused on learning how to prepare simple and nutritious meals.
In addition to reaching out to her local community, Jasmin started the My Sportlady Trust Fund, a global initiative, which provides discounted training for women and children in difficult situations, provides free fitness services to mothers of seriously ill children, and sponsors programs promoting exercise in schools. Last year, Jasmin was the recipient of IHRSA’s Julie Main Emerging Woman Leader Scholarship.
Christian Pierar
De Fitness Organisatie
Oostakker, Belgium
W: fitnessorg.com
Christian Pierar has been active in the fitness industry since 1980 as an owner, international Consultant, and presenter for different National and International Associations. His commitment to help other business people in our industry be successful has led him to create and support such organizations as the Belgium Fitness Federation, Belgium Fitness Employer Organization and the European Health and Fitness Association. He has been a member of IHRSA since 1987 and became an IHRSA Vanguard member in 1993. Christian has participated in all IHRSA conventions since 1987. He is an alumni of the IHRSA institute. Christian is a strategic partner of IHRSA as the Chairman of the Belgium Fitness Federation.
David Patchell-Evans: Ex-Officio
GoodLife Fitness Clubs
London, Ontario, Canada
W: davidpatchellevans.com | goodlifefitness.com
David Patchell-Evans (“Patch”) is the founder, CEO and single owner of GoodLife Fitness, with 200 fitness clubs, 8,000 staff and over 550,000 members in Canada. David and GoodLife have a host of awards to their credit, most notably: Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies (2003 - 2008); Consumer’s Choice Award (2001 - 2009); Most Innovative CEO of the Year; Entrepreneur of the Year; International Entrepreneur of the Year, Special Citation; and the Canadian Medical Association’s Medal of Honor for his dedication to autism research.
