The
Hidden Orchard Team Consists of
Deborah Evans, a highly experienced destination spa manager, With the addition of Deborah Evans, the Hidden Orchard team is fully poised and ready to bring Hidden Orchard to fruition, and to position it to become one of the top five destination spas in North America. Deborah hit the ground running in January, 2007, visiting the site, meeting with bankers and investors, and providing a full analysis and recommendations for Hidden Orchard’s operating and development budgets. Ms. Evans enjoys a reputation as one of the top general managers and consultants in the destination spa business today. Her expertise and track record in establishing Lake Austin Spa Resort and leading it for 12 years as General Manager ultimately led her to The Red Mountain Spa as opening General Manager almost 8 years ago, in 1999. She fell in love with the red rocks, and stayed at Red Mountain Spa as General Manager for the next seven years. There, she led a successful market repositioning, and oversaw a multi-million dollar renovation project, as well as the addition of a luxury residential spa community. Ms. Evans relocated back to her hometown in Austin, Texas in June 2006 and re-opened her former highly successful consulting practice. Prior to joining Red Mountain, Ms. Evans had a successful consulting practice that included Disney’s Grand Floridian in Orlando, a Ritz-Carlton spa project in Puerto Rico, and a spa project for the PGA in south Florida. She spent four years on the board of the International Spa Association (“ISPA”) and several years on ISPA’s Foundation Board. She was a featured speaker at the 2006 ISPA conference. Deborah’s passion, longevity, and established leadership in the spa industry has positioned her as a constant resource with the media and as a leading expert in her field. Blu Spas, Inc., a highly respected worldwide leader in designing, developing, and operating luxury, award-winning destination spas, and resort spas, will be Hidden Orchard’s key development partner throughout the design, development, and in start-up operations until operating stability is achieved. |
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Deborah
A. Morrin Principal The Morrin Group
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Ms. Morrin has been active full-time since 2004 in the destination spa business. Her experience includes in-depth study of ten different destination spas; including extensive interviews with destination spa guests, employees, and owners. She established a Hidden Orchard business advisory board that includes leading destination spa industry experts and Chicago-area business leaders. With the assistance of leading destination spa operators, Ms. Morrin developed business and pro forma financial plans for Hidden Orchard. Her due diligence includes labor availability analyses, real estate analyses, tourism trends analyses, and market demand analyses. Ms. Morrin commissioned focus groups to help ascertain market demand. Ms. Morrin has formed alliances with programming resources, and with business partners that can offer cross-marketing opportunities in the Chicago area; examples include Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, the Executive Wellness Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and the Chicago School of Massage. Ms. Morrin has developed relationships with future group accounts, including Chicago Finance Exchange, Huron Consulting Group, Vistage International, the Chicago Network, and Commercial Real Estate Women, among others. Ms. Morrin has completed over 200 hours of spa management education seminars sponsored by the International Spa Association. Ms. Morrin has a reputation for achieving strong financial results, and for increasing shareholder value as a financial executive with 25 years experience at best-in-class companies; including Fortune 100, private equity, and family-owned enterprises. She is a Certified Public Accountant, with successful experience in sales, marketing, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions. She has a reputation for hiring, developing, and leading high performing teams, and has been instrumental in setting successful business strategies across a several different business platforms. As Chief Financial Officer for Hu-Friedy Mfg., Inc. ($100mm revenue), Ms. Morrin led the executive group to achieve record cash flow and ROI. As Director of Administration for a leading auto parts manufacturer, she led the effort to improve return on sales to 17% from 10%, and was a core member of the executive team that grew sales by $100mm, to $300mm. Trained in food service management and clinical
nutrition, Ms. Morrin completed a dietetic internship at St. Mary’s Hospital (Mayo
Clinic) and worked as a registered dietitian at Rush Presbyterian St.
Luke’s and Northwestern University medical centers prior to entering
a career in business. |
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James
R. Morrin Principal The Morrin Group
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| Active full-time in the destination spa industry since 2004, Mr. Morrin has spent over six months in the field studying destination spa operations. His work includes interviews with managers, guests, employees and owners. Jim is also a founding board member of the Green Spa Network. In his role with Green Spa Network, he has helped launch the GSN “eco assessment” program for spas that will benchmark their environmental stewardship activities in operations, product usage, energy consumption and waste minimization. Mr. Morrin has established a strong relationship with The Destination Spa Group and its members, an association of twenty-five destination spa owners. Mr. Morrin has spent over 200 hours attending International Spa Association training seminars, on topics ranging from managing massage therapists, to marketing and publicity, to spa design and development. He has completed over half of the Spa Management Certificate program at the University of California at Irvine. He has also completed a University of Wisconsin-Madison Green Building course on achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for the project, which will reduce future operating costs and generate favorable publicity for Hidden Orchard. Mr. Morrin was responsible for acquiring an ideal 80-acre site for the Hidden Orchard project. He led a successful year-long effort that resulted in zoning approval for the project. Mr. Morrin has established and is managing a talented development team that includes a leading construction project management firm, a spa architecture and design firm, a variety of engineering firms, and one of the most highly respected general managers in the Destination Spa industry. He has also established relationships with regulatory officials in Indianapolis, and developed an efficient path to approval for the waste water treatment system, and other environmental permits for the Hidden Orchard project. For over twenty-six years, Mr. Morrin practiced environmental and land use law at Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon, a 210-attorney firm in Chicago, where he established and led the firm’s environmental practice group. Under his leadership, Wildman Harrold became recognized nationally for having one of the foremost environmental practice groups in the United States. Prior to his career in law, Mr. Morrin worked as an engineer and designed systems for industrial wastewater treatment. A respected civic leader, Mr. Morrin has served on several local government boards in Chicago, and on special Mayor’s commissions for various civic projects. An avid sailor, Mr. Morrin served on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Yacht Club from 2002 through 2005 and is presently its chairman of communications. |
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Design & Development Team Blu Spas, Inc. with over 120 distinctive projects in 20 countries, Blu Spas is an industry leader for designing, developing, and operating award-winning luxury spas, with one of the most respected portfolios in the industry today. Cary Collier, Principal, is an internationally respected leader in spa design, consulting, and management, and with Doug Chambers, Principal, has built Blu Spa’s reputation for creating notable spas for exceptional hotels, resorts, and real estate developments worldwide. From design and concept planning, to management and training, spa menu and product development, to creating standardized operating practices and manuals, Blu Spas delivers extraordinary talent, diverse experience, and a commitment to implementing the client’s vision. Collier’s devotion to balance inspirational design with effective operating planning and financial acumen provides the basis resulting in the success of his projects. Blu Spa’s featured projects include the Spa at the Four Seasons in Bali, Indonesia; the Amrita Spa in Singapore; the Alvadora Spa at the Royal Palms in Phoenix; the Salishan Spa in Oregon; and the Four Seasons Spa in Hong Kong. See www.bluspasinc.com for more information. Blu Spa’s role in Hidden Orchard will be to partner with The Morrin Group in developing, designing, and operating Hidden Orchard Health Resort. |
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| Tyler Design, LLC founder Chris Tyler has over thirty years experience in a variety of roles including project architect and design architect. Mr. Tyler’s expertise and focus is on site planning, concept and schematic design for large international hospitality projects. He has extensive experience on-site with residential, golf, resort, and community development projects. He recently served as Project Architect for the award-winning Alvadora Spa at the Royal Palms Hotel for Oz Architects, leading the project from concept through construction. Other notable projects include the Spa at Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park for Oz Architects, Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai, ANA Hotel and Condominiums in Jakarta, Indonesia, among others. Prior to founding Tyler Design, Mr. Tyler was with Oz Architects, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and spent several years with Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, the leading luxury resort design architecture firm worldwide. Mr. Tyler’s work on the Hidden Orchard team will include site planning, concept and schematic design, and spa design and architecture. | ||||||||||||
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| Spectrec, Inc., founder Janice Gronvold has over 15 years experience in business development and marketing services for spa, resort, medical spas and organizations, health, tourism and consumer product companies in North America and abroad. Spectrec’s media projects include publicity and editorial placement in national and international publications, and broadcast features for CNN, BBC, NBC, NPR and the Travel News Network. Instructor and Advisor for the Spa and Hospitality Management Program at the University of California, Irvine, Ms. Gronvold is also a featured expert speaker at industry conferences for the International Spa Association, for the Medical Spa Association and other leading industry trade organization meetings. Ms. Gronvold has studied and lectured on greening initiatives in the spa industry. Prior to establishing Spectrec, Ms. Gronvold led the marketing and publicity efforts at the renowned Golden Door and Rancho La Puerta. Other clients include the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, Maryland, the Obagi Skin Health Institute in Beverly Hills, California, the St. Carlos Medical Spa in Pathumthani, Thailand, to name a few. See www.spectrec-health.com for more information. Ms. Gronvold will provide overall planning and design consulting services for Hidden Orchard, including concept, organization design and training, marketing and publicity services, including branding and marketing communications. | ||||||||||||
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| D’Accord Group, LLP, founding member Leonard J. Skiba, AIA, has decades of experience with design, development and construction, through which he and his firm have developed a hands-on facilitation style to ensure all goals are aligned with the common goal of the best possible result for the project. Their philosophy is that this approach is what gets buildings built, and makes the job easier and more effective for everyone. D’Accord is committed to bringing projects in on-time and on budget, and their vast experience allows the firm to anticipate issues and respond to them in a timely, proactive manner. Mr. Skiba’s experience includes 5 years as Chief Operating Officer for the leading architecture firm, Perkins & Will, as well as being National Operations Officers for that firm and Member of the Perkins & Will Board of Directors. Prior to Perkins & Will, Mr. Skiba was Senior Vice President of Architecture and Engineering for McClier Corporation, and was a Principal at Braun Skiba Architects. Mr. Skiba is LEED AP USGBC Certified and a member of the American Institute of Architects, and the National Council of Architectural Registration. See more information at www.daccordgroup.com. Mr. Skiba will be the Project Manager for the Hidden Orchard development, design, construction and finishing phases of the project. | ||||||||||||
Medical Advisory Board: |
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Business Advisory Board Mary Tabacchi, Ph.D., R.D., Associate Professor, Hospitality Facilities and Operations, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, is a founding member and Board member of the International Spa Association, and a co-founder of The Destination Spa Group, where she chairs the Marketing Committee. Dr. Tabacchi is a highly respected authority on spa, spa hotel, and resort development and management. Dr. Tabacchi has worked extensively with leading destination spas and resorts nationally and internationally. Her domestic client list includes such industry leaders as Canyon Ranch, The Golden Door, The Marsh Clinic, The Doral Saturnia, Hyatt Corporation, Starwood Hotels and The Oaks at Ojai. Ms. Tabacchi is the Food & Beverage Advisor to The Golden Door, Rancho La Puerta, The Oaks at Ojai, The New Age Spa, and Canyon Ranch. Dr. Tabacchi has published extensive research findings relating to The Destination Spa Group, the Spa Canada Consumer Survey, the Spa Canada Industry Survey, The Efficacy of Complementary Medical Treatments, and Marketing Research for the International Spa Association. Her studies have also included the study of the Spa Industry for the International Spa Association, Stress and Burnout in the Hospitality Industry, and Nutrition in the Restaurant Industry. Dr. Tabacchi has published numerous books and professional papers on Healthy Cuisine, the Destination Spa Industry, and wellness, among other topics. Dr. Tabacchi has been an Associate Professor at Cornell with tenure since 1982. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, in Nation’s Restaurant News, in Forbes magazine, and in Lodging Magazine, and her articles have appeared in The Journal of Health and Human Resources Administration, Hospitality Research Journal, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the Journal of Food Science and the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Quarterly, among others. |
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| Judith Kalfon, C.H.A. recently took over as General Manager of the Richmond Marriott Hotel, a 400-room, three-star full service hotel property located adjacent to the Greater Richmond Convention Center. With over 17 years of award-winning hotel general management experience, Ms. Kalfon recently completed the $16 million conversion of Chicago’s Lenox Suites Hotel into The James Hotel, a luxury boutique property located near Chicago’s posh North Michigan Avenue area. As the General Manager of the Lenox Suites prior to its conversion into The James Hotel, Ms. Kalfon achieved four successive years of record profits. During that time, she increased repeat guest utilization by 54%. She was awarded the 2004 American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hotel of Promise Award, and she was nominated for General Manager of the year in 2003 by the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. | ||||||||||||
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| Jane DiRenzo Pigott is Managing Director and Founder of R3 Group LLC, a firm that specializes in providing leadership, change and diversity/inclusion consulting to organizations. Ms. Pigott’s clients include leading accounting and law firms, corporations, and universities. Previously, she served as Chair for the Environmental Law practice at Winston & Strawn, a leading law firm with 5,000 employees and 6 offices worldwide. Ms. Pigott was the first woman to serve on Winston’s Executive Management Committee. She also created and chaired the firm’s Diversity Initiative, for which Winston won three coveted Sager Awards from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. The Winston diversity program created by Ms. Pigott also received recognition in Chicago Lawyer, Minority Law Journal and in Diversity & The Bar. In 2001, Vault ranked Winston #2 nationally in the “Best 20 Firms to Work For” category of top 100 law firms in America in connection with its diversity practices. Ms. Pigott is an active leader in civic organizations, and is a Trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Northwestern University. She is former Chair of the Board of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She serves on the Board of the Senior Business Women’s Forum, and the Midwest AIDS Foundation. She is an active member of The Chicago Network, an exclusive group of the most senior women in the Chicago area. She is an independent director of CitiStreet Funds, Inc., and of 3E Corporation. Ms. Pigott received the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women Founder’s Award in 2000 for excellence in the legal profession and for her contributions to the advancement of women in the legal profession. Ms. Pigott serves on the Board of Reading in Motion, an organization that teaches struggling readers how to read. Ms. Pigott has been a featured speaker at many industry conferences and her articles have appeared in a variety of legal journals.. | ||||||||||||
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