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Eve Taylor, founder of the Eve Taylor aromatherapy skincare line (eve-taylor.com), was honored with an inclusion in the United Kingdom’s 2008 New Year Honours List, which “aims to reflect and pay tribute to outstanding achievement and service across the entire community.” Taylor was acknowledged for her contribution to the aromatherapy and the beauty profession.
 
Taylor launched her skin care, which is purportedly one of the first to contain pure essential oils without synthetic fibers, in 1968. The company has since gained international appeal, and Taylor has spent 40 years in the industry traveling the world to educate therapists about her skincare philosophy. At 75 years old, Taylor is still active in teaching and promoting her products. “I am very proud to be given such an award,” she says. “The recognition that I have now been given will, I hope, help to encourage many new students and professional therapists across the world to never stop learning.”

Repéchage (repechage.com) recently announced the following staff additions and promotions:
• Susan Vindics will develop and promote the Repéchage Spa De Beauté program in her role as key account manager. Vindics originally joined the company in 1986, and has returned after a hiatus in the fashion industry. She has already successfully opened the concept spas in Ohio and New York.
• Seda Azarian has been appointed to skincare business specialist and key account manager after a recent move back to her native New York. She previously focused on inside sales and brand management for the company’s West Coast division. Azarian will also be focused on opening Repéchage Spa De Beauté salons and schools in the region.
• Educator Jennifer Fredette has been promoted to master educator and skincare specialist. Fredette, a licensed esthetician, has been with Repéchage since 2001. She has organized an educational calendar for the year that includes scientific workshops and new treatments.
• Andrea Broadbent has joined the company as a public relations and marketing assistant. She works with Shiri Sarfati, vice president of sales & marketing, to brand and promote Repéchage products. Broadbent is a recent graduate of Texas Christian University with a degree in fashion and minor in public relations. .

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Debra Vittone has been promoted to national sales manager after joining Universal Companies (universal companies.com) in November 2007. Her management position will focus on the expansion of customer service and the company’s sales in the corporate spa market. Vittone has worked in the beauty industry for 25 years at companies such as Lancome Paris Cosmetics and PUIG Prestige Beauty. “We had such a great year in 2007, and had already expanded our team of corporate account managers,” says Universal Companies founder and CEO Marti Morenings. “Debra is experienced and enthusiastic, and welcoming her to our company is yet another example of our dedication to be the ultimate source for spas.”

Laurel Fleming is the new director of spa operations of Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, NC. Fleming is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the recently renovated 25,000-square-foot spa, and manages a 25-person staff. She has previously managed several day spas, including Natural Concepts Salon and Day Spa in Greenwood, IA, and the Passport Travel Spa at the Indianapolis International Airport. She joined Old Edwards Inn and Spa after her tenure at Highland-Cahiers Hospital in Highlands, NC, where she served as the project coordinator for the Women’s Wellness Center and as marketing director for their Healing Touch Massage program. “Laurel brings a valuable range of experience to the spa, as well as a deep understanding of our beauty and wellness guests’ needs,” says Mario Gomes, CEO of Old Edwards Hospitality Group. “We know she will take the spa to new levels of comfort and luxury.”
 
The Stillwater Spa at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino in Incline Village, NV, has announced the appointment of Gerry O’Neil to spa director. O’Neil’s 15 years of hotel industry experience includes a recent post as assistant spa director at Kara Spa at Park Hyatt Hotel in Century City, CA. At the 20,000-square-foot Stillwater Spa, O’Neil plans to focus on retail sales and update the treatment menu to incorporate organic elements. He also plans to embrace Lake Tahoe’s sense of community by incorporating the work of local artists throughout the spa. “What makes Stillwater Spa so unique is that we get a very cosmopolitan clientele from San Francisco and Los Angeles,” says O’Neil. “Our clients view Stillwater Spa as an escape from their hectic daily lives.”