Bally Total Fitness has expanded its public relations department with the addition of Matthew Messinger to the newly created position of senior director of media development and communications. Messinger will manage the company's East Coast efforts and will report to Jon Harris, vice president of communications and media development at Bally.

The Redstone Companies has finalized a lease that will expand its Houstonian Lite chain of health clubs into The Woodlands. The new club will open in the fall of 2005 at Trademark's Woodlands Market Street project and is the third of many locations planned for the Houston area.

The Spa Association (SPAA) has named a new board of directors for the upcoming fiscal year. The new board will oversee and guide the direction that SPAA will be taking over the next several months.

The new board of directors includes:

• Vincent Giampapa, M.D., director of the Giampapa Institute for Anti-Aging and Medical Therapy
• Robert Calvert, publisher of Massage Magazine
• Marc Spilo, president and CEO of Spilo Worldwide
• Julia Sutton, COO of exhale MindBodySpa
• Cyndy Drummey, publisher of Nails Magazine
• Kathleen Lenzmeir, director Buffalo Grove Fitness Center
• Kim Collier, founder of Jamu

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has appointed Fabio Comana as manager of certification and exam development. Comana will oversee enhancement, administration and maintenance of all ACE certification programs. In addition, he will manage ACE's National Commission for Certifying Agencies accreditation and work with subject matter experts and exam committees to develop and administer ACE programs.

Comana holds master's degrees in exercise physiology and nutrition and is an adjunct instructor for San Diego's only ACE-accredited extension program offering practical guidance to newly certified fitness professionals at the University of California San Diego.

LA Fitness is looking to expand to the Texas area including in Dallas, Houston and Austin. Recently, the company secured an area lease outside Dallas in Frisco, Texas, for a 45,000-square-foot facility that should open within the next six months. All centers will consist of 18,000 square feet of cardio equipment, cycling and aerobics area, spa and a babysitting service.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.