Letter from the Leadership

I am excited to accept the position of president of PBA's Salon/Spa Leadership Council. I started my involvement with the association ten years ago and have been energized by the direction of our professional association. I am particularly impressed with the support and cooperation I have witnessed between our salon/spa, distributor and manufacturer members. I can assure you that the salon/spa section has not lost its identity as part of PBA. In fact, I see all three groups working together to strengthen our industry as a whole.

For example, our manufacturer members are lending sponsorship support and our distributor members are lending ticket sales support to Symposium, the premier business education event for salon/spa owners. I encourage all salon/spa members to join us in Orlando this January as we celebrate twelve years of learning, running successful businesses, and networking. For a sneak peek at the Symposium weekend, please turn to page 15 or visit probeauty.org/symposium.

We'd also love to have you join us as a volunteer at Welcome to Our World on October 16 in Washington, DC. Each year as the Congressional representatives and their staff experience haircuts, manicures and massages, we explain the issues that are critical to our success as small business owners. PBA's main focus will be our tip-tax legislation, the Small Business Tax Equalization & Compliance Act ( H.R. 3016) recently introduced in Congress by Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada. To learn more about Welcome to Our World or the legislation, please visit probeauty.org/advocacy.

I am energized by the strides we've taken to build PBA's membership. Currently, we have more than 1,000 salon/spa members, representing over 24,500 owners, managers, front desk personnel and stylists. If you're a new member, I encourage you to participate in our monthly New Member Call, which takes place the third Monday of every month at 12:00 noon EST. Last month, there was a salon on the call that had just opened their doors and was struggling with issues such as staffing, compensation, procedures and finance. The owner was literally in tears, feeling isolated and not knowing which way to turn. The other members on the call gave her the guidance she was seeking and discussed various methods for operating a successful salon. When the call was over, she was so appreciative for our members' advice and thanked PBA for its support.

I am honored to be the first African-American president of PBA's Salon/Spa Section and am committed to bringing additional men and women of color to the membership as a whole and to leadership positions within the association. If you are a salon/spa owner of color, I encourage you to get actively involved in the association. Lend your voice to the collective voice! PBA is committed to serving as the association for ALL of our colleagues in the beauty industry.

I sincerely thank the Salon/Spa Leadership Council for selecting me to serve as president. I promise to work to grow our membership and help us all prosper over the coming year. I look forward to meeting you in person at one of PBA's many events. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions you may have about PBA or the Salon/Spa Section.

NeCole Cumberlander
President, PBA Salon/Spa Leadership Council
Noire Et Blanc
Cleveland, OH