
ASCP, ISPA and PBA Receive 2026 Power of Associations Award for Esthetics Licensure Compact
This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.
The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) has announced the association’s leadership for the 2016/2017 term.

The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) has announced the association’s leadership for the 2016/2017 term. Reuben Carranza, Group President, R+Co & V76, Luxury Brand Partners will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board and Beth Hickey, with Spa Specialties Representatives will continue to serve as Vice-Chairman.
The PBA Board of Directors is comprised of 12 industry professionals who represent various sectors of the beauty industry. The following are the industry professionals who will serve on the Board of Directors for the 2016/2017 term: Kevin Barrett (Fromm International), Sydney Berry, (Salon Services and Supplies), Scott Buchanan (Scott j salon group), Reuben Carranza (Luxury Brand Partners), Mark Goodman (The Hair Designers), Beth Hickey (Spa Specialties Representatives), Harlan Kirschner (Kirschner Group), Graciela Santiler-Nowik (Hair Base Salon & Spa), Renee Shakour (RG Shakour), Oliver Steinnagel (Oliver’s Hair Salon), Karl Sweis (Sweis Professional Salon & Spa Products), and Rowena Yeager (Studio Wish Salon). Edwin Neill III’s (Neill Corporation) Board term is expiring and he will be leaving the Board.
“It’s an honor to have such a diverse and experienced Board of Directors volunteer their time and resources to support the Professional Beauty Association. I am looking forward to this upcoming year, as we work to implement our new strategic direction. The Association and the industry will no doubt be positively impacted by their leadership,” said PBA Executive Director, Steve Sleeper. “I also want to sincerely thank our outgoing Board and Advisory Council members. These volunteer leaders have been instrumental in helping move the Professional Beauty Association’s mission forward.”
In addition to the Board of Directors, PBA’s governance model includes four Advisory Councils. These councils are as follows: Beauty Professional/NCA, Distributor, Manufacturer and Salon/Spa. Members of these six-person councils serve as an ongoing resource to provide recommendations and advice to the PBA Board of Directors.
Advisory Council Membership for 2016/2017 is as follows:
Beauty Professional/NCA Advisory Council: Marcia Bird** (Raritan Valley Community College), Jenae Davis (Salon Jenae), Mark Goodman (The Hair Designers), Beth Hickey** (Spa Specialties Representatives), Steven Porter (Steven Porter Hair), and Peggy Sue Schmoldt (Academy of Cosmetology Arts).
Distributor Advisory Council: Jennifer Almonte (Professional Salon Services), Sydney Berry (Salon Services and Supplies), Brandon Ranney (Armstrong McCall), Alex Cohn* (Premier Beauty Supply), Ed Stein* (Four Star Beauty) and Karl Sweis (Sweis Professional Salon & Spa Products).
Manufacturer Advisory Council: Kevin Barrett** (Fromm International), Reuben Carranza** (Luxury Brand Partners), Scott Hagstrom (Helen of Troy), Sara Jones (Joico Laboratories), Harlan Kirschner (Kirschner Group), and Colin Walsh (DevaCurl).
Salon/Spa Advisory Council: Bonnie Conte** (Avalon Salon and Day Spa), Cindy Feldman* (Progressions Salon Spa Store), Kimberly Johnson (Aveda Institute Portland), Oliver Steinnagel (Oliver’s Hair Salon), Rowena Yeager (Studio Wish Salon), and Holly Vaught (K Charles & Company Salons).
PBA also thanked the following out-going Advisory Council Members: Scott Buchanan (Scott j salon group), Edward Neill III (Neill Corporation) and Renee Shakour (RG Shakour).
*Indicates a newly elected Advisory Council Member
**Indicates a re-elected Advisory Council Member

This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.

In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.

In October, volunteers plan to walk and take the plunge during at the annual event, HairToStay Does the Bay. Find out how you can participate and support the organization that grants subsidies to cancer patients so they can receive cold cap treatments to save their hair during chemotherapy.
At Premiere Orlando 2026, SALON TODAY catches up with Easihair Pro's Angela Gilmore, who talks about why stylists lose clients who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss, and how their new Hairlosophy line can help.

Illuminated Paths is a boxed set of 52 cards, a guidebook, and an Oracolor Wheel, a visual framework that helps readers reconnect with the qualities they want to bring into everyday life.

In this rare essay, the president of a haircare brand takes us behind-the-scenes into a world we never see when we pick up a product off the shelves--the arduous, thought-probing, second-guessing journey of rebranding a legacy product line. Not only is her reflection fascinating, but it is also incredibly useful for any salon owner or manufacturer contemplating their own brand.

Twenty lucky winners will be selected July 30th, and each will be able to choose from three different service tray models.

Motivated by loved ones who have battled cancer, Phorest's Barry Quinn and two friends will embark on a three-day trek to the summit of the highest peak in North Africa in September, raising money for HairToStay. Find out how you can help them.

The company's Back to Business Sweepstakes is a direct investment in the stylists and salon owners who are building something that lasts.

Owners start to worry when a month's sales come up short compared to the same period last year, but that may have more to do with the days in the month than with an actual decline. The KIM Report's Alain Audet points to May 2026 as a prime example.