BOSTON, MA–June 11, 2024–At its June 3 meeting, the Health & Fitness Association board of directors elected Chris Smith as chair, Luke Carlson as vice chair, and Al Noshirvani as treasurer, the association announced.
Chris Smith has served on the Health & Fitness Association board for four years, the last year as vice chair. He is president and CEO of Fitness World Canada, a position he has held since 2020.
His career in fitness began as a personal trainer 25 years ago. Since then, he has served in various roles at 24 Hour Fitness, Bally Total Fitness, and Steve Nash Fitness World, which he joined in 2011 as vice president of sales and fitness before becoming COO and then CEO in 2014. He later became an owner and rebranded the business as Fitness World Canada. Smith is also the principal of All Things Fitness and Wellness, a media brand covering the fitness industry, and is founder and CEO of the British Columbia Personal Training Institute.
“Chris is an inspiring and empowering leader and his background as an international executive will help the Health & Fitness Association build on our recent transformation,” said HFA president & CEO Liz Clark. “His attention to detail and strategic vision will help us continue to deliver on our core strategic pillars of advocacy, education, and research and to continue working to elevate our member services, engagement, and operational performance,” she added.
Luke Carlson is the founder and CEO of Discover Strength, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Carlson speaks around the world on leadership, management, and evidence-based exercise and is a top-rated Vistage speaker in North America. He has co-authored two books and several articles on resistance training which have been published in scientific journals.
Al Noshirvani joined the board two years ago. He owns Fitness Club Management Inc. in Rockville, Maryland, and co-founded Alta Technology Group, a boutique management consulting firm. He also is managing director of Integrity Square, a financial advisory and early stage growth equity firm focused on the health, active lifestyle, and outdoors sector. Prior to his current work, Noshirvani co-founded Motionsoft, a software and financial service company serving the fitness industry. He is a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the National Iranian American Council, and chair of the Georgetown Day School Hopper Fund.
“Luke and Al bring important strengths to the board,” Clark said. “Luke offers deep knowledge in personal training and the science behind resistance training, and experience in business operations and franchising. Al has M&A, venture capital, and consulting expertise along with experience on the supplier and club operator side.”
In addition to the election of these officers, five new board members who were elected at its March meeting have joined the Health & Fitness Association board of directors:
Ahmar Azam, founder and CEO of TriFit
Deborah Fiorella, chief technology and digital officer at 24 Hour Fitness
Richard Idgar, COO of EoS Fitness
Mel Kleist, CEO of East Bank Club
Matthew Stevens, president and CEO of The Bay Club Company
About the Association
The Health & Fitness Association, a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health.
Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.
Founded in 1981, the association publishes a monthly magazine, Club Business International, and operates its Convention & Trade Show. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
