BOSTON, MA—December 21, 2020—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced today that Jim Schmaltz will become the editor-in-chief of Club Business International (CBI), the association’s flagship monthly magazine, effective with the January 2021 issue.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim in a leadership role to our editorial team,” said Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s publisher and executive vice president of global products. “Jim has covered the industry in many capacities for IHRSA since 2004 and fully understands the diversity and strengths of our club and supplier members.”

“As the world’s leading magazine for the health and fitness industry, CBI will continue to tell the incredible success stories of the innovative people and companies driving industry growth,” said Schmaltz. “The fitness professionals I have spoken to during the pandemic have impressed me with their passion, resilience, and creativity. The work our industry does every day is essential to the health and well-being of more than 200 million people around the world.

“It’s an honor and privilege to work with IHRSA, especially in these challenging times. As the voice of the industry, CBI will continue to play an important role in the coming year,” Schmaltz added.

Schmaltz began his association with IHRSA in 2004 as editor-in-chief of Get Active! magazine and has written extensively for ihrsa.org and CBI. This year, Schmaltz spearheaded the IHRSA publication 230 Million by 2030, The Global Movement to Increase Health Club Membership and Physical Activity.

At CBI, Schmaltz succeeds Craig Waters. Waters remains the editor-in-chief of IHRSA’s F.I.T. Commercial Fitness Guide. The 2021 edition of F.I.T. mailed with the November 2020 edition of CBI.

About Jim Schmaltz

Schmaltz is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor with more than 30 years of experience in creating print and digital content. He formerly worked at Weider Publications (Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men’s Fitness) as a senior editor, managing editor, and web editor for 11 years. He also served as editorial director at boutique publisher Basic Media Group, where he launched three consumer publications (Muscle & Body, Real Fighter, and Get Active!) in a two-year span, serving as editor-in-chief of two of the titles. He was also editor-in-chief of Physical magazine, an exclusive consumer publication distributed by GNC, and Muscle & Body, a consumer publication distributed by Vitamin Shoppe. His work as a freelance writer has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Magazine, Men’s Journal, LA Weekly, and other international publications. Jim may be reached at jpschmaltz@ihrsa.org.

About IHRSA

IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is a not-for-profit trade association representing the global fitness industry of over 200,000 health and fitness facilities and their suppliers.

IHRSA maintains a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to peak health and the battle against obesity and chronic lifestyle disease. As one of the world's leading authorities on the commercial health club industry, IHRSA’s mission is to grow, promote, and protect the health and fitness industry, while providing its members with benefits and resources. IHRSA and its members are devoted to making the world happier, healthier, and more prosperous through regular exercise and activity promotion.