The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) has added some new faces to its management team and promoted others to “sharpen its focus on advocacy, research, and education.”

Brandon Partridge has been hired as chief operating officer. Partridge brings depth of experience in public affairs, business strategy and trade associations, having served as an advisor and strategist to a wide range of consumer industry associations. His expertise in membership, events and industry affairs.

Partridge is the founder and principal of 202 Consumer Ventures, located in Washington, D.C. The firm is a strategy practice with three areas of focus: Association Strategy, Industry Affairs and Emerging Brands.

Mike Goscinski was promoted to chief of staff at the HFA. Most recently, he served as VP of Government Affairs, where he accelerated HFA’s advocacy efforts over the past three years, helped usher in the rebrand from IHRSA to HFA and guided multiple departments through a period of transformation.

“His promotion reflects the confidence of the board and leadership in his ability to continue steering the association’s external affairs at a time when the industry’s voice is more important than ever,” HFA noted in a media release.

“HFA exists to deliver results for our members and for the entire industry,” said HFA President and CEO Liz Clark. “This reorganization is not about change for its own sake; it is a sign of our growth and strength. Brandon’s operational expertise and Mike’s proven leadership will ensure we are sharper, more focused, and better equipped to protect, promote, and grow the industry.”

The reorganization is said to “create a strong balance across two complementary areas of leadership,” which include:

  • Partridge will focus on strengthening the association’s operations, encompassing membership engagement, events, sponsorship, and organizational resources, to deliver value globally.
  • Goscinski will lead the outward-facing strategy (advocacy, research, communications, and public affairs), ensuring HFA continues to shape policy, produce actionable insights and amplify the industry’s voice.

Christine Solomon has been hired as the marketing manager, helping sharpen its message, extend its reach and showcase the value of advocacy, research and education to members, policymakers and the public.

Most recently, Solomon served as the digital marketing manager at Cloudforce and had prior experience working with the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a marketing cloud consultant, as well as roles at Tellius, Fannie Mae and an earlier position at the National Wildlife Federation.

“As the only non-profit trade association for our industry, every dollar invested in HFA goes directly back into protecting fitness businesses, promoting the benefits of physical activity and growing the industry worldwide,” Clark continued. “With these changes, we are building on momentum, scaling our impact, and positioning HFA to lead the industry into its next era of growth.”