Massage Therapy Foundation Announces Jean Shea as the John Balletto Distinguished Service Award Recipient

Posted:Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Massage Therapy Foundation President Jerrilyn Cambron, LMT, DC, MPH, PhD announced Jean Shea from BIOTONE as the Massage Therapy Foundation John Balletto Distinguished Service Award recipient during the 2016 American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shea was recognized for her service to the profession and her generous and long-time support of the Foundation.

San Diego native, Jean Shea was introduced to the massage profession through an unusual set of circumstances. The desire for natural skincare was on the rise in the late 1970’s when consumers began to question the safety of the chemicals used in personal care items. Inspired by this, Shea created a line of natural skincare products which were also sold in health food stores.

A local massage school approached Shea with the idea for her to create massage oil for them. She used this as an opportunity to develop a line of products for the massage industry. With the combination of luck, timing, and location, BIOTONE was established in 1980.

“One of the most important values a company has is to give back. I have always felt that the massage therapy profession has supported the goals of BIOTONE, and I wanted to make sure that we helped to advance the profession doing so by supporting the Massage Therapy Foundation,” stated Shea, “Within the industry, we were all aware of how beneficial massage was to our mind and body. We wanted others to know that as well. I and BIOTONE have been strong advocates for the Foundation for more than a decade. Not only does it bring us immense rewards, it furthers the profession and contributes to the wellness of others.”

Cambron stated, “Jean Shea has been an amazing friend of the Foundation for decades. I was so pleased to announce her as the 2016 Massage Therapy Foundation John Balletto Distinguished Service Award recipient and to thank her for all that she has done for the Foundation, especially for the field of massage therapy. Thank you, Jean!”