Noted hospitality industry veteran Lelia Mack-Balenciada has been named Director of Business Development of Xtra Pair of Hands, located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lelia Mack-Balenciada is responsible for overseeing all operations of the company, which is one of Atlanta’s premier personal assistant staffing agencies. She will also manage Social Butterflies, a new division of Xtra Pair of Hands that provides networking and event planning services.

Xtra Pair of Hands is a recipient of the Atlanta Business League succeeding against the odds award and the Atlanta Legend Balls award that recognizes the business acumen and community spirit of women for demonstrating a commitment to a balanced career, community involvement and excelling professionally through innovation, perseverance and leadership.

A hospitality industry veteran, Lelia Mack-Balenciada most recently was president of her own company, Prestige Concierge Services (PCS), which provided personal and corporate concierge services to busy professionals. Her professional experience began in the hospitality industry where her dynamic personality and people skills enabled her to excel in sales and convention services.  With this experience, she ventured into hotel management with an emphasis in human resources. In the Atlanta area she was employed at various hotels including Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Ritz Carlton, Westin Peachtree Plaza and Proof of the Pudding. During that time, she obtained her certification as a Human Resources Professional (PHR) and most recently received additional certifications in finance and HR strategy from the Society of Human Resources Academy.  Ms. Mack is a Certified Labor Relations Professional (CLRP).

Kym Smith, CEO of Xtra Pair of Hands stated: “Lelia’s extensive training in leadership and business development has helped her become a proven motivator and negotiator which have allowed her career to soar.  Acquired skills such as these along with her infectious enthusiasm and life experiences have allowed her to soar in her new position at Xtra Pair of Hands.”

“I am very pleased to be joining such an outstanding company as Xtra Pair of Hands,” said Mack-Balenciada. “Not only does the company feature a great location in the heart of downtown Atlanta, but it is known for offering exceptional services to celebrities, corporate executives and entrepreneurs. Plus, Xtra Pair of Hands is consistently recognized for their high level of service. I’m very proud to be joining such a fine organization.”

Services at Xtra Pair of Hands include providing personal assistants and household staff to celebrities, corporate executives, professional athletes and entertainers; business consulting including website design, press releases and marketing services; fundraising and networking. In addition, the company recently launched the first ever magazine by a personal assistant company.

Ideally located in Midtown Atlanta, Xtra Pair of Hands’ corporate office is within a short distance of such sporting venues as Philips Arena, Georgia Dome and Turner Field. Xtra Pair of Hands is also within distance of Fox Theatre, Atlanta Civic Center, Peachtree Center, CNN Center, The Georgia Aquarium, New World of Coke, Underground Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Center.

Staffing multiple homes is not a problem for us. All of our impeccably trained candidates offer a higher level of experience, discretion and confidentiality in every residence and capacity in which they serve.

Xtra Pair of Hands offers a higher level of experience, discretion and confidentiality in every residence and capacity in which they serve. The company is located in Atlanta, Georgia, West Palm Beach, Florida and Los Angeles, California. For information or to schedule services, call (404) 819-6724 or visit www.xtrapairofhands.com

October 13, 2008 – (Press Release) Each day, Xtra Pair of Hands receive dozens of emails from people seeking advice on how to become a Personal Assistant. In response to this overwhelming demand, we launched our personal assistant training workshop series. The success of the series has been phenomenal. Professional from all over the country attends the workshops. It gives them the opportunity to dialogue with the panelists who consist of current personal assistants for A-list celebrities and other sports and entertainment industry professionals.

Xtra Pair of Hands, LLC has worked with many A-list celebrities, publicists, managers, entertainment attorneys and corporate executives. We incorporate all of our experiences in working with these celebrities into the workshop curriculum so novices can benefit from our successes and expertise.

The workshop curriculum covers everything needed to succeed in the field, including:

- Types of personal assistants
- Job descriptions
- Working environments
- Preparing a personal assistant resume

- Image, Style and Etiquette: Look your Best & Project Success
- Job requirements
- The hiring process
- Interviewing skills
- Role play exercise
- Negotiating salary
- The “hidden” job market
- Purchasing for the affluent

- Time Management
- Working together: The Assistant/ Celebrity team

- Managing the Households of High Profile Individuals
- How to make yourself indispensable
- Responsibility and Authority in your position

- VIP Travel & Security
- Building vendor relationships
- Tipping/Etiquette
- Confidentiality agreements
- Managing crisis
- Handling the Media
- Using technology to handle a To-Do List
- Current job openings

Included with the registration fee, workshop attendees also receive a 1-year membership to the National Association of African American Concierge, a certificate of completion, and priority consideration for open personal assistant positions and projects.

Attendees additionally receive a certificate of completion to present to prospective employers.

To register for the next workshop on October 25th, 2008, visit www.xtrapairofhands.com

Xtra Pair of Hands is a Personal Assistant Staffing Agency & Corporate Concierge Company located in Atlanta, Georgia.