The National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) recently honored the organization’s active instructors for their extraordinary performance over the past year.

Many individuals and four companies received awards for their commitment to excellence in keeping pools safer and open. The recipients who attended the annual instructor meeting were awarded by NSPF representatives just before the 13th annual World Aquatic Health™ Conference, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee.

“These teachers are creating the world we all want where healthier people have great experiences in and around the water,” stated NSPF CEO Thomas Lachocki, Ph. D.

The following instructors were recognized for being the top in their respective fields:

Most Certified Individuals in their First Year as an Instructor - Jordan Garrett DiGuardi, of Pool Operation Management, achieved the award thanks to an incredible 221 newly taught students. Brian P. Goldojarb of HD Supply Facilities Maintenance and John R. Donovan of NV Pools, Inc. joined Mr. DiGuardi in this category.

Most Certified Individuals in their Second Year as an Instructor - Rudy H. Stankowitz, Owner of Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants in Florida, was presented with the award for 588 successfully taught students. Stankowitz is a 20 year veteran of the pool industry. Raymond Brett of Pool Operation Management; Robert C. Hayes of Leslie’s Poolmart, Inc.; and Auteen Bahrami of Sunset Pool Management, Inc. also received the award.

Most Certified Individuals by an Instructor in the Last Year - Scott W. Ford, Owner of Tropical Aquatics Pool Education, Inc., was honored in this category with an impressive 772 students taught in the past year. Ford has been an NSPF Instructor since 2001. Other esteemed instructors include Rick Stewart of Pool Training Academy; Steve Scheuer of Certified Pool Trainers, Inc.; Robert Freligh of Nationwide Aquatic Consulting; and Timothy E. Auerhahn, Co-Chair of Aquatic Council, LLC.

Most Certified Individuals Ever by an Instructor - Robert R. Freligh, Owner of Nationwide Aquatic Consulting of New York, continued his legacy; he has certified over 10,800 students since becoming an NSPF Instructor in 1995. Trevor Sherwood, II of Pool Operation Management; Kurt Carmen of Aquatic Council, LLC; Bob Buettner of Pool Pros CPO Training; and Scott W. Ford of Tropical Aquatics Pool Education, Inc. were also recognized in this category.

Most Impressive Increase in Certifications - Emosi Vodo of Continental Pools, Inc., located in Silver Spring, Maryland, who has been an NSPF Instructor since 2010, was presented with this award. Mr. Vodo had an increase of 240 CPO students in comparison to 2015. Steve McCune of Duke University, Mark Christallini of PoolCorp, Claudia Duncan of Barton College, Robert Quigley of Quigley Recreational Services, and Kathleen Henderson of Health & Safety Services joined Mr. Vodo in this category.

Most Certified Individuals Internationally - Emosi Vodo of Continental Pools, Inc., was also honored for most certified international individuals, 147 total. Mr. Vodo enjoys teaching and instructing young minds from different countries and continuously strives to be a better asset for his company. Robert Braid of CPO Durham, Bradley Bryson of Advanced Commercial Pool & Spa, Jean-Pierre Lajoie of ASI Distributions Inc., and Keara Shaw of Alberta Health Services received the award as well.

Biggest Supporter of Pool Operator Primer™ - Richard Deyo, Director of Training for EcoLab, Inc. headquartered in Minnesota trained the most students through the online Pool Operator Primer™ course in the past year. He has been using NSPF materials since 2002. In the past year, 130 of his students completed the online Pool Operator Primer training. Additional esteemed NSPF Instructors in this category include Donna Stack of Safe Aquatics for Everyone; Andrew C. Everts of Ecolab, Inc., Kimberly Lichtenwalter of Lifetime Fitness, Inc.; and Kerry Guerin of Ecolab, Inc.

Biggest Supporter of Online Training Programs - Roy Carter, Director of Inspection & Education for Champions School of Real Estate based in Texas, has been using NSPF materials since 2007. This is Mr. Carter’s third year in a row that he has won this award which spans across all of NSPF’s online programs. Maria K. Bella of Professional Pool Solutions, LLC and Virginia L. Templeton of California Poly Pomona University, ASI join Mr. Carter in this category.

Four companies were recognized by NSPF:

Most Certified Individuals by a Company - Leslie’s Poolmart, Inc. was recognized as the company with the most certified individuals (2,070) in the past year. The organization was founded in 1963 and is the best place to find everything you need to make owning a swimming pool and spa fun and easy. Pool Operation Management; Tropical Aquatics Pool Education, Inc.; Pool Training Academy, and Certified Pool Trainers, Inc. joined Leslie’s Poolmart in the category with an impressive amount of students taught in the past year.

Most Certified Individuals by a Company Internationally – Alberta Health Services of Canada received the International award. Alberta Health Services now has 18 authorized NSPF Instructors. In 2012, the company began offering CPO® Certification courses across Alberta, Canada in response to an introduction of new pool standards from the Alberta Government.

Most Certified Individuals by a Company in Spanish Internationally - Asociación de Profesionales de la Piscina (APPAC) of México with their team of 24 NSPF Instructors, certified more students (372) in Spanish than any other company outside the USA. APPAC has been using NSPF educational programs since 2011, as they continue to elevate the aquatic field in México by teaching CPO® Certification courses.

Most Certified Individuals by a Company in Spanish U.S. - Paraiso Pools located in Debary, Florida received the award and certified 347 students. José Miguel Torres, owner of Paraiso Pools, has been an NSPF Instructor since 2008 with 1,671 students taught overall. Dadeland Pools Plus, The Pool Physician, Aquatic ABCs, and Natman Aquatic Service joined Paraiso Pools in the category.

The NSPF appreciates all instructors who help protect people by keeping pools safer. Providing relevant and necessary education to aquatic professionals helps the industry keep pools and spas safer and open. Both NSPF and NSPF Instructors believe that everything we do helps people live healthier lives. Congratulations and thank you to all instructors.

Press Release