by Claire Anderson | Mar 31, 2025 | News
Lopez Island, WA | March 21, 2025
LOPEZ SWIM CENTER DIRECTOR
Job Description
Organization: Lopez Swim Center | Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP)
Location: Lopez Island, Washington
Reports to: FLIP Board of Directors
Position Type: Full-time
Salary Range: $75,000-$85,000; commensurate with experience
OVERVIEW: FLIP seeks a dynamic, visionary aquatic professional with entrepreneurial and leadership skills to oversee the Lopez Swim Center from final stages of construction through full operations and ongoing success. The Swim Center Director will play a pivotal role as the top management position and will provide strategic direction, daily operational oversight of a $1 million annual operating budget, and manage staffing, finances, and facility maintenance to ensure a safe, inclusive, positive and enriching experience for our community.
Lopez Island is located within the San Juan Islands, a premier tourist destination in Washington State, known for its natural beauty and mild climate. Referred to as the “friendly island,” Lopez Island is often described as a welcoming community that attracts nature lovers, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts with its rural charm and laid-back atmosphere. Activities like biking, kayaking, golf, fishing and beachcombing are enjoyed year-round. Accessible by ferry or small plane 1.5 hours north of Seattle, the Lopez Swim Center will serve Lopez residents, a large second-home population, neighboring islanders, and over 80,000 summer tourists.
Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP), a community-focused nonprofit, is privately funding the building of the Lopez Swim Center and will own and operate the facility as a membership model while also open to the public, without tax support. Construction is underway, with a planned November 2025 opening. Visit www.lopezislandpool.org for details.
The Lopez Swim Center, with strong community support, will be the only all-ages, year-round aquatic recreational facility on Lopez Island. The Center will have two pools, a 4-lane 25-yard lap pool and a warm-water program and activity pool. The pools transition from outdoors in the summer to indoors with an air-supported dome during cooler seasons. The facility includes indoor and outdoor spaces for community events and activities.
SWIM CENTER OPERATIONS & LEADERSHIP
- Oversee Lopez Swim Center operations and build and grow a culture of excellence, providing strategic leadership and daily operational oversight.
- Drive growth by leading the Swim Center with visionary strategies, curating a comprehensive portfolio of programs
- Drive revenue by creating a sustainable revenue stream through programming, membership, and by building community and programming relationships to generate rental income
- Ensure operational efficiency; establish and implement operational policies and procedures
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & OVERSIGHT
- Develop and manage the annual and long-term budgets with full responsibility for optimizing resources and driving profitability while maintaining service excellence
- Ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability
- Monitor revenue and expenses, analyze financial performance, and implement strategies for improvement.
- Oversee purchasing and inventory management ensuring cost-effectiveness and appropriate resource allocation.
MEMBERSHIP AND PUBLIC USE
- Work closely with FLIP Board and community engagement and marketing team to set membership and user goals and driving membership and use to achieve these goals.
- Develop strong relationships with members and users, fostering direct communication and maximizing participation in aquatics programs.
- Member experience optimization: Ensure desk staff are fully knowledgeable about program schedules, events, and any changes, delivering a seamless experience to all members and daily users.
- Oversee membership and daily use programs to ensure an exceptional experience for all
- Manage membership and program registration systems and Financial Assistance program
STAFF MANAGEMENT
- Recruit, train, and mentor a high-performing aquatics team, overseeing continuous staff development through in-services and training
- Create and implement staff job descriptions, compensation guidelines, policies, and performance reviews.
- Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that promotes teamwork and professional development. Maintain consistent communication with aquatics staff, involving them in program and member engagement.
- Manage and collaborate with Swim Center service providers such as accounting firm and consultants as necessary.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT
- Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of a diverse range of aquatic programs, including swim lessons, water fitness classes, competitive swimming, and recreational activities.
- Assess community needs and trends to identify opportunities for new program development and enhancements.
- Ensure program quality and effectiveness through regular evaluation and feedback mechanisms.
- Manage program registration and scheduling, maximizing participation and revenue generation.
- Develop and manage outside user rental and usage agreements
FACILITY & RISK MANAGEMENT
- Manage and mitigate risk, ensuring the safety and well-being of all patrons and staff
- Develop and conduct Swim Center management, operational, emergency, and safety procedures, manuals, and action plans
- Oversee Swim Center maintenance and perform regular and light maintenance upkeep ensuring a clean, safe, and functional environment.
- Manage facility scheduling and usage, maximizing utilization and minimizing disruptions.
- Coordinate with contractors and vendors for repairs, maintenance, and capital improvements.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant safety regulations and codes.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/MARKETING/ FUNDRAISING
- Support staff and board initiatives to develop and maintain strong relationships with community partners, stakeholders, and potential sponsors.
- Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the community.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in recreation management, sports management, or a related field preferred or equivalent training and experience
- Proven experience in managing aquatic or recreational facilities and aquatic programs.
- Strong leadership, management, and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Experience with pool mechanical and operating systems
- Demonstrated ability to develop and manage budgets.
- Knowledge of aquatics, safety and risk management practices.
- Certifications and renewals can be obtained once hired in CPR, First Aid, and Lifeguarding (Instructor certifications a plus).
- Passion for aquatics and community service.
JOB DETAILS
- Full-time salaried position
- Position to start in late spring or early summer
- Hours are flexible, often requiring weekends and evenings based upon job requirements
- Requires physical ability and stamina to perform the essential functions of the position.
BENEFITS
- Two-weeks of paid vacation/year beginning after six months of employment, opportunity to increase after year two
- Health insurance stipend
- Participation in Swim Center performance-based management bonus pool
- Assistance in finding and securing housing on Lopez Island
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Please include the following in your application: Cover Letter, Resume, References
- Apply by May 1, 2025
- Please send applications by email to:Stu Isaac, Interim Swim Center Director and Aquatic Advisor; Email: stu@isaacsportsgroup.com
- For questions and additional information requests: Please email Stu Isaac
by Claire Anderson | Feb 5, 2025 | News
February 4, 2025
Lopez pool to open this year; local school kids to benefit
NANCY DEVAUX of the Salish Current
The Lopez Island Public School community made a splash on Jan. 21 in support of the much-anticipated Lopez Swim Center, now under construction on Pool Lane and slated to open later this year.
The swim center is privately owned by the nonprofit Friends of Lopez Pool (FLIP), but it will provide opportunities for public use, including residents from other islands. About 250 students from the Lopez Island School District (LISD) will be given scheduling priority during school hours.
“Our partnership with the Lopez Swim Center is driven by our shared goal that every student will graduate knowing how to swim” said Martha Martin, Lopez school district K–12 principal.
A major impetus for building a pool on the island was that 90% of Lopez school students aren’t able to swim, according to FLIP’s website. San Juan County is one of only two counties in the state without a public or school district pool.
MORE: Read the full article here,
by Claire Anderson | Feb 4, 2025 | News
Click on the photo above to see the Lopez SPLASH MOB in action!
Exciting news! A total of $786,000 was put into the Governor’s proposed capital budget to support completion of the Lopez Swim Center, but our District 40 legislators and State budget chairs need to hear from YOU to ensure the funding is approved.
The proposed funds include a $523,000 local and community projects direct appropriation and a grant of $263,000 from the 2025-2027 Youth Recreational Facilities program.
YOUR voice matters! Please take two minutes today to write a heartfelt e-mail explaining why supporting the Lopez Swim Center is important for our community.
Having writer’s block? No worries—we’ve included several sample messages below to cut, paste, and customize (if you want)!
To make it easy, email to director@lopezislandpool.org and we will forward your message
— OR —
For more impact, EMAIL DIRECTLY by copying and pasting these email addresses into your email: Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov, Alex.Ramel@leg.wa.gov, Debra.Lekanoff@leg.wa.gov, Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov, Yasmin.Trudeau@leg.wa.gov, director@lopezislandpool.org
Together, we can secure these vital funds for Lopez Swim Center and foster a healthier future for our island community.
SAMPLE MESSAGES:
Subject: Please Support the Lopez Swim Center!
I am writing to express my heartfelt support for the Lopez Swim Center and urge you to support the proposed funding of $786,000 in the Governor’s budget to help complete the Lopez Swim Center, which is currently under construction. With your support, it’s expected to open in late this year!
The Swim Center fulfills a vital public-safety role on our island, where only 8% of Lopez elementary students passed the basic Red Cross Swim test. San Juan County is one of only two counties in Washington without a public or school pool.
The Swim Center will also provide a year-round place for our community’s many seniors, with warm water helping mobility, fitness, and recovery from injuries. It will be an essential community hub.
I urge you to consider the significant impacts the Swim Center will have on our community and to strongly support its funding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
This is such an exciting time for children who live on Lopez Island—and all its residents! After years of work and successful fundraising, the Lopez Swim Center has reached the construction stage. We know that the many carefully planned programs in the Center’s two pools, including school PE, swim lessons, aquatic fitness and physical therapy, plus water safety and lifeguard training, will soon be a reality.
This is a time for dreams to come true, but it is also a time of urgency to complete fundraising in step with the Center’s final construction. We urge you to support the Governor’s recommendation in the capital budget so we can complete this important project that will transform the community. Thank you for your past significant work and support for the Lopez Swim Center!
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
I am delighted to report that the Lopez Swim Center, a community project, is now fully under construction! Everyone on Lopez is grateful for the past support and interest shown by you and your fellow legislators. The cheers thrown up last week and pool noodles waved by more than 125 Lopez School District students who crowded into the largest pool were meant for you, too!
This is a wonderful cause for celebration, but also cause for urgency to complete fundraising in step with the final phase of construction. Everyone on Lopez—young and old, active and infirm, well off and struggling—urges you to support former Governor Inslee’s recommendation in the Capital Budget for an allocation for the Lopez Swim Center. This project is transforming our island community by building a year-round, all-ages, all-abilities community facility for fitness, learning, and healing.
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
In the entire state of Washington, San Juan County is one of only two counties without a public or school pool. Not surprisingly, 92% of elementary-aged children on Lopez Island are unable to pass a Red Cross swimming test. By constructing a community Swim Center, Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP) is looking to reverse that trend. The Lopez Swim Center is currently under construction and slated to open late this year. However, we need your support of the Governor’s capital funding request submitted for this year’s budget for us to achieve this goal.
I would greatly appreciate your support of this funding for the Lopez Swim Center.
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
First, I want to thank you for your past support to help us build the Lopez Swim Center, a crucial community resource that will have significant impacts on the lives of islanders, both young and old. Currently, it’s estimated that 92% of Lopez elementary-aged students cannot pass a basic Red Cross swim test. The Swim Center will help turn this tide, with the goal of every child learning to swim by graduation! A large segment of our population is over age 60, and the Swim Center will also play a vital role for improving the health and wellness of many island seniors, whether that’s through aquatic aerobics classes, aqua physical therapy, or lap swimming. We’re asking you to approve the funding request in the current proposed budget to help us close the funding gap and complete the Swim Center.
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
Construction has started on our Lopez Swim Center, an essential year-round, all-ages, all-abilities community hub fostering water safety, wellness, fun, and fitness. While we hope to have construction completed by the end of this year, that will only be possible with your help. We strongly urge you to approve the capital budget recommendation for the Lopez Swim Center.
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
After 15 years of planning and fundraising, construction of the Lopez Swim Center is finally underway. The goal is to complete the pool facility by the end of this year. But while we’re continuing our fundraising, we need your help to help close the gap.
Every county in the state of Washington has a community pool—except for San Juan County and one other. This lack is even more significant given the fact that 92% of Lopez Island elementary students are unable to pass a basic Red Cross swimming test. The Lopez Swim Center’s mission is to turn this tide, with the goal of every Lopez child learning crucial, life-saving swimming and water-safety skills. The year-round Swim Center will benefit islanders of all ages and all abilities, offering a safe haven for fitness, fun, and friends. For the health and wellness of San Juan County islanders, I’m asking you to put your support behind this capital funding recommendation.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
[Your Name & Location]
by Claire Anderson | Dec 28, 2024 | News
Coming soon to the pools near you: lifeguards—and lifeguard chairs!—at the Lopez Swim Center! Thanks to a generous 2024 grant from the Lopez Thrift Shop, two Mendota portable lifeguard chairs were purchased and are in storage, waiting for the Center’s opening day in late 2025. These weather-resistant chairs will offer perches for our swim-safety specialists to keep a lookout—and make sure everyone in the pools are staying safe while having fun!
We greatly appreciate the Lopez Thrift Shop’s continued support!
by Claire Anderson | Dec 27, 2024 | News
Longtime FLIP donors Diana and Ed Sheridan are ready to JUMP IN when the Lopez Swim Center opens its doors in late 2025. Here’s what Ed recently wrote to FLIP:
“Let me get my swimming trunks!! I’m 86 and I love to swim on Cape Cod or soon, on Lopez Island.
I am enthusiastic about our new pool, and I’m proud that my wife and I were able to contribute to the costs for planning and designing it.
Our new pool will be a gift for all of the San Juan Islands. It will appeal to older folks like me, and also to the folks who are introducing their children to the warm waters of our first-class pool.
When you hear the whistle, then it’s time to jump into the water!”
