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Leadership Council 2010
SAVE THE DATE!
February 3-7, 2009
Charleston, South Carolina
Don't miss this annual event! Update your certifications, advance to the next level, or add a new certification while participating in the most relevant aquatic conference of the year!
Leadership Council Trainings Available:
Wednesday - Starfish Swim Instructor Trainer
Wednesday - Starfish Swimming Program Facilitator
Thursday/Friday - AquaTech Instructor Part B
Thursday/Friday - AquaTech Part B
Saturday/Sunday - StarGuard Instructor Part B
NEW THIS YEAR: Wireless Internet Service will be available in all cabins! We heard you, and we listened!
Leadership Council is an event exclusively for our training center directors and leadership personnel. This event is unique in the industry, offering management staff the opportunity to improve management techniques, keep up with the latest in aquatics and risk management, and help shape the future of today's premier aquatic training agency.
Leadership Council 2010 will be held at the beautiful James Island County Park, located in historic Charleston, South Carolina. This event is conducted in an intensive retreat format where attendees stay in on-site family style cottages and eat, work and socialize together. Attendees staying through Monday will have first choice on on-site cottages.
Please watch your inbox for a link to register for Leadership Council and any of the associated trainings through our convenient new online registration system!
COST OF ROOM, BOARD, AIRPORT TO CABIN TRANSPORTATION, AND LEADERSHIP COURSE FEES:
$698 for Leadership Council (Wednesday-Friday, check out Saturday morning)
$898 for Leadership Council and Training (Wednesday-Sunday, check out Monday morning)
Costs of training materials and CAP packs are additional.
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New Staff Added!
Please welcome Liza Recktenwald!
SAI added several new StarReviewers to its roster in 2009, continuing its tradition of employing the most experienced and highly trained group of auditors in the country. Assisting  Carol Fick in 2010 to help coordinate, train and direct this corps of experienced aquatic professionals is Liza Recktenwald.
"Liza worked with the Glenview Park District in suburban Chicago for many years," says Carol, who co-founded Ellis & Associates and has served as first SAI's Vice President for Risk Management. "She oversaw their Starfish Swimming program, with over 3,000 participants each year, and helped pilot the SwimReview program at SAI."
While at Glenview, Liza also oversaw the operations for three aquatics facilities, managing approximately 250 employees in the summer when both outdoor pools as well as the indoor facility were open.
"In her new role as Director of Risk Management, Liza will ensure that all client 2010 Facility Registrations and Self Evaluations are current on the RegOnline site, so look forward to hearing from her," Carol explains.
" Also, she will be arranging for your StarReview visits, so remember to list any 'special instructions', or give her a call to chat about your facilities. We really want to get a 'jump' on next season and are looking to Liza to maximize our pre-season communication with you."
"My goals include helping each of our clients achieve the safest environment possible," Liza asserts. "Our StarReview and SwimReview programs will continue to grow to meet the changing needs of the clients that we serve. I look forward to partnering with our clients to learn how we can continue serve them."
Liza resides in Michigan with her husband, Chris. You can reach Liza at lizareck@aol.com or by calling the national office at 877-465-4545.
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Webster Groves Aquatic Complex Receives 5-STAR AWARD!
Reprinted From Missouri Parks & Recreation Association Magazine, Fall 2009 Issue, Page 21
The Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) awarded The Webster Groves Aquatic Complex, operated by Midwest Pool Management, the prestigious Five Star Award following a risk management audit. Assistant Pool Manager Hannah Greene accepted the award on behalf of Webster Groves Aquatic Complex and Midwest Pool Management.
 "Very few aquatic facilities qualify to receive this honor," stated Leslie Donavan, President of SAI. "It represents a tremendous commitment to safety and training, and exceptional performance by the lifeguard staff on duty at the time."
The local lifeguards who contributed to achievement of the 5-Star Award included Liz Falk, Hannah Greene, Ellen Krautmann, Louise Love, and Sienna Sears.
SAI is one of the largest lifeguard, swim instruction and pool operator certifying agencies in the United States. The Institute offers state-of-the-art training courses and also provides risk management services to the aquatic industry. In partnership with Human Kinetics, the world's leading publisher for the physical activity field, the Institute offers state-of-the-art training textbooks, and multi-media online resources.
"We are very proud to the Midwest Pool Management and the Webster Groves Aquatic Complex as a member of the SAI family and that they have chosen to train their staff untilizing our programs," said Donavan. "We also commend them for participating in the StarReview risk management audit program and believe our focus on professionalism and accountability gives our providers the opportunity to lead the industry in effective and safe programming.
Founded by Jill White, a renowned aquatics expert, SAI uses an integrated experiential approach to learning. All SAI training programs incorporate this innovative technique.
The Webster Groves Aquatic Complex is using the StarGuard Lifeguard certification program.
StarReview Fact Sheet
- A StarReview is an independent evaluation of an aquatic facility with regard to aquatic safety and lifeguard performance
- StarReviews are conducted for facilities nationwide which use the Starfish Aquatics Institute's StarGuard lifeguard training program, as well as facilities which use other programs (i.e. American Red Cross, YMCA) and request independent evaluation.
- A StarReview examines five (5) categories based on the Starfish Aquatic Risk Management Model: Prevention, Surveillance, Conscious Victim Management, Unconscious Victim Management, and Professionalism/Personal Safety
- A StarReview is conducted unannounced and unobserved. During the observation portion of the Review, the lifeguard staff is not aware that their performance is being videotaped and evaluated.
- A StarReview is conducted in three parts: evaluation, via observation, of the surveillance and professionalism skills of randomly chosen lifeguards; evaluation, via scenarios, of the ability of lifeguards to handle emergency situations; and evaluation of facility policy, procedure, documentation, equipment, and management practices.
- To qualify to earn Star Award recognition, a facility must first be documented to be meeting minimum standards in over 60 areas. Minimum standards reflect current common practice in the aquatic industry. If minimum standards are met, a facility may then earn 1-Star through 5-Star recognition by EXCEEDING standards.
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Meet Adolph Kiefer
Many people in the world of aquatics know the name Kiefer as a manufacturer and seller of aquatic-related products. But how many of you know the man behind the name?
Adolph Kiefer has served on the Board of Advisors for SAI since its inception. His company has supported the annual Leadership Council in Charleston, SC, and Adolph and his wife, Joyce, have personally supported the growth and development of the company.
Adolph recently became the first subject of a series of inspirational videos in development. Be the first to check out the story of this Olympic Gold medalist, and hear what he views as his proudest achievement (hint: it's not the Gold medal!). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPR_y0Mfp8Q
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SAI STAFF
In each issue, SAI features a national staff member. This month, we feature Leslie Donavan.
Meet CEO Leslie Donavan
My name is Leslie Donavan, and I have the privilege of serving as President and CEO of SAI. I say privilege because it really is an honor to work for Jill and Robbin White, who founded this company in 1999.
I met Jill when she and I worked together at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. I was the volunteer Brand Protection Manager,  responsible for helping to protect the intellectual property relating to the Olympics. Jill told me about this exciting new company she had formed, and asked me to serve on SAI's Board of Advisors. That was how I came to know and love the world of aquatics!
I grew up on a lake in Madison, Wisconsin, and received my undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin. I attended law school at Northwestern University, and practiced law for a number of years in Chicago. I also worked for United Airlines and was a partner in a consulting firm.
In my spare time, I serve as President of the Northwestern Alumni Association and volunteer for a number of organizations. My hobbies include skiing, SCUBA diving, painting (I paint wine buckets!) and travel. I was really lucky this past year, and cruised both the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean.
My husband, John Seymour, and I have two daughters. Allie is a senior in Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and Kerrin is a senior in high school and will be attending Standford University next Fall. About the time that I started hanging around swimming pools with Jill, my youngest daughter became a competitive diver. Now I travel the country visiting pools with Kerrin as well!
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Starfish Swimming Provider Updates
Reminders:
1. Starfish Swimming Providers must submit copies of the Satisfaction Monitors that parents or students complete at the end of each lesson session. The only Providers exempt from this policy are those that participate in the SwimReview program. Please forward all completed Satisfaction Monitors to the SAI Headquarters Office within 10 days of completion of a lesson session.
2. Effective January 1, 2010 all Starfish Swim Instructors teaching students with special needs will be required to complete the Introduction to Adapted Aquatics Instruction online course in addition to maintaining their Starfish Swim Instructor certification requirements. Providers may order the online course through SAI at a discounted rate of $35, which is almost half off of the retail price.
Announcements:
SAI now has a Starfish Swimming logo patch that correlates with the new Starfish Swimming corporate logo. Patches are $2.00 each and can be ordered through the SAI Headquarters Office. The previous Starfish Swim School circular patch is being discontinued. A few do remain in inventory and have been discounted to $1.50 each.
Make sure to check out NEW Program Facilitator documents on the Starfish Swimming Intranet:
Sunscreen Log (new)
Program Facilitator Daily Checklist (revised)
StarBabies Core Skills Checklist (new)
From the National Office
For those of you who manage seasonal facilities, this can be a very busy time of the year, when the past season's paperwork must be completed, and plans must be put into place for the next season. As you look back at the previous season, please remember that all lifeguards trained, along with their CAP numbers, must be recorded in the Class Management System (CMS). In addition, monthly reports must be submitted for all facilities during operational months on the Aquatic Incident Database (AID). If you need assistance with either of the above requirements, or if you have entered information that you would like to have checked for accuracy, please contact Sara Poe at sarap@hkusa.com or by calling 1-877-465-4545. Many thanks to all of you who have already entered your information and/or who have participated in phone tutorials over the past few months!
News from Accounting
Good News from the Finance Department!
SAI pricing will remain the same for 2010, with the exception of those clients who received 2008 Sustaining Member discounts on CAPS this year. All clients will pay $30 each for StarGuard and Swim School CAPs beginning January 1, 2010.
Please make sure you have the correct address for remittances so that your payments are not delayed in being credited to your account.
All checks should be mailed to:
SAI Finance Office
P.O. Box 525
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Also, if you would rather pay by credit card, please call me at 847-607-0274. It is not considered safe to email or fax your credit card information. Jeanmarie Hagedorn, SAI Finance Director P. 847 607 0274 F. 847 607 0314 jmh904@comcast.net
Press Releases On The Intranet
Did you just join the SAI family? Was your facility awarded five stars for its recent StarReview or SwimReview? Let everybody know about it!
Press releases are available for your use on the intranet. They can be found under Documents/StarReview Forms and sent to your local media outlets. Forward any articles that are printed electronically and we'll feature them in a newsletter! If they appear in print, scan a copy and send to sarap@hkusa.com.
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