Aquatics veteran and safety advocate Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D., has joined the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance as its Vice President of Educational Development.
For almost 10 years, Katchmarchi was known as the head of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, serving as executive director and CEO from 2017 until his departure last year. During that time, the organization grew in size and visibility, with Katchmarchi placing an emphasis on forming partnerships with other organizations, such as the Association of Aquatic Professionals, with whom NPDA co-locates its annual conference.
He also has been listed on multiple occasions as an aquatics influencer in the Power Issue of sister publication Aquatics International.
In his time with NDPA, he worked to form an alliance between it and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) to bring the water-safety and pool-industry communities together. Since last year, he has contracted with PHTA to help develop a new educational platform due to launch in September.
“With my background in safety and aquatic management, and my relationship with the pool and spa industry, it felt like a great place where I could make an impact,” Katchmarchi said of his newest appointment.
From 2017 until last spring, Katchmarchi also served as a professor for the Department of Allied and Public Health at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, specializing in topics such as communications and marketing in public health, research methods, and aquatic facility management. Also a researcher, Katchmarchi has authored several peer-reviewed publications and frequently presents at conferences.
He started as a pool operator, and so brings that experience as well. “It feels like a little bit of a homecoming,” he said. “I started my career as a pool operator, and that’s something I tried to keep with in my career. Even in my years in water safety and drowning prevention, I maintained my CPO and remained a professor.”
He holds various volunteer positions in other safety and aquatics organizations, such as the U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan’s Steering Committee and the PHTA-16 standard writing committee.
In his new role, Katchmarchi will continue his work on the new educational platform, called Center of Excellence, as well as the group’s other educational programs as they’re developed, fine-tuned and updated. According to PHTA, he has been charged with developing innovative courses and trainings, elevating the quality and accessibility of educational content, and fostering strategic partnerships. He coordinates with Jeanne Mendelson, vice president of educational operations and sales.
“We’ll be making some strategic plans for long-term growth of our education portfolio,” he said.
Katchmarchi earned his Ph.D. in Coaching and Teaching Studies from West Virginia University, with research specializing in water safety education. He also holds a Master of Science in Sport Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Slippery Rock University, both with focuses on aquatics and aquatic safety.
