Industry associations partner, benefiting from shared resources and efficiencies

In an effort to build upon the value it provides the industry and ensure its sustainability, the California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA) Board of Directors voted to affiliate with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA).

According to Sabeena Hickman, PHTA President and CEO, the CPSA and PHTA will continue to elevate the industry’s professionalism through bestin- class education, tools and resources.

“Additionally, we will work together to protect the interests of the pool and hot tub industry through an unprecedented network and united advocacy voice in California,” Hichman said.

As part of the affiliation, PHTA will: support CPSA’s government relations, meetings and events; administer the management, accounting and planning for the association; and employ a fulltime director dedicated to CPSA.

Both parties are working on an agreement that will go into effect on July 1, 2020. Jerry Wallace, former CPSA Chairman of the Board said that the affiliation document is currently being drafted by both parties.

“Basically, PHTA is assuring funding for our government relations program and an executive director position. They will take over doing a lot of the backroom administration details to free up the executive director to focus on doing more productive work,” Wallace said.

As states begin to open, public pools are gradually opening for the summer swim season, and just in time for most July 4th celebrations. See story on page 5. Michelle Kavanaugh, former CPSA Executive Director, said she expects there will be a lot of changes as a result of the affiliation.

“CPSA will have a lot more resources available to them through PHTA and they will be able to accomplish more. A lot of things will transfer to PHTA like administrative jobs, social media, marketing – that will all be pushed to PHTA’s team,” Kavanaugh said.

She added that CPSA will now operate like a region of PHTA, but it will still have its own brand, with leadership in California.

Coincident with the affiliation, both Wallace and Kavanaugh resigned their positions with CPSA, but Kavanaugh said they did not resign as a result of the affiliation.

“It was just a good time to transition out. With the change of leadership, the merging of two associations, I think we just thought that it would be a good time to focus on our own projects, our own businesses.

That way the two associations can bring people in that have the same philosophies so they don’t have to worry about trying to mold people into their way of doing things,” Kavanaugh said. Jeff Mitchell is acting as Interim Chair of CPSA, and he said he does not anticipate a whole lot of changes.

“It is going to be a lot nicer and easier for CPSA members. They will have dual membership within PHTA and CPSA, making things a little easier because they will have the support of PHTA. CPSA members will automatically become a member of PHTA. We’re going to be working together,” Mitchell said,