The Association Staff
Lisa M. Zarda, CAE
Executive Director
Direct: 480.447.4987
D’Nette Allsop, CNAP
Office Manager/Member Specialist
Direct: 480.696.6432
Anne Swanson, CMP
Event Manager
Direct: 480.690.8091
The Association Board Of Directors
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Association. It is made up of the following positions: President; Vice-President and five Members at large. Each Board Member is elected by the membership and holds their position for a three-year period. Board Members act as liaisons to the committee chairs of the Association.
Buffy Folise
President – elected 2023
Chicago Swim School
2020 E Northwest Hwy
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Rose Cholewinski
Vice President – elected 2023
SwimAmerica – Davis
2121 2nd St #A101
Davis, CA 95618
Debbie Sayers
Treasurer – elected 2022
DolFUN SWIM Academy
12029 N.E. Ainsworth Circle
Portland, OR 97220
Melissa McGarvey
Director – Elected 2023
British Swim School
2829 Guardian Lane, STE 100
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Davina Lopez
Director – elected 2021
Davina’s Swim House
145 Marlee Ave.
York, ON M6B 3H3, Canada
Ann Marie Sunderhaus
Director – elected 2022
Hubbard Family Swim School
Kino Plaza, Suite 100
13832 North 32nd St
Phoenix, AZ, 85032
Melissa Taylor
Director – elected 2021
Small Fish Big Fish Swim School
346 Pike Rd #3
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Lisa M. Zarda, CAE
Executive Director/Secretary – hired 2017
US Swim School Association
4815 E Carefree Hwy, Ste 108-480
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
The Wendy Fereday Swim School recently shared with us a letter they received from swim mom Erin. “We took the boys to our pool in the neighborhood for a quick swim yesterday evening to get out some bedtime energy. Decker and Jax were playing with an inflatable water polo goal they recently got. Ames, age 3, went to check it out and I had my eyes on him the whole time from where I was sitting. He leaned over at the edge of the pool and reached too far in the water and fell in head first in the pool. I instantly got up from my chair and ran to help him (I was close enough where I knew I could get to him if I needed to) but I stopped at the edge of the pool because I could see him do the “turn around and save yourself” routine. He was kicking his legs and reaching to the edge of the pool just like you’ve taught him since he was tiny! After he grabbed the edge of the pool, he started to pull himself out of the pool and he was crying. I hugged him and told him “Ames, you did it. You turned around and saved yourself!” He kept crying and saying “I fell in the pool” and I just kept saying over and over again “you turned around and saved yourself” and gave him lots of big hugs. Then the boys came over and told him good job for saving himself and he got so proud of himself.”