Florida

  • Sarah Bess, 33

    ByPoolPro

    With over a decade of experience in pool and home improvement financing, Sarah Bess has built her career on fostering strong partnerships and helping families bring their backyard dreams to life. She spent seven years at Lyon Financial as director of marketing and dealer services before joining Viking Capital, where she now serves as director of business development. She supports contractors nationwide by showing them how financing can help close more jobs, educate homeowners and make pool ownership more accessible.

  • Olivia Powell, 27

    ByPoolPro

    When Olivia Powell graduated from Florida State University in 2020, she entered the workforce at the height of the pandemic — when job opportunities were scarce. She found a job at Viking Capital as an assistant under the company’s director of marketing.

  • Kelly Collins, 39

    ByPoolPro

    Kelly Collins didn’t just join the pool industry — she grew into it step by step. In 2019, she began helping her husband with invoicing and office work at Code 3 Pool Service and then moved into the field as a technician. That combination of office and field knowledge prepared her to be operations manager, where she oversees scheduling, vendor coordination, customer communication and team support. She still jumps in on fieldwork when needed, training new hires or covering routes, which keeps her connected to the day-to-day challenges her technicians face.

  • Laci Davis, 39

    ByPoolPro

    For Laci Davis, the pool industry started with words. Her first role was writing manuals, blogs and social media content for one of the largest e-commerce companies in vinyl-liner pool kits. “My first assignment? Writing a full installation guide for DIY homeowners on how to build their own in-ground vinyl-liner pool,” Davis says. That project kicked off five years of translating technical details into approachable, high-impact education. At one point, her content generated the equivalent of more than $500,000 in paid ad traffic.

  • Nilson Silva, 36

    ByPoolPro

    For Nilson Silva, the pool industry is about creating spaces where families can connect. After gaining experience at Joe Lucia Pools and Al White Pools, he launched his own company, Master Touch Outdoor Living. Building his business allowed him to put his early experience in pool operations, customer service and jobsite coordination into practice.

  • Brian Menzies, 35

    ByPoolPro

    Brian Menzies can trace his pool career all the way back to age 10, when he helped a family friend distribute flyers in exchange for chicken salad sandwiches. By high school, he was working at a Pinch A Penny store for $6.55 an hour, filling bleach jugs alongside his best friend.

  • Jordan Snyder, 31

    ByPoolPro

    Jordan Snyder’s path through the pool industry has touched nearly every corner of the business — retail, service and repair. He’s held roles as service manager, area manager and retail store manager for leading organizations, experiences that helped him sharpen his skills and gain a 360-degree view of the trade.

  • PHTA and GENESIS Announce 2025 Mastermind Summit Keynotes

    ByPoolPro

    The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and GENESIS, an educational program of PHTA, announced the keynote speakers at the 2025 MasterMind Summit, Sept. 23-25 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Now in its second year, the summit offers opportunities to learn from industry experts, network with like-minded peers and uncover strategies to grow the industry.