It’s 30 Under 40! Congratulations to all the 2024 recipients — and if you entered this year and didn’t make the list, please try again next year. Each year we have more entries, and it gets harder to whittle it down to 30. Don’t see this as a rejection but more like being put on a waitlist. For those on the 2024 list, I encourage you to take full advantage of this honor by posting about it and sharing it with your customers, friends and the industry. Part of the reason we do this program is to help recruit a new generation of potential pros — and showing off this accolade is one way we can demonstrate how awesome it is to work in the pool industry!
Before Moses Campos worked as a start-up technician and weekly maintenance tech at Southernwind Pools in McKinney, Texas, he was a graphic designer for small companies and ad agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With this background, the idea of creating backyard spaces appealed to him. After his hard work was noticed, he was moved into a design role within his first year. Campos learned construction practices and Pool Studio under the guidance of the general manager, who valued his creative vision. This opportunity allowed him to excel in sales, where his innovative approach and attention to detail propelled him to become a top salesperson.
Ryan Marsh’s entry into the pool industry wasn’t exactly planned. Over time, the pool industry began to pull him in as his role expanded.
James Broderick started in the industry by managing a swim school. As the general manager of Goldfish Swim School in 2018, Broderick oversaw a 60,000-gallon pool, taught life-saving skills to kids and worked as a certified lifeguard instructor. When the pandemic closed the school in 2020, Broderick saw an opportunity. Using a stimulus check, he and his wife started JB’s Pool Care.
Angela Tran’s career has been marked by a unique blend of financial expertise, operational leadership and strategic planning, which she has applied across a variety of industries. Today, she serves as chief strategy officer for HASA, where her passion for innovation and commitment to sustainability are at the forefront of her work.
Kristal Needham’s path to founding Freedom Solar Energy began in 2009, during a turbulent time for both the housing and pool industry. Solar pool heating, however, had already been a staple for over 40 years, providing owners with an effective, energy-efficient way to heat their pools. Needham saw this niche as the perfect opportunity to make her mark, especially as government rebates and incentives helped raise awareness about solar energy’s potential.
When David Jones was 11, a family friend hired him to do some gardening work.
“After about six months, we noticed that the pool maintenance jobs seemed much easier,” he says. “We contacted [a friend’s] uncle who was a pool cleaner and asked him to teach us the ropes. He took my friend along for a day, and soon after, we placed an ad in the Pennysaver and started acquiring pool service accounts.”
Swade Dungan joined Spartan Pool and Patio in 2017, jumping straight into pool openings.
Jacob Cummins dove into the pool industry as a technical sales manager at Zodiac, focusing on growing the aftermarket presence for service providers. His role involved understanding technical troubleshooting in the field and leveraging that expertise to boost sales among service companies. This hands-on experience laid the foundation for his current position as a territory sales manager, where he aims to expand Fluidra’s equipment presence in both new construction and the aftermarket segments.
Alana Fletcher joined Fluidra’s marketing department in 2021. Referred by a friend from the company’s earlier days as Zodiac, Fletcher quickly took charge of managing social media channels and crafting creative copy. Her dedication has paid off, and she was recently promoted to communications specialist.
