Julie Lopiccolo
Founder
Jasper’s Mother
and Partner at CKLH Law
Jonathan St. Clair
Co-founder
Timothy J. Pagano
Treasurer
City of Santa Ana
Tim Pagano has worked in the Parks & Recreation field for 27 years in six different communities in Southern California. During his tenure he was given the opportunity to oversee Aquatics programming and has turned that opportunity into a vehicle to increase drowning prevention awareness and water safety education in underserved communities.
Recently, Tim was instrumental in bringing back Aquatics programming as a core service in the City of Santa Ana after a decade of contracting with a third party provider. In its first complete Summer, Santa Ana Aquatics delivered approximately 3,000 swim lessons while providing roughly 400 scholarships through the America Red Cross Centennial Campaign. Santa Ana Aquatics was also featured in July New York Times article discussing the disparities in access to public aquatics facilities, water safety education and drowning prevention awareness in low socioeconomic communities.
Tim has also served on the California Parks and Recreation Society’s Aquatics Section as Region 4 Representative and Treasurer for three years and has presented at the California Aquatics Management School conference.
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Mike Denham
Denham Pools
Owner of Denham Pools for 36 years
IPSSA Region V Director, Orange County
Makenzie Ferguson
Children’s Hospital of Orange County
Makenzie is a pediatric emergency trauma nurse who now works as the Injury Prevention Educator for Trauma Services at CHOC. Her previous experience caring for ill and injured children led to her passion for developing programs and delivering community education to keep kids safe.
Mary Welton
City of Temecula
Community Services Supervisor I – Aquatics
Mary is a Community Services Supervisor for the City of Temecula. Mary started her career in Aquatics when she was 15 years old as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor for the Greater Vallejo Recreation District. She continued to work as a Pool Manager and Recreation Technician while attending Chapman University in Orange, CA. at Chapman University, Mary was a member of the Chapman Women’s Swim and Dive team where she served as Team Captain her Junior and Senior seasons and a member of the Chapman Women’s Water Polo Team and served as Team Captain in her Senior season. Mary was awarded the Jack Duddy Female Leadership Award by the Chapman University Athletic Department and was awarded the Outstanding Senior award from the Dean of Students office. Mary served a Rural Family Health Educator in the Peace Corps and lived abroad in Belize. Upon returning to California, she worked in the private healthcare industry before returning to public service.
Mary was the Recreation Coordinator for Aquatics and Special Events for the City of Orange before moving to Temecula. Mary is a certified Lifeguard, Lifeguard Instructor, Lifeguard Instructor Trainer, Water Safety Instructor, and Water Safety Instructor Trainer with the American Red Cross and a certified Aquatic Facility Operator. She serves on the Board of Directors the Southern California Public Pool Operators Association (SCPPOA) and on the Educational Committee for the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP). The Temecula Aquatics Team runs two year-round aquatic facilities and one additional seasonal facility with programs including lap swim, water exercise classes, and swim lessons to specialized programs, including adaptive swim lessons, water polo, and a robust volunteer program. The City of Temecula Team is an award-winning program with multiple Best of the Best awards for Lifeguard Management form Aquatics International. Temecula Aquatics is also a recipient of the American Red Cross Centennial Program funds and First 5 Riverside to provide swim lessons for low-income families.
Mary’s passion is in water safety. By teaching people of all ages how to swim, it allows individuals and families the opportunity to be safe in and around the water and have the same fun and joy around the water that she was able to cultivate.
Janice Thomas
Janice N. Thomas, MS, brings with her over fifteen years of experience in marketing, communications, public relations, and event management. Passionate about driving brand awareness and fostering strong community partnerships, she excels in managing people, processes, and budgets—delivering strategic results with creativity and care.
Ms. Thomas has a proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing strategies, media relations efforts, and integrated communication campaigns. Her diverse experience includes collaborations with top networks such as Prime Video and NBC Universal, managing high-impact events, and overseeing full-scale rebranding initiatives.
In addition to her corporate and agency work, Janice has spent over 20 years working with nonprofit organizations in various capacities—helping mission-driven teams amplify their impact, secure critical funding, and build lasting relationships with the communities they serve.
She holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication with a focus in Public Relations and is committed to using her expertise to elevate voices, causes, and brands that matter.
