Friends of the Pool – Board of Directors:
Suzanne Perin
Chair
Suzanne is the Executive Director of the Shafer Historical Museum in Winthop. She has a PhD in Learning Sciences & Human Development from the University of Washington and has worked in informal science education, program evaluation and creating museum exhibitions for more than 20 years. Growing up in hot Southern California summers and as a competitive swimmer through college, the local pool was always the place to hang out with friends for healthy play under the watchful eyes of lifeguards. Suzanne wants to ensure that present and future generations of Methow Valley residents have a place for safe water fun and to become confident swimmers for a lifetime of joy in the water. Since moving to Twisp in 2017, she’s started learning to enjoy frozen forms of water through Nordic skiing and ice skating, but the liquid state is still her favorite.
Blue Bradley
Vice Chair
Joining the board of FOP in 2019, Blue has lived in the Methow Valley since 1995. She learned to swim in Colorado as a baby, and raced on a swim team from ages 5 through 18. She credits those years of experience as the reason that swimming is the one activity she can do better than her husband, who is a professional mountain guide. They have a daughter who also loves swimming, and Blue wants to make sure that a public pool stays here in the Methow for all to enjoy, well into the future. As her body ages, and climate change increases the likelihood for smoky summers, it becomes clear that swimming is an essential activity for everyone's mental and physical health. Blue's day job is caring for our Methow community as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife at Family Health centers in Twisp.
Justin Porter
Secretary
Justin is a RN/Paramedic at Aero Methow Rescue Service. Justin is passionate about safe, fun, and affordable recreation for people of all ages and abilities in the Methow Valley. He believes a pool is vital to the health of the community. Justin dreams of a year-round swimming and recreation center in the Methow. Justin and his wife Adriana have two kids Oona and Jonny B and live in Twisp.
Kevin Kolman
Treasurer
Kevin Kolman joined the board after realizing how much the pool positively impacted his kids and their friends. Kevin moved to the Methow Valley at the start of 2022 so his family could continue building upon wonderful memories like his engagement and wedding here in the valley. Kevin lives in Winthrop with his wife Caroline and two children Chloe and Dominic. When he’s not on the nordic trails, out for a bike ride, hiking or enjoying time in the garden, Kevin works in finance for a software company. “I feel a pool is important for the health of the valley as a safe place to learn to swim, compete, exercise, rehab and just enjoy water activities with family and friends.”
Bo Thrasher
Board Member
Bo fell in love with swimming when she was five and her swim coach pointed to the pool and told her to try to swim 25 yards of butterfly! She was hooked. Bo swam on swim teams all her life: AAU, high school, college and Masters. She's met some amazing people along the way at pools who have become friends for life. Since moving to the Methow in 1997, Bo has been an avid lap swimmer, lake swimmer, river swimmer, swim lesson teacher and swim coach for the Methow Valley Killer Whales. She rejoined the FOP board recently after being involved with the Wagner pool in the very beginning. Bo feels that a pool is essential to a healthy community where people of all ages can learn to swim and enjoy the pool in various ways. Bo is a teacher and ran the Lost River School in Mazama for 8 years, taught at the MV Community school, for various programs at MVSD, and most recently at their Aftercare program.
Susan Megaard
Board Member
Sue and her husband have been coming to the Methow Valley for over 30 years before moving to Winthrop part time in 2015 and full time in 2021. She is an avid lap swimmer and nordic skier and believes that a year round pool is essential to the health of all members of the community especially given our cold winters and frequently smoky summers. With the wide variety of lakes and rivers in the area, a pool is also a safe place for people to become confident swimmers. Before moving to the Methow, Sue had all three of her now adult children complete all levels of Red Cross swim lessons as well as lifeguard training, and all three of them worked as lifeguards at different pools throughout the Spokane area. Sue retired after 37 years from her job as a professor of federal taxation at Eastern Washington University in Spokane in 2021 and she served during several of those years as the President of the Spokane Nordic Ski Education Foundation (a Section 501(c)(3) organization). She believes that her background will help in the effort to have a year round pool for all current and future users in the Valley to enjoy.
Aaron Nauman
Board Member
Aaron joined the board in 2022. He is a Mí’kmaq descendant, who grew up near Bar Harbor, Maine swimming in various ponds, quarries, and the Atlantic Ocean. He holds graduate degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Washington, has more than 25 years of project development experience, and is a PADI certified diver. He became connected to the Methow Valley in 2010 and is helping to raise his two daughters, Leona and Josie in this beautiful place. “These girls are avid fans of the pool and the opportunities it brings for competition, social interaction, and the connection to the lifelong sport of swimming and other water activities.” Aaron understands the benefits of a year-round aquatic center to the community and is passionate about helping to make this happen for the Methow Valley.
Advisory Committee:
Sarah Schrock
Jen Ramsey
Jacque Wilke
Patty Yates
Agnes Almquist