APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 - (Page 37)

OF THE YEAR The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals™ Joe Vassallo (left) presents Al Rizzo with the CBP of the Year Award. Rizzo has been a member of APSP (formerly the National Spa & Pool Institute or “NSPI”) continuously since 1958. In 1962, he fi rst served as a representative from Connecticut on the board of directors of The New England Swimming Pool Association. In 1967, he started the Connecticut Chapter (CONSPA) of the National Swimming Pool Institute and became its first chapter president, remaining a member of the chapter board since its inception. Rizzo has served on the chapter, regional, and national levels of APSP. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association (NESPA) since 1977 and served as chairman of its Quarter Century Club. He has been a member of the Master Pools Guild since 1974 and served on its board of directors. Rizzo worked with fellow association members at NSPI to establish the Builders Council. He then became chairman of the Builders Education Committee, a post he has held since the inception of the committee. He is both a CBP Certified Building Professional® and a CSP Certified Service Professional®, holding the two highest certifications currently offered by APSP. Rizzo was the head author of the Builders Reference Manual, the first two editions of which were published in 1998 and 2002. The third edition is to be published in 2008. Rizzo has been a featured speaker for many years at the International Pool & Spa Expo, where he has shared his knowledge about pool construction and concrete work. At the 1994 Expo in New Orleans, he started the first-ever, on-floor educational demonstration – an annual event which is known today as the “Live Workshops.” In 1994, he won the Ruth Williams award for the live educational demonstrations. Rizzo currently organizes educational study workshops for professionals interested in preparing for the CBP certification examination. Rizzo has been acknowledged for his more than 50 years in the pool industry, receiving a multitude of awards and accolades, including numerous design awards. Active in his community, Rizzo acts as a consultant for the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and is a member of the Hartford Chapter of UNICO (Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity), the Better Business Bureau, and the Franklin Avenue Merchants Association which named him the 2007 “Businessman of the Year.” highest standards of workmanship and construction, business stability, and superior customer relations. The CBP Certified Building Professional® program was launched in the 1990s under the auspices of the NSPI Builders Council. The first exam was administered in 1996 at the NSPI International Expo & Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The exam was offered to NSPI members to certify builders’ knowledge and competence in the areas of design, layout, and construction of residential pools and spas. About the APSP Builders Council The mission of the APSP Builders Council is to enhance the business, image, and welfare of APSP’s builder members collectively by doing together those things which individuals could not effectively achieve independently. A Q Mary Vail is a publicist for Paragon Pools in Las Vegas, Nevada (maryvail@cox.net). APSP BUILDERS COUNCIL (2008) www.APSP.org/137/index.aspx Robert B. Tomlinson, CBP/CSP Chairman APES Pools Joe Vassallo, CBP Vice Chairman Paragon Pools Tommy Johnson, CBP/CSP Past Chairman Johnson Pools & Spas Guy Larsen, CBP/CSP Division Director All Seasons Pools & Spas, Inc. Jeff Mitchell, CBP Secretary Dynasty Pools Lew Akins, CBP Ocean Quest Pools by Lew Akins Dana Anderson Anderson Poolworks Bob Baron, CBP/CSP MAR BAR Family Pools, Inc. Robert Blanda, CBP Mill Bergen Pool Center Dick Covert, CAE Master Pools Guild, Inc. Jeff Fausett Aquatech Corporation Greg Howard Carecraft, Inc. Ron Lacher, P.E., CBP Pool Engineering, Inc. John C. Romano, CBP/CSP All American Custom Pools & Spas John Salvo Pensacola Pools East, Inc. Rob Traugott Laguna Pools & Designs Ltd. Origin of the CBP The CBP Certified Building Professional® certification program enhances the professional identity of the APSP builder member through an emphasis on high ethical standards, commitment to the SP RING 2008 | 37 http://www.APSP.org/137/index.aspx

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 Contents President's Message Chairman's Message International Awards of Excellence Spotlight Quality and Innovation If You're Still in the Pool Business, You're Leaving Money on the Table Gunslingers for Sale-s Can Pool Builders Hedge a Tough Year With... Hedges? Creating a Shared Vision: An Interview with PoolCorp CEO Manny Perez de la Mesa Grow Boating Initiative Helps Industry Imagine a Better Tomorrow First Ever CBP of the Year Award Presented at Inaugural CBP Recognition Dinner Safety Department News & Resources Advertiser's Index

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

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