It has been eight weeks since Joint Forces Training Base’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program assumed control of the base swimming pool from the City of Los Alamitos, and MWR’s newly established management team is already up and running at full speed. Manager Andrew Law and Head Lifeguard Kari Makshanoff bring years of aquatic center management experience, professionalism and enthusiasm to JFTB, and their efforts are already paying dividends.
“I relish the opportunity to start from scratch building a new program that incorporates both military and community involvement,” said Law, an 18-year aquatics professional whose most recent position was aquatics director and safety chair for the Westchester branch of the YMCA of Los Angeles. “In the short time we have been operational, we have succeeded in maintaining all of our pre-existing swim programs while extending the community lap-swim hours, and we are beginning to establish a viable program for military personnel and their families that did not exist before.
“Ironically, although the base has been here for so many years, its swimming pool is a ‘hidden gem,’ and the biggest hurdle we seem to be facing at this point is getting the word out to residents of the five communities surrounding JFTB as well as military personnel and their families as to what we can offer them,” he added. “We need to work on that!”
This year marks Makshanoff’s sixth year working as a lifeguard at the JFTB aquatic center, and similar to Law, she loves being part of something brand new. She is actively involved in hiring lifeguard candidates, manages the new punch-card program and is proactive in attracting new user groups.
“I’ve worked at the pool for quite a while and have become acquainted with many of the people who use it, so it’s been gratifying to see that they have chosen to stay with us. It’s even more exciting to see the number of military members beginning to use the facility,” said Makshanoff. “We entertained our first military family last weekend, and in addition to our National Guard clients, we recently hosted Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard units for physical training and survival training.”
For MWR Director Kathleen Banta, who has been at Joint Forces Training Base for almost 20 years, a revitalized aquatic center translates to additional funding that will be utilized to generate more opportunities to support soldiers and their families, while at the same time serving to further enhance JFTB’s community relationships.
“This is truly a ‘win-win’ situation for both the military and civilian communities, and I am excited to welcome Andrew and Kari to JFTB,” Banta said. “They bring lots of experience in the aquatic industry with them, and their expertise will benefit our continuing efforts to support our troops and their families.”
For additional information, contact Col. (CA) Richard Lalor at (562) 795-2096 (office) or (626) 733-1170 (mobile), or via email at richard.w.lalor2.vol@mail.mil.
