Kristie Riester began serving as the CMAHC’s Executive Director in June 2019. She has more than 20 years’ experience in public service, working her way up from seasonal lifeguard to leadership roles in parks and recreation services and aquatics. Kristie’s most recent position was with the Recreation Centers of Sun City West where she served as the Recreation Manager overseeing 4 Recreation Centers, 6 pools, and 7 spas. Prior to that she was the Community Services Director for the City of Maricopa. Her responsibilities included the management and oversight of Parks, Recreation, Library and Special Events.

Kristie discovered her passion for community services would lead to a career while at the University of Arizona where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree, in Physiology. She has a Master of Administration Degree with an emphasis in Public Management from Northern Arizona University. Her first professional position was with the Town of Oro Valley where she served as the Aquatics Manager.

Before moving back to Arizona she served as the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of El Centro. Kristie has been a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) since March 2008. She is actively involved with her State and National Associations, currently serving the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association as President Elect. She has had the privilege to be an educational presenter at the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association conference as well as the National Recreation and Parks Association conference and National Aquatics Management School. She has also been a guest lecturer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the Parks, Recreation and Leisure Tourism Administration program. She is passionate about Public Service and helping others achieve their goals.

Dewey Case has worked in the aquatics industry for more than two decades. His career started as a part time lifeguard, evolved into servicing pools, and then into aquatic facility management while in college. Upon graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Dewey worked in the pool management industry and then transitioned to work with the YMCA at the local and national level, where he served as the volunteer project lead for the 2011 revision of the Y-USA Aquatic Safety Guidelines. He has also served on multiple aquatic safety committees, including the American Red Cross local Preparedness, Health, & Safety committee and state Quality Assurance committee. Dewey has earned multiple Instructor Trainer certifications from the American Red Cross, as well as instructor credentials with the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, and was recognized as a “aquatics lifer” by Aquatics International in the 2018 Power Issue. 

Dewey was a member of the Lifeguarding and Bather Supervision Technical Committee for the MAHC 1st Edition and the Technical Review Committee for the MAHC 3rd Edition. He enjoys helping other aquatic facilities improve operations and helping young aquatics professionals hone and develop their craft, whether in rescue and response, pool operations, management, training lifeguards, or teaching swimming. In addition to his role with CMAHC, he is the Aquatics Coordinator for Williamson County (TN) Parks and Recreation.

Betsy Watson joined the CMAHC in May 2024 as Communications Director. She is a seasoned Marketing and Communications Consultant with a robust background in communications, public relations, and brand strategy.

Betsy has held key leadership roles in several prominent organizations, including Director of Corporate Communications at a major performance marketing firm, where she led brand messaging. In the biotechnology sector, she served as Global Public Relations and Brand Manager, driving brand activation during company repositioning. Betsy's earlier roles include leading Marketing and Communications for a community hospital and a multi-specialty physician group.

Betsy holds a B.S. in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from Western Carolina University. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her contributions to marketing and communications, including national and regional accolades for public relations, online advertising, and creative marketing initiatives. She resides in western North Carolina with her husband, Blake, where she volunteers for the Rotary Club of Marion and the YMCA.

Susan Wichmann began serving the CMAHC in July 2019 as Administrative Services Director. She has more than 9 years’ experience in the aquatics industry. Prior to joining the CMAHC, Susan worked for the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) as the Government Affairs Specialist. In that role she served as the liaison between NSPF and the CMAHC, helping to facilitate the Vote on the Code conferences and MAHC adoption efforts. Before her work with NSPF, Susan was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Colorado for two years. She received her BA in Mass Communications from DePauw University in 1984.