South Whidbey 

Parks and Aquatics Foundation


(SWPAF)

Our Organization

This foundation is run by a small board of volunteers from the South Whidbey community. In 2008, the foundation was awarded 501(c)3 status, making charitable contributions to the foundation tax deductable. We are actively looking for volunteers for a wide range of tasks and activities. So please let us know if you are interested at info@swparksandaquatics.org.


Mission

The mission of the South Whidbey Parks and Aquatics Foundation is to make parks and aquatics activities accessible to ALL residents of the South Whidbey community by raising money to fund capital expenses, operating endowments and scholarships as well as supporting new and existing parks and aquatics programs. 

Vision

We envision a healthy and thriving community where residents of all ages and economic circumstances have access to recreation and fitness.

Purpose

Foundation Board

Rich Bacigalupi

Rich has been an avid swimmer since joining the Highland Vista 8 & Under Swim Team in 1976 in Tucson, Arizona. He took on facility, pool, lifeguard and operations management in his late teens and worked with other neighborhood families to finance and restore the entire aquatic facility. After high school swim team, Rich led a career in marketing and finance around the world. He and his family have lived on South Whidbey Island since 2002. Rich swims with South Whidbey Island Masters and hopes to help bring aquatic activities to all in our community.

Shaun Bell

Shaun supports the SWPAF as the technology liaison, managing the website and assisting with the varying technological tools used by the foundation, including those used by the Whidbey Adventure Swim. Although not a swimmer, Shaun actively supports our regional maritime interests as he is an oceanographer with NOAA working predominantly in Coastal Alaskan waters. His meteorological background enables him to help local swimmers determine when it’s safe to go in the water.

Margaret Delp

Margaret moved to Whidbey Island with her family in 2003.  She is an attorney in private practice who has worked with many nonprofit organizations throughout her career. A board member since 2020, Margaret is particularly committed to our goal to ensure that every South Whidbey child has the opportunity to learn to swim and that people of all ages have access to an affordable place for fun and aquatic fitness. She is thrilled that the community has supported the construction of the aquatic center. 

Teresa Forsyth

Teresa Wiley Forsyth has lived on South Whidbey Island for 20 years, and is an avid open water swimmer. She is the race director for the Whidbey Adventure Swim, and is passionate about making aquatics activities accessible to all south end residents, regardless of their age, abilities, or financial means.

Jack Hemple

Student Representative

Jack is a sophomore at South Whidbey High School.  He has  always had a love for water and learned how to swim with the South Whidbey Stingrays. He is captain of the new South Whidbey High School boys swim team. As a Freshman, he swam to state finals for both his events, even managing to squeeze into the finals for one. He plans to continue swimming at the college level after high school and is pursuing his freedive certification. He teaches summer swim lessons at the Useless Bay Country Club pool and enjoys watching his pupils excel.

Brenda Lovie

Vice President

Brenda is a retired figure skating professional and owner of a costume design company. She is a personal trainer and triathlete and recently competed at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. She believes everyone living on an island should know how to swim and is a strong supporter of a public swimming facility.  Currently Brenda coaches the South Whidbey youth swim team, the Stingrays.


Sandi Lusk

Treasurer

Sandi is a retired high tech industry finance manager, and recently relocated to her native Washington from Oregon. She learned to swim as a child in a community pool and have continued swimming off and on her entire life. She believes everyone, young and old, should have the opportunity to affordably learn to swim, continue to swim or otherwise engage in water-based activities. She is strongly committed to being a part of bringing this pool to South Whidbey.

Rob Martin

Rob has been a member of the competitive swimming community in the Pacific Northwest since the early 70’s, as a member of Thurston Olympians Swim Club, as a school record-holder at Olympia High School, and as a water polo player at the University of Washington.  He’s also a founding member of Lake Washington Masters Swim Team.  Rob has been a resident of South Whidbey since 2001 and has enjoyed a career in marketing and advertising for more than 30 years in the greater Seattle area.

Ray McFarland

Ray is a life-long swimmer who moved to Whidbey Island in 2020 after a career as a criminal defense attorney in Seattle. He took up open water swimming shortly after moving to the island and became very interested in helping bring a year-round indoor aquatics facility to South Whidbey that could be enjoyed by everyone of all ages and backgrounds.


Zetta Prendergast

Student Representative

Zetta is a senior at Island Christian Academy, and a Running Start student working towards completing an Associates degree. She loves swimming in the ocean, lakes, and pools. Zetta has swam for the South Whidbey Stingrays and the South Whidbey High School Falcons. She hopes that by making swimming more accessible, more kids will feel encouraged to swim and join a team.

Megan Scudder

President

Megan is a physical therapist who has lived on South Whidbey Island since 2001 and she works as a teaching associate at the University of Washington Doctoral Physical Therapy program. She believes swimming is a life skill for all, no matter their income. We need to provide an opportunity for all islanders to move in a water environment, to instill a love of movement as we age. Working on this project, which she wholeheartedly believes in, is a way for her to give back to her wonderful community.

Bill Swint

Bill is a retired apparel industry executive who served as president of several national brand companies before moving to Langley in 2017.  He has been a Masters Swimmer for thirty plus years with clubs in several US cities and for two years in France.  Bill believes that the benefits of swimming, water aerobics and therapy are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, at any age.  He considers a public aquatics facility in South Whidbey essential to meet that need for our community.

Marni Zimmerman

Secretary

Marni is a phyician who moved to Whidbey Island in 2002. She works as a hospitalist at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.  Introduced to US Masters Swimming in 2003, she's been hooked ever since. She also loves open water swimming and is grateful to live on an island with such incredible coastlines. She avidly supports affordable and accessible public aquatic and park facilities that will improve the health and wellbeing of our community.