Your Instructors

Tim Auerhahn

Tim Auerhahn photoTim Auerhahn is a five-time recipient of the Distinguished Instructor Award issued by the World Aquatic Health Conference. Since 2015 he has certified more operators worldwide than any other instructor.

As an alumnus of The Ohio State University (B.S. Sports Management, M.S. Strategic Leadership), Tim has served in various operations, education, risk-management and leadership capacities with nationally recognized brands, athletic facilities and universities. Combining real world experiences and a fast-paced, exciting curriculum, Tim’s seminars are among the highest reviewed in the industry.

Tim combines over 15 years of aquatic operations expertise with adult education, business strategy and leadership principles that bring an exciting mix to the outstanding CPO curriculum.


Kurt E. Carmen

Kurt CarmenKurt Carmen is a retired Director of Aquatics at The Ohio State University and has been employed in the field of aquatic administration since 1972. He has been instructing the CPO Course since 1986, certifying over 8,600 commercial swimming pool operators to date; more than any other instructor.

His approach to the course content is practical. Operational problems are addressed with real-life experience, not just related theory. Kurt is lively and the course content stimulating. His courses have always sold out and usually have a wait list.

Kurt represents the United States Department of Public Health – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as their representative to the International Sanitation Foundation and serves on the faculty of the International Club Managers Association.

In addition to teaching, Kurt Carmen consults regularly on the design, engineering, operation and maintenance of aquatic facilities.


Katie Crysdale

Katie Crysdale has 18 years of experience in progressive leadership roles in the aquatic industry. In addition to teaching the Certified Pool Operator Program, she holds instructor certifications with the Lifesaving Society and the Canadian Red Cross. Katie may be best known for her tremendously popular PoolAide webinar series which produced nearly 50 hours of live online content viewed by thousands of operators worldwide.

Katie has a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was awarded The Royal Life Saving Society’s Certificate of Thanks in 2015 for valuable service in water safety and drowning prevention.


Jeremy Mortoff

Jeremy Mortorff has over twelve years of aquatic facility management experience. In his current role, he is directly responsible for budget development, personnel, and facility safety in one of the busiest aquatic complexes in Pennsylvania. His facility sees over 2,000 patrons each day during the height of the summer swim season.

Jeremy is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional, a Lifeguard Instructor through the American Red Cross, and is a regular contributor to the Dig It blog for parks and recreation professionals. He is heavily involved in the Pennsylvania Recreation and Parks Society (PRPS), and regularly facilitates emerging trends in midwest and northeast aquatics.