The pool, spa, and hot tub industry is on the cusp of a cultural shift. Representation for women has often lagged, but that is beginning to change with the launch of Women of Water (WOW), a new initiative by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) in partnership with POOLCORP.
Designed to support women at all phases in their careers, WOW is about connection, mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy. The initiative makes its official debut this October at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo, with plans to extend its reach through events, webinars, and chapter toolkits.
Origins and Goals of Women of Water (WOW)
Asked what sparked the creation of Women of Water and why now was the right moment, Sabeena Hickman, President & CEO of PHTA, traced the idea back several years.
“Initially, when I came on board, we saw so much success with the Wave program and we had a board conversation about launching an initiative for women,” Hickman explained. “The goal was to launch it in 2020. We got a little sidetracked due to COVID and put it on hold until recently, when Donna Williams of POOLCORP became our chair and POOLCORP came on as a strategic partner. The timing was perfect to launch this initiative.”
Hickman said the demand has been consistent. “Whenever I travel and we have booths or attend other board meetings, so many women say, ‘Can you start a women’s group, a networking group?’ So it’s something that our members have really longed for. There are so many amazing groups out there that Women of Water will complement. We’re going to work in partnership as PHTA always does, but it was just an increasing demand from members. We’re super excited to launch the initiative next month at the Expo.”
When asked whether the primary goals of WOW were networking, leadership development, or mentorship, Hickman made it clear that the initiative was designed to cover all of those areas.
“I think it’s all of the above,” she said. “We saw a tremendous opportunity to elevate and support women who are already making incredible contributions to the industry. We don’t want it to be a one-and-done or just have it at Expo. We’ve mapped out an initial plan, but just that connection and peer-to-peer learning—we see so much benefit from roundtable discussions. We’re really excited about it, and we get calls daily asking, ‘How do I get involved?’ I think it’s going to be really exciting.”
Leadership and Collaboration
Hickman said a number of leaders have already stepped up to shape the initiative. “Kendall Large, Jamie Novak, and Donna Williams have been involved in the initial conversations for sure,” she said. “We’ve also had interest from leaders like Alicia Stephens at BioLab and Alexa Dalpino out of California, who is on the Builders Council. We haven’t gotten to a point where we’re fully organized—we’re going to wait until Expo to put together a steering committee that will help drive the program.”
The Road Ahead
Asked how POOLCORP became a partner in the effort, Kendall Large, Vice President of Marketing at POOLCORP, described it as a natural fit.
“We’re celebrating 45 years in business and our 30th year as a public company,” Large said. “One of the big initiatives this year has been industry stewardship. When we looked across the industry, it was clear the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance was the right partner. Earlier this year, Jamie and I met with Sabeena and her team and said, ‘As the largest distributor and you as PHTA, we really share a commitment to grow the industry.’ We formed a strategic partnership, and the thing that excites me most is how aligned we are on progressing the industry—whether it’s education, developing talent, launching Women of Water, bringing new products to market, elevating training, or driving innovation. This just felt like the right place for us to partner.”
Large connected WOW to some of the other programs POOLCORP has already established internally. “We have our MIT program that brings in a hundred new professionals annually, of which 15% are women,” she said. “In the past five years, we’ve also formed what’s called the WIN program—Women’s Interactive Network. It’s focused on creating a community for collaboration, mentorship, and professional development. The natural progression was not just thinking about POOLCORP, but asking how we expand beyond. How do we support this fantastic niche industry and create meaningful programs that help professionals from entry level to executive across all groups—pool professionals, business owners, distributors, manufacturers? We’re all in this together, and I’m really excited to see where this goes.”
Defining Success
When asked what success for WOW would look like a few years from now, Jamie Novak, Director of Marketing for POOLCORP, said it’s all about lasting collaboration.
“For me, success looks like women from across the industry collaborating,” Novak said. “Women’s groups collaborating across the industry is powerful because it really helps to create that network of shared knowledge, mentorship, and advocacy. I see success as a thriving network of women who come together and feel empowered to go after what they want.”
Novak added advice she has shared at other women’s events. “One of the things that I’ve talked about is this concept of a personal advisory board. Find the people in the industry and outside of the industry that should be part of it and really connect with them. You want people who are going to challenge you and have that right balance of being supportive while also pushing you to grow and come out of your shell.”
The WOW Kickoff at Expo
The official WOW launch takes place at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo in Las Vegas this October. The highlight will be a keynote session by leadership expert Heather Whelpley, author of An Overachiever’s Guide to Breaking the Rules.
Her presentation, “The Power of Grounded Confidence: How to Unleash Your Authenticity and Become Unshakeable,” will set the tone for the initiative’s future. The session includes breakfast and a book signing, giving attendees the chance to connect directly with Whelpley and each other.
Beyond a Single Event
Asked how WOW would continue beyond the Expo, Hickman outlined the plan. “Heather, who will be doing the session on Friday, is also going to do a session at the Genesis Solution Center on Thursday. She’s amazing. We will do two webinars in 2026 with Heather, and she makes it highly interactive—breakout rooms, toolkits, everything. We’ll also do another session, in person, at Expo next year in New Orleans. Once we put together a steering committee, there will be even more ideas and programs to deliver to the industry.”
Large added: “We are never a set-it-and-forget-it. We have a roadmap to create a full-scale program that leverages some of the things we’ve done within our own network at POOLCORP and then work with PHTA to bring that beyond POOLCORP—to the hundreds of thousands of customers we serve and the manufacturer partners we work with. I’m just really excited about what this looks like, not only this year but beyond.”
A Long-Term Vision
For Novak, WOW represents the next evolution of the industry. “Having been in the pool industry for over 20 years now, it’s evolved so much,” she said. “Having groups like this has been a big part of it. The more of these groups that we can put together and the more we can get people collaborating, it just elevates the industry as a whole.”
Ready to take a deeper dive?
Listen to our entire conversation with Sabeena Hickman, Kendall Large, and Jamie Novak on the Pool Magazine Podcast.
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