City Announces New Pool Management

Shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, Recreation Director Mark Delventhal issued a release identifying a new management team, a little over two months after the city took over operation of the facility.

Last Thursday, Joe Perez left his job as the manager of the Piedmont Community Pool. That news followed the departure of assistant manager Amanda Garcia, who took a position running the Albany school district's new pool.

As of Friday, Tara Garside took over as interim pool manager and Eric White assumed responsibilities as the assistant pool manager.

Garside had most recently worked as the head lifeguard and site director at Lake Temescal before joining the staff at the Piedmont Community Pool a few weeks ago as the head guard. She brings more than six years of experience working with the East Bay Regional Park District, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, and the Castro Valley Swim School, according to the release.

White has been part of the Piedmont Pool staff since 2010 and has been working as a guard, weekend manager, and swimming instructor this summer. He has eight years of experience, having also worked for the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District.

In an interview, Delventhal said the two will continue working on an hourly basis in their new roles and that their temporary appointments do not require City Council approval.

Delventhal is hoping Garside and White will stay on at least through December, when the previous management team's contract was set to expire. He said a notice of the opening for the permanent pool manager position, which is included in the city budget, would be posted soon and published widely throughout the Bay Area.

The recreation director declined to explain the circumstances surrounding former pool manager Joe Perez's exit other than to suggest that the city was dealing with a change in culture at the facility that had been operated by the private Piedmont Swim Club for 47 years until July 1.

"We're working to continue to make things as seamless as possible," he said.