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(May 19, 2022, Solana Beach, Calif.) Watershape University is happy and proud to announce the addition of Charlie Raphael, who will serve as Director of Certification and Licensing
He joins the “Wolfpack” as WU continues to develop and promulgate education programs and accreditation for the design, construction and engineering segments of the watershaping industry.
Raphael previously served as director of online education and certification at The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), a position he held since October, 2020. A 15-year veteran of professional education, licensing, certification, marketing and communication, from 2017 to 2020, he was director of education for RESNA, a not-for-profit interdisciplinary membership association for the advancement of globally recognized assistive technology professional certifications, among a variety of other key position across a spectrum of organizations.
Raphael is a 1990 graduate from George Mason University Department of Communication with a Bachelor’s degree in mass communication and media studies, where he was also on the men’s soccer team. He is a licensed credentialing professional from the International Credentialing Institute.
“I’m thrilled to join the Watershape University team,” he said. “My 20-plus-year journey has led me through public, private, minority owned and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes and industries. I look forward to my role developing and promoting licensing based on the WU curricula.”
“Certification and licensing are keys to elevating the watershaping industry,” added Dave Peterson, co-founder of WU. “Charlie will play an important role in advancing the cause of education in our industry.”
For more information contact Watershape University Co-Founder, David Peterson, P.E., IWI ([email protected])
About Watershape University:
Watershape University is an IACET-approved provider of quality instruction -- live and online -- targeting the business of watershaping with design, engineering and construction programs for students of all levels in the pool, spa, aquatics and outdoor living sectors. WU supports and promotes the use of recreational and decorative water through accredited education and fosters a greater understanding of the benefits and value of aquatic activities and lifestyle.
Renolit (Laporte, Ind.) now offers a new designer PVC membrane called ALKORPLAN TOUCH-Vanity, a new textured liner membrane pattern inspired by nature. Designed to imitates the look and feel of white marble using a white base color with subtle threads of grey throughout to give the material the realistic appearance of white marble, this 80-mil thick reinforced membrane can be used for new pool construction or to completely encapsulate and renovate leaking or deteriorated pools. To learn more, click here.
Historians can only estimate how long humans have been indulging the benefits of hot water in natural springs warmed by the earth. One place in Italy, believed to be made by the gods, is estimated to have been in continuous year-round use by health and pleasure seekers for more than 20,000 years – and remains one of Tuscany’s most popular attractions.
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Once derided as “baggies,” pools with vinyl liners have now taken their place in the world of custom watershaping, due to the flexibility of shape and wide spectrum of patterns, colors and textures. This beautiful remodel stands as a perfect example, says Columbian watershaper, Christophe Garces.
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As live events continue to come back into our lives, Watershape University is bringing top-shelf education to watershapers of all categories coast-to-coast with both essential and advanced offerings. Next up, the Wolfpack is heading west to beautiful northern California for an in-person presentation of Essential Pool Construction.
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The concept of the “middle class” pool has changed, dramatically so in some ways, largely due to a set of generational and economic shifts that are directly impacting watershape designers and builders. Success in today’s market, says JC Escudero, means understanding the values and motivations of younger consumers, and the world in which they live.
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You don’t have to have PhD to participate in the scientific process. “Citizen scientists” are playing a larger and larger role in the collection and assimilation of data and observations across a spectrum of areas of study, including research about the health of natural watershapes of all types and the impact those conditions have on a variety of species.
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The use of borates in pools has gained momentum over the past few years by service techs and homeowners alike. As its acceptance grows, the data and anecdotes of borate benefits are mounting, pointing toward a very bright future for boron-based treatment products.
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For situations where space is tight, turning to stainless steel basins can be the best call, explains Dave Peterson. This structural wall detail can also be used to make a clean aesthetic statement, by bringing the water right up to surrounding hardscape.
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For anyone working with water chemistry, the pH scale is key to understanding a range of factors, from mineral saturation to the effectiveness of chlorine. It is essential to understanding water as the so-called “universal solvent” and the management of watershapes of all types. What many may not realize, however, is that this all-important chemical convention resulted from experimentation with beer.
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