Our Team

Passionate - Devoted - Exceptional


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The Team at the Heart of What We Do

Our team is composed of passionate and devoted professionals who possess an unwavering commitment to the growth and well-being of every student they teach. Our instructors go above and beyond to ensure that your child receives the best instruction possible so they feel comfortable and safe in the water. 

They approach each lesson with enthusiasm, igniting a love for swimming within your child's heart. From their warm smiles to their attentive demeanor, our team ensures that you as parents feel confident entrusting us with your child's journey. With our instructors by their side, your child will not only receive exceptional instruction but also develop lifelong skills.

Apply to Join Our Team

Get to know our amazing team members below

Leadership Team

Allie Gaines

Owner and Big Fish
 

Allie Gaines

Position: Owner and Big Fish
Categories: Leadership

Allie is the Owner and “Big Fish” of Charlotte Aquatics. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and obtained a degree in Business Administration from Kenan Flagler Business School, whose undergraduate program was ranked top 10 in the country. In school, Allie focused her studies on entrepreneurship and business consulting, while also taking Exercise and Sport Science classes to excel her passion for health and fitness. 

Prior to coming to Charlotte Aquatics, Allie was a business consultant at Ernst & Young (EY) working with multiple of the world’s largest financial institutions. Allie also lead the Advancing Women’s Executive program at EY, which promoted women in business across the South East region. Allie is part of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) and was awarded as one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30 in 2023.

Stephanie Tomalis

Director of Operations
 
Stephanie

Stephanie Tomalis

Position: Director of Operations
Categories: Leadership

Stephanie is Charlotte Aquatic’s Director of Operations. She has a BA in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She has been working with children since 1997 in school settings, camp settings, church programs, and aquatic programs. Stephanie has helped make children Safer, Healthier, and Smarter™ at Charlotte Aquatics since 2001.

As the Program Director, Stephanie is responsible for overseeing the entire program at CA, as well as, hiring and scheduling. Her passion is teaching and working with our students with autism and special needs.

Stephanie is a wife and a mom to two very athletic daughters. Stephanie was named as an Outstanding Manager from the USSSA in 2016.

Megan M

Training Coordinator
 
Megan

Megan M

Position: Training Coordinator
Categories: Leadership

Megan, who has been with Charlotte Aquatics since 2017, is an Instructor and our Director of Operations. She swam for her neighborhood swim team for 11 years and enjoyed coaching alongside her big sister during her final season.

As a former lifeguard, she understands the importance of safety and thinks that swimming is a skill that all children need to know. Megan is the recipient of the USSSA 2018 Outstanding Upper-Level Instructor of the Year Award and the 2019 Outstanding Manager of the Year Award.

Devyn

Director of Programming
 
Devyn

Devyn

Position: Director of Programming
Categories: Leadership

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Devyn grew up being curious and competitive.

He has been a competitive swimmer for 18 years. From 2013-2017, he competed with Queen’s University of Charlotte and won 3 NCAA D2 Championships.

Prior to that, he won two high school championships. Devyn works hard to stay focused on his goals and always finds the time to give back to the community.

Ailani

Social Media & Activities Coordinator
 
Ailani

Ailani

Position: Social Media & Activities Coordinator
Categories: Leadership

Bio coming soon!

Customer Experience Team

Emily

Customer Experience Specialist
 
Emily

Emily

Position: Customer Experience Specialist
Categories: Customer Experience

Bio coming soon!

Olivia B.

Customer Experience Specialist
 
Olivia B

Olivia B.

Position: Customer Experience Specialist
Categories: Customer Experience

Olivia has been working at Charlotte Aquatics since 2016. She also learned to swim at Charlotte Aquatics! In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and friends, and she really enjoys hiking.

Olivia graduated from Appalachian State in Elementary Education in 2021. She is currently teaching 2nd grade at a local elementary school. Her favorite part about working at Charlotte Aquatics is being able to come in and have fun with her students and coworkers.

Lexie

Customer Experience Specialist
 

Lexie

Position: Customer Experience Specialist
Categories: Customer Experience

Bio coming soon!

Andrew

Customer Experience Specialist
 
Andrew

Andrew

Position: Customer Experience Specialist
Categories: Customer Experience

Bio coming soon!

Swim Instructors

Mike

Swim Instructor
 
Mike

Mike

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Mike has been with Charlotte Aquatics since 1999 and is a recipient of the United States Swim School Associations 2011 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.

Mike has always enjoyed swimming. His love of water earned him a swimming scholarship to Appalachian State University where he later became the assistant swim coach.

He has a degree in educational media and is a national board-certified teacher in business education. Mike is married to a wonderful wife and has two sons (both of whom work at Charlotte Aquatics).

Deborah

Swim Instructor
 
Deborah

Deborah

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Deborah joined the Charlotte Aquatics team in 2009 as an instructor. She has a degree in business administration from Appalachian State University.

After graduating college, Deborah worked as a flight attendant for fourteen years before making the decision to be a stay at home mother to her two wonderful children. Deborah adores teaching and says working with children is a joy.

Kristen

Swim Instructor
 
Kristen

Kristen

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Olivia B.

Swim Instructor
 
Olivia B

Olivia B.

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Olivia D.

Swim Instructor
 
Olivia D.

Olivia D.

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Paige

Swim Instructor
 
Paige

Paige

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Paige grew up in Charlotte but was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She loves working with kids and has babysat many people for a long time. She has competitively swam for 5 years at MAC. She has a dog named Rosie and a younger brother. She loves competitive swimming and hanging out with her friends.

Kira

Swim Instructor
 
Kira

Kira

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Kira is from New York, where she got a BS in Biology. She learned how to fly a plane and scuba dive when she was a teenager. As a CMS teacher she loves working with children in the classroom and pool. 

She was captain, MVP, and highest point scorer on her high school team multiple years in a row. She held two club records. She competed in freestyle and butterfly at the collegiate level State Championships. You can find her on her days off hiking with her puppy Vanderbilt.

Ayanna

Swim Instructor
 
Ayanna

Ayanna

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Giana

Swim Instructor
 
Giana

Giana

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

James

Swim Instructor
 
James

James

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Isabella Q.

Swim Instructor
 
Isabella Q

Isabella Q.

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Grace

Swim Instructor
 
Grace

Grace

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Isabella R.

Swim Instructor
 
Isabella R.

Isabella R.

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Isabella also goes by Bella! She was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She grew up playing volleyball and soccer. A fun thing she has done is travel to Italy!

Bella used to be a part of the neighborhood’s swim team for several years. She referees recreational soccer for little kids and up. Bella enjoys working with kids because they are always positive and crave the idea of learning.

Zarrina

Swim Instructor
 
Zarrina

Zarrina

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Anisa

Swim Instructor
 
Anisa

Anisa

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Lea

Swim Instructor
 
Lea

Lea

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Aiden

Swim Instructor
 
Aiden

Aiden

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Andrew

Swim Instructor
 
Andrew

Andrew

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Allana

Swim Instructor
 
Allana

Allana

Position: Swim Instructor
Categories: Swim Instructors

Bio coming soon!

Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Kendall

Teaching Assistant
 
Kendall

Kendall

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Kendall recently moved from Atlanta, Georgia where she grew up. She swam competitively for three years with the MAC team. She has three younger siblings and loves being around kids. She enjoys reading and playing with her siblings in her spare time.

Anabeth

Teaching Assistant
 
Anabeth

Anabeth

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Anabeth was born and raised in the Charlotte area. She started swimming here at Charlotte Aquatics at the age of 5 months and graduated Level 6 when she was 7 years old! She has been working with children since she has been old enough to work. She is a soccer referee and a soccer camp coach.

Anabeth plays Club and Varsity Soccer and she is a member of the National Beta Club, Student Council, Spanish National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has been recognized as a National High School Academic Scholar. Anabeth is bilingual and was part of one of the first classes in Union County to participate in a Full Language Immersion Program. Upon graduating, Anabeth hopes to work in the sports industry.

Aliza

Teaching Assistant
 
Aliza

Aliza

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Aliza Mendoza was born here in Charlotte, NC. She has been swimming since she was 4 years old, and she loves helping children learn how to get used to the water. She believes that learning how to swim is essential because swimming is a great activity for exercise and most importantly for fun! Aliza is all about helping others in any way she can, no matter what obstacles get in the way.

Hannah

Teaching Assistant
 
Hannah

Hannah

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Jay

Teaching Assistant
 
Jay

Jay

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Jay is a student at South Charlotte Middle School who grew up here in Charlotte. His family is originally from Ohio which is where he visits most. He is an avid basketball lover and has played AAU ball from a very young age. He is 1 of 4 children and has always spent time around kids. He has recently become an uncle and enjoys taking his nephew in the pool. Jay began swim lessons at 18 months old and has always enjoyed the water!

Kirra

Teaching Assistant
 
Kirra

Kirra

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Melanie

Teaching Assistant
 
Melanie

Melanie

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Avery

Deckhand
 
Avery

Avery

Position: Deckhand
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Chloe

Teaching Assistant
 
Chloe

Chloe

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Joelle

Teaching Assistant
 
Joelle

Joelle

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Ella

Deckhand
 
Ella

Ella

Position: Deckhand
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Emi

Teaching Assistant
 
Emi

Emi

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Natalie

Teaching Assistant
 
Natalie

Natalie

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Martyn

Deckhand
 

Martyn

Position: Deckhand
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Rhys

Teaching Assistant
 

Rhys

Position: Teaching Assistant
Categories: Teaching Assistants & Deckhands

Bio coming soon!

Maintenance

Dale

Maintenance Manager
 

Dale

Position: Maintenance Manager
Categories: Maintenance

Bio coming soon!

Al

Maintenance
 
Al

Al

Position: Maintenance
Categories: Maintenance

Bio coming soon!

Charles

Maintenance
 

Charles

Position: Maintenance
Categories: Maintenance

Bio coming soon!