At Premier Aquatic Services, we believe that the quality of our programs depends on the collaboration of an incredible management team and amazing part-time and full-time team members. As part of our mission, we believe in constant education and training, and we know those two pieces are the keys to our success.

Management Team

Dan Berzansky

Owner & President

Dan Berzansky founded Premier Aquatic Services in 2011. As a competitive swimmer, Dan taught swim lessons every summer throughout high school and college. In college, he swam on scholarship for Division I Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York. He was captain of the men’s college team his junior and senior year and is a five-time conference champion. After college, Dan was hired to open the aquatics program at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Orange County in Irvine. While there, he built a vibrant learn-to-swim program and started the OC Waves Club Swim Team, a USA Swimming sanctioned (USS) club program, which has produced scores of highly successful swimmers. In 2011, Dan graduated with his MBA from Pepperdine University and proceeded to leave the JCC.

In all, Dan has over 20 years of coaching and teaching experience, as well as over 14 years of experience in the recreation field with a focus on project management. In addition, he has over 17 years of experience as an instructor for the American Red Cross where he has taught classes ranging from CPR/AED classes, Professional Rescuer, instructor courses and lifeguarding and First Aid classes. In his free time, Dan is a Director for Stop Drowning Now, a drowning prevention education program which provides free drowning prevention education programs for children.

Dan currently lives in Laguna Niguel, CA with his wife and three young children.

LinkedIn

swim instructor with toddler in water

Ryan Larson

Chief Operating Officer

Ryan started swimming when he was 4 years old for Hillside Aquatics. After swimming for over 15 years, Ryan was offered an athletic scholarship to Concordia University Irvine. There he obtained his Bachelors in Communications and his MBA. While attending school in Irvine Ryan fell in love with coaching and teaching swim lessons again. This led Ryan to pursue a career with Premier Aquatics in 2011. Ryan has now been teaching and coaching for over 15 years.

In his free time, Ryan likes to hang out with his friends & family, go camping, and travel.

Nicole Kloet

Regional Manager, Orange County 

Nicole came to us from Wisconsin in May 2018 to work for Premier full time. She is our Orange County Program Manager and is in charge of making sure all of our Orange County facilities are staffed, operational, and running smoothly. She was a competitive swimmer in high school and currently swim for the Mission Viejo Nadadores Master’s Program. Previously in the aquatics field, she has worked at Naval Station Great Lakes, her local YMCA, and various triathlons. Nicole has her Bachelor’s Degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in Secondary Education and French and her Master’s Degree in Facility, Sport and Event Management from Western Kentucky University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, swimming, crafting, spending time on the beach, and training for triathlons.

Mike Scott

Manager, Training and Quality Assurance

I was born to do exactly what I’m doing today!

Michael Scott has had a passion for aquatic safety for nearly 30 years now. After being coerced into finishing his first summer swim team experience in the 3rd grade, the toil twisted to zeal and he never looked back. Following 12 years of competitive swimming and becoming the Captain of his high school water polo team, he decided to take the natural path into the world of lifeguarding where he found his true calling. He dove straight into ocean lifeguarding with the City of Laguna Beach Marine Safety Lifeguards. He quickly obtained an EMT certification, was promoted to a unit operator position and relished an exciting 23-year tenure filled with a multitude of aquatic and land-based emergencies.

Roughly 10 years into to his time with Laguna, he accepted a full-time Lifeguard Lieutenant position with the Lake Mission Viejo Patrol & Rescue Department where he continued to broaden his skills in a flat-water environment.  During his 13-year career with Lake Mission Viejo, training and mentoring rapidly became his focus.  He soon became the department’s training officer, President of the Orange County Training Officer’s Association, and the Training & Operations Chair for the California Lifesaving Association, which he enjoyed for nearly a decade.

Always looking for a new challenge in aquatic safety, he was incredibly fortunate enough to discover Premier Aquatic Services and offered a full-time position.  Working with Premier has provided him the opportunity to, once again, further his scope of knowledge in aquatic safety, train and inspire literally hundreds of aspiring lifeguards as well as thrive in his primary role of training Premier’s management team!

Outside of the work environment, surprise….he enjoys spending as much time as possible surfing, bodysurfing, volleyball and spending time with his wife and 2 amazing young girls who have embraced their dad’s love for all things H2O.

Tristan Saltonstall

Aquatics Program Director

Tristan’s journey into the aquatics world started at age eight with competitive swimming. This carried on into a love for all things water from endurance open water swimming, to surfing, coaching and collegiate triathlons.

She first began with Premier in 2019 as a swim instructor, and is now the Aquatics Programs Director. She is passionate about cultivating a fun learning experience, mentoring, leaning into Premier’s community-focused culture, and is excited to continue coordinating swim programs.

Aside from aquatics, you can get Tristan talking about mastering the art of a good meal prep, hiking, wrapping up her her degree in Sports and Performance Psychology, and meeting new people.

 

Catch her on deck!

Jessica Dopudja 

Talent Acquisition and Onboarding Manager

Growing up, Jessica was an Irish dancer and traveled all over the country and overseas for competitions. In high school and through college, she taught at her dance studio helping the new generation of Irish dancers. In college, she worked at a police department as a cadet, where she gained experience training new hires and key skills of how to work with the public. After graduating from California State University-Fullerton with a B.A. in Criminal Justice, she decided to take her experience and pursue work in the recreation department at the City of Mission Viejo. During her time with the city, she became lifeguard certified and gained a great appreciation for all things aquatics and began helping with the aquatics programing. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, rock climbing, movies, sports, and hanging out with friends.

Hermes Camacho

Customer Service Representative

Hermes was born in Mexico and raised in Santa Ana CA. From an early age Hermes gained a love for the water. At the first chance he got, Hermes joined his high school’s water polo and swim team for all 4 years. After high school Hermes earned an associate degree in art and animation while continuing to pursue a bachelor’s degree. During college he worked as a life insurance agent and teacher’s assistant where he found a second passion for working with kids and assisting the public. While searching for a job that would accommodate his college schedule and fulfill his second passion Hermes took on the position of an Admin for Premier Aquatics. At Premier Hermes is responsible for swim lesson billing, phone calls, customer service, graphics/designs for facility needs and more. While on his free time Hermes enjoys hiking, drawing, swimming, and spending time with friends and family.

Torrey Stone

Regional Aquatics Manager – Liberty

Torrey found a passion for aquatics at a young age.  She swam competitively throughout middle and high school on both club and school teams.  At age sixteen, she began working for the City of Yuma as a lifeguard and swim lesson instructor.  In addition, she spent summers lifeguarding at a water park.  In 2021, Torrey began working for Premier as a Lifeguard Manager in Arizona.  She has since relocated to Orange County as the Aquatics Regional Manager for Liberty/Military contracts.  In her free time, she loves reading, swimming, golfing, and playing tennis with friends.