About Us

AQUA Magazine, is a monthly publication dedicated to the pool and spa industry. AQUA provides the industry's top decision-makers with the timely, critical information they need to be successful in their jobs. Every month thousands of spa and pool professionals turn to the pages of AQUA for its valuable mix of editorial.

Columns include:

• Product Features
• Business Columns
• Reader Profiles
• Industry News

A special Buyers' Guide is available each December. The Buyers' Guide is available online: Online Buyers' Guide.

Staff

Kirstin Pires

Kirstin joined AQUA in September 2002 after three years as editor of Billiards Digest in Chicago. Her previous experience includes handling media relations for the Camel Pro Billiards Series, editing for Columbia College Today magazine in New York City, teaching high school art in rural New Jersey, and working in development for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Iowa City, Iowa, native holds a B.A. in art from Carleton College, and an M.A. in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research centered on media representations of female athletes. Kirstin enjoys the outdoors, especially anything in or near water. She lives in a very old house in Madison with her dog Kady and her cat Lyle.

Barrett Kilmer, Managing Editor

Barrett joined AQUA in 2000, fulfilling a dream of moving back to Madison, where he and his wife met in college. He handles the AQUA 100 program, writes features, attends trade shows and researches arcane grammar rules. Outside of work you’ll usually find him spending time with his son and wife, reading, playing guitar badly and listening to music. Barrett admits to caring way too much about the Packers, Brewers and Badgers.

Scott Webb, Senior Editor

Scott joined AQUA in April 2001, became a freelance writer for the magazine in the fall of 2002, and then returned to the staff full-time in October 2007 as senior editor. He is primarily responsible for writing and features, and attending trade shows. He has been in trade magazines for over ten years, specializing in farm equipment and heavy construction as well as the pool and spa industry. He graduated in 1987 from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, has a wife and three kids, and bikes to work most days from his home in downtown Madison.

Jenna Elliott, Associate Editor

After growing up Sanford, Fla. (literally in between Orlando and the Atlantic Ocean) and graduating from the University of Central Florida in 2004 with a bachelor’s in English, Jenna said, "Goodbye, beach; Hello, snow!" and started graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After earning her master’s in journalism in 2005, she began her career in public relations. Jenna joined AQUA in May 2007 and is responsible for Waterfront, Spotlight, Splash, Patioscapes, People and Calendar. She also writes features. Jenna loves calling Madison home, traveling, catching a Brewers game, spending time with family and friends, and is looking forward to her November 2008 wedding!

Scott Maurer, Art Director

Since 2001, Scott has served as AQUA Magazine's Art Director, helping to define the vision of the magazine through its design and layout. He enjoys the challenge of creating a shiny, new issue every month and working with a fine team of dedicated AQUA staff. Scott enjoyed the country life growing up on his family's dairy farm in Verona, Wisc., where many of his creative talents were inspired by the natural world that surrounded him. After liberal arts training in Winona, Minn., he transferred to Columbia College in Chicago and graduated with a BA in Multimedia in 1996. When not rearranging pixels on the computer screen, he enjoys riding his bicycle and going on geo-caching adventures with his wife and two active young boys.