The pool industry stopped in its tracks on November 11 as Pure Swim’s Rich Gallo was blindsided in Van Nuys with an honor decades in the making: the 2025 Talking Pools Podcast Pool Industry Mentor of the Year, becoming the first-ever recipient of the swimming pool industry’s official Mentor Championship belt, custom-manufactured by Wildcat Belts, makers of belts for WWE and UFC.
The recognition — conceived and created by Rudy Stankowitz of the Talking Pools Podcast — celebrates the swimming pool industry’s most impactful mentors worldwide. This year’s recognition drew 70 nominees from across the globe. Finalists were determined through a multi-stage, completely anonymous evaluation process. All identifying information was stripped from the nominations, and each nominee was assigned a unique number for the finalist round to ensure a 100% merit-based and unbiased selection process, Stankowitz says.
“With the industry battling workforce shortages and an urgent need for better training pipelines, mentors like Gallo play a crucial role in shaping the technicians who will sustain the trade," says Stankowitz.
Each of the Top 10 finalists received a premium recognition package celebrating their leadership, including a custom Revdup Apparel Mentor Jersey, a commemorative challenge coin, symbolic “Elevator Key,” Talking Pools gear, and gifts from title sponsor Blueray XL — created to honor the mentors’ impact on the swimming pool service community.
The surprise presentation in Van Nuys was attended by:
- Rudy Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast
- Chris Galvin, President/CEO of Blueray XL
- Steve Sherwood, Talking Pools Podcast
- Dean Oullette, President/CEO of Big Family Pools (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Abbey and Adam, Pure Swim
- Alexa Jade, Photographer
Gallo was visibly moved as the Championship Belt presentation team burst through his office door. In an emotional moment captured in video, Stankowitz told him:
“We have somebody here who doesn’t do something to get recognition. He did it purely to help people get ahead and for the betterment of the industry. That’s the person who deserves this recognition the most. I wanted to come here in person, shake your hand, and say thank you for what you do for the pool industry.”
Gallo, overwhelmed, expressed deep appreciation:
“Thank you so much — this means a lot. The way you crafted this, the time and dedication you spent, and how you personally came in from Florida…that makes it special. I’m as honored to meet you as you are to meet me. I can’t thank you enough for doing this.”
The Pool Industry Mentor Championship belt, explicitly designed for this recognition, symbolizes the highest standard of mentorship in the pool industry. Manufactured by Wildcat Belts, known worldwide for designing belts for WWE and UFC, it represents the industry’s first-ever mentor recognition and Championship title.
“Rich Gallo is our first-ever champion in a movement that’s long overdue,” Stankowitz says. “This acknowledgement recognizes the folks who lift others up and set them loose to lead — people who pay it forward because that’s who they are. Rich doesn’t just mentor. He builds future leaders, and that’s exactly what this industry needs.”
