Gottwald brings more than 26 years of relevant association experience to his new role, having previously served as executive vice president of the International Sign Association (ISA). His tenure begins September 16, and he will take over duties from current president and CEO William Weber. Weber will continue in an advisory role to aid in the transition until his planned retirement in December after eight years of service.
"APSP is at the forefront of all issues affecting pools, spas and hot tubs. Companies ranging from large and small manufacturers to family-owned businesses rely on APSP's technical knowledge and legislative and regulatory expertise to protect and grow their businesses," Gottwald says. "I am excited to be a part of APSP, building on the great strides made by member volunteers throughout the years. Together we will strengthen the relevance of APSP to the industry, and we will extend that relevance to our industry's products in consumers' minds."
Gottwald has experience in leading and transitioning organizations through prioritization of critical issues and strong fiscal oversight. At the ISA, he streamlined advocacy efforts to focus on local code issues. Before joining ISA, Gottwald served as executive vice president of finance, administration and standards programs for the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. During his tenure, he helped elevate the organization's standards programs in the ASTM International; International Standards Organization; International Electrotechnical Commission; and regulatory FDA arenas. In addition, he spent over 20 years in the plastics industry serving as president of the Plastics Pipe Institute. At PPI, he successfully led the development of an industry public relations campaign to make plastic pipe an accepted and welcome product in construction. He also served as executive director of the Society of the Plastics Industry and worked in product research with The Dow Chemical Company.
Gottwald earned a bachelor's degree in plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and holds a Certified Association Executive designation.
In addition to serving as president and CEO of APSP, Gottwald will also join the organization's board of directors.
![IPSSA’s incoming President Michael Denham [left], Rose Smoot, IPSSA Executive Director [center] and the outgoing President, Todd Starner [right].](https://img.aquamagazine.com/files/base/abmedia/all/image/2024/04/New_IncomingPres_MikeDenham_RoseSmoot_outgoing_president_ToddStarner_IMG_3920_copy.662682e0cbd3a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&rect=0%2C345%2C3024%2C1701&w=250)
