POULSBO — It could be said conquering challenges is what fuels him, and that’s exactly why he came to Kitsap.
The daunting task which brought Jake DeVries, the North Kitsap School District’s newly hired pool coordinator to Poulsbo, is comparable to David versus Goliath.
“I’m firm believer life is journey and I like challenges, and to better myself and to learn and grow,” said a wise-beyond-his-age DeVries. “I hate being stagnant and living a life that isn’t challenging.”
DeVries is charged with increasing revenues, programs and efficiency at the pool while decreasing expenditures and running the facility similar to a business.
Basically DeVries, alongside the Community Pool Advisory Committee (CPAC), must save the pool’s plug from being pulled.
Living in Phoenix, Ariz., for the past few years, DeVries wanted a change, a different experience and perspective.
He’d read of the pool’s plight online, and saw the coordinator job posted. He did his research.
DeVries was actually offered two jobs on the same day: NKSD’s pool coordinator and another.
“One was easy and close to home. One was hard and far away. It’s all about the experience,” DeVries said as he sat by the pool’s edge Wednesday morning. “I came here to accomplish a task and that task is to make this pool efficient and get it to a place where residents can enjoy it for the next 20 years.”
For the 24-year-old who, quoting Mark Twain, said he never let school get in the way of his education, and momentarily bypassed college to work a slew of seasonal jobs ranging from Guam to Brazil to Colorado, he definitely doesn’t let a challenge get in the way of being successful.
During the second week in December when the snow house-locked several Kitsap employees and prevented even more business from opening, DeVries worked 12-hour shifts at the pool, arriving at 8 a.m.
All last week, when every other NKSD employee was on vacation, DeVries was at the pool, starting at 5 a.m. to ensure the smooth operation of Winter Break Swim Camp.
“My only real day off this month is Christmas Day,” DeVries said. “Sometimes I take weekends off but not this month because I’m trying to get the new schedule in order.”
Even during business as usual, DeVries punches the salaried-clock at 8 a.m. and heads home around 7 p.m., squeezing in some six-and-a-half to seven hours of sleep a night.
He sacrifices sleep because he came here to accomplish a task.
“It takes a lot of work,” he said.
The biggest challenge he faced was the less-than happening pool finances, and answering the questions “Where’s the money going and what’s being done that’s not profitable.”
He also had conquer a certain dinosaur mentality: “Things are done around here because that’s the way we’ve always done it,” an expression he heard a few too many times.
“I think things can always be done better and different,” DeVries said. “Sometimes different doesn’t work, but if you don’t try you’ll always fail.”
Fortunately for the status of the pool and its patrons, DeVries came to Poulsbo armed with more experience and ideas than there are names in a phonebook.
He’s been everything from a locksmith to a pool manager, a plumber to a travel agent. He was head life guard and assistant outdoor education director for the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado.
Since 2002, he’s been working with Major League Baseball and the city of Surprise, Ariz., on stadium operations for the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, for spring training facilities.
Applying a little of his diverse background experience and wise outlook, DeVries and the CPAC have seemingly turned the pool around.
The pool’s chemicals were changed from briquet, which cost approximately $17,000 a year, to liquid, which rings in at the conservative projection of $6,000.
The pool blanket will save an estimated 20 percent on heating costs.
The ventilation system is currently being changed, as before the fans blew on the water, decreasing the temperature while increasing evaporation.
Swim lessons are being changed to better accommodate Tuesday and Thursday needs, as well as offering preschool and parent and tot lessons during the day to fill up “dead” spots in the pool’s schedule.
Swim camps will be held during NKSD Learning Improvement Days, among a handful of other creative program offerings in the works.
September/October revenue has already spiked nearly $12,000 more than 2007-08 figures, while expenses have seen a nearly $13,000 decrease.
And it’s only the beginning, as DeVries and the CPAC really got down to work a few months ago.
DeVries said they’ll continue building participation in the programs, developing new programs, marketing and advancing swim lesson kids to competitive levels.
“Everybody seems really happy,” DeVries said. “Nothing that’s been done would be possible without the Community Pool Advisory Committee. They’ve been incredibly helpful and instrumental in guiding me. It’s been a lot of their great ideas were doing.”
Oh and with the new schedule in January DeVries will be able to work a few less hours and grab a little more sleep.
