Nearly 20 years after breaking formal ties with the national industry organization, the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) has entered into an affiliation agreement with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA).
The move was the final puzzle piece in PHTA’s longstanding efforts to bring all regions back under its umbrella, in one form or another.
Under PHTA’s predecessor, the National Spa & Pool Institute (NSPI), Florida was designated as Region 7. In 2000, certain regions, including Region 7, gained more autonomy by becoming affiliates rather than full-blown entities of NSPI. The arrangement continued after the national group reorganized as the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), but in 2008, FSPA declared itself a fully independent association.
Since the 2019 merger of APSP and the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) to form PHTA, the national group has slowly re-acquired or affiliated with organizations that had become independent, such as the California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA) and the Texas Pool and Spa Coalition (TPSC). With the largest of the regions—the Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA)—having signed an affiliation agreement several years before that, Florida had been the final holdout.
Effective January 1, 2027, all regional groups become part of or an affiliate of PHTA.
As far as the relationship between the national and Florida groups, this seemed the next logical step, said PHTA president/CEO Sabeena Hickman. They had already been deepening collaborations on government advocacy issues, such as seeking to retain the No. 8 copper wire as an acceptable method of equipotential bonding, as well as raising funds to bring swim lessons to children who otherwise could not access them.
“FSPA is so strong in Florida in terms of the relationships that they have with their members,” Hickman said. “This will help us to speak with one voice.”
Officials of both groups said that the new affiliation agreement is designed to combine state and national resources, while preserving FSPA’s autonomy. Those who sign up for either FSPA or PHTA automatically become members of both. FSPA will continue to govern and operate its organization independently. Members are meant to benefit from FSPA’s Florida ties, government advocacy, and market expertise, as well as PHTA’s educational and certification programs, standards development, workforce initiatives, research and government advocacy, the groups said. FSPA chapters will remain intact and under the Florida group’s governance.
“This affiliation allows us to maintain the identity, leadership, and local relationships that make FSPA strong while giving our members access to an even broader network of education, resources, and expertise,” said FSPA president Keith Johnson. “It is an exciting opportunity to bring our organizations back together in a way that positions our members and our industry for the future.”
