Commissioners
Kathryn Colglazier
- Appointed by: Speaker of the Assembly
- County of Residence: New York County
- Vice President Field Operations, YMCA of Greater New York
As Vice President of Field Operations, Kathryn Colglazier provides leadership to all YMCAs across Manhattan. In addition to the Y’s core health and wellness programs, the Manhattan YMCAs focus on serving in areas of afterschool programming, teen centers, day camp, youth and family counseling services, New American welcome centers, early childhood education, social justice initiatives and serving NYCs most vulnerable homeless population through inclusionary and transitional housing. Kathryn has served the YMCA in four different states; Texas, Florida, Missouri, and for the past 7 years, New York. In addition to her work at the Y, Kathryn is a social justice activist, lover of art and poetry, humanitarian, and mother to her 4-year-old daughter Tala in Manhattan where they reside.
Kevin Clark
- Appointed by: Minority Leader of the Senate
- County of Residence: Niagara
- Red Cross Instructional Trainer; High School Swim Coach & Science Teacher; YMCA Swim Coach; YMCA & YWCA Summer Instructional Coordinator
Kevin Clark is a retired Science teacher from Lockport, where he taught for 40 years. He has been a Red Cross Instructor and a high school swim coach for 25 years. He also was YMCA Swim Coach for 25 years and YMCA & YWCA Summer Instructional Coordinator. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Niagara County Community College.
Kaitlin Krause
- Appointed by: Speaker of the Assembly
- County of Residence: Kings
- Founder/Executive Director, Rising Tide Effect
Kaitlin "Kate" Krause, a top collegiate swimmer on a full Division 1 scholarship, leveraged her passion for the sport to pioneer a remarkable journey. With over 12 years of dedication, she played an instrumental role in building NYC's largest swim school. Later on, as the founder of the Rising Tide Effect, Krause impacted hundreds by imparting crucial water safety skills and educating thousands on staying safe in and around water. Co-founding the Water Safety Coalition with a few other pioneering humanitarian advocates, she envisions a world where water safety education is an essential right for everyone, aiming to save lives and foster inclusivity in the recreational community. Acknowledged for her expertise, Krause was appointed to key positions addressing lifeguard shortages and elevating water safety efforts in New York City and New York State.
Casper Lassiter M.S.W.
- Appointed by: Temporary President of the Senate
- County of Residence: New York
- Director, Children's Aid Dunlevy Milbank Campus
Passionate, dedicated leader with over 20 years of experience directing child, youth, and community programs. Since he began his youth development career 27 years ago at the Milbank Center, Casper has developed and overseen innovative programs including STEM through cooking and gardening, computer literacy, and family stabilization programs. At the center, youth and families also have access to year-round high-quality swim instruction for children and families and competitive and lifeguard training for youth. Milbank is also home to the Stingrays Swim Team, comprised of 45 boys and girls between the ages 8-16.
Marrick Anne McDonald, MS Ed, C.A.S.
- Chairman, NYS Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning
- Appointed by: Governor
- County of Residence: Herkimer
- CEO, Upstate Aquatics, LLC
Marrick McDonald is the retired CEO of Upstate Aquatics, LLC, a top Red Cross training provider in upstate New York. She has been an American Red Cross aquatic educator for over 30 years. She is the Past Aquatic Section President for New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; she restructured the Aquatic Section. She has taught at the secondary level, and she has been in school administration, with licensing as a School Superintendent. Marrick is the author of the Aquatic Guidebook for School Administrators, which educates school administrators who have pool classrooms in their districts.
Gwen McNamara
- Secretary, NYS Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning
- Appointed by: Minority Leader of the Assembly
- County of Residence: Essex
- Northeast First Responder Sales Director, American Red Cross
Gwen has been in Aquatics for over thirty-five years. Twenty-five of those were in Aquatic Management in Chicago and in New Jersey. Now currently living in the Adirondacks of New York. Gwen began in the aquatic industry as a lifeguard, swim instructor, CPR instructor, and lifeguarding instructor. For the past ten years, she has been with the Red Cross as the Northeast First Responder Sales Director and understands the training needs that are required in these unique times. Gwen has earned her master’s degree in organizational leadership and strives to help others in identifying and meeting their organizational goals. She has a vast amount of experience in nonprofit organizations, indoor aquatic facilities, and staffing.
Heidi Reiss
- Vice Chairman, NYS Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning
- Appointed by: Governor
- County of Residence: Kings
- Co-Owner, AquaBeba Swim; Founding Member of New York Water Safety Coalition
Heidi is the co-owner and co-owner of AquaBeba Swim, a founding member of the NY Water Safety Coalition, the Senate appointee and Vice Chair of the Temporary Drowning Commission. She became a tireless advocate for drowning prevention after her husband taught her to swim as an adult. Her primary focus is the importance of early swim lessons. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children where they continue to share their love of swimming and the importance of water safety.
Brian Tobin
- Appointed by: Governor
- County of Residence: Cortland
- Head Men’s and Women’s Swim Coach, SUNY Cortland
Brian Tobin has been the head swimming and diving coach at SUNY Cortland since 2002, and also teaches in the physical education department. A 1994 graduate of SUNY Cortland, he also volunteers to oversee a swim team for people with disabilities, runs a large swim lesson program in the springtime, and hosts camps and clinics through the spring and summer. He was the longest serving mayor of the city of Cortland (10 years) when he chose to not run for reelection in 2021.
Michael Switalski
- Appointed by: Temporary President of the Senate
- County of Residence: Erie
- Executive Director, City Swim Project; Buffalo Public Schools Teacher; USA Swimming Club Development Committee; Niagara Swimming General Chair
Mike Switalski is a Physical Education Teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools. He serves as the General Chair of Niagara Swimming and member of USA Swimming Club Development Committee while being the Executive Director of the City Swim Project in Buffalo, NY. From 2020-22, the City Swim Project was recognized as the 12th fastest growing program in the country for children under the age of 12. Nationally, the City Swim Project is recognized as one of the most diverse in the country, ranking #1 in African American membership and #2 in Outreach membership.
Commission Goals
- Determine an appropriate age and/or stage of childhood development when children can properly begin water safety and swimming instructions and develop statewide standards for such instruction.
- Investigate and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of programs which incentivize parents and guardians to enroll children in water safety and swimming instruction.
- Develop a comprehensive plan for public-private partnerships between the state and community centers, nonprofit organizations, recreational facilities, swimming instructors, and other relevant stakeholders and expanding existing state resources such as parks and pools to provide access to free swimming instruction, and determine the feasibility of such programs.
- Develop an implementation plan to ensure its swimming safety programs are available in underserved communities.
- Develop a comprehensive plan for a public awareness campaign to ensure parents and guardians receive information on the importance of children receiving basic water safety and swimming instruction.
Completed Goals:
- The Commission has determined an acceptable age to begin swimming lessons. They have accepted the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation of one-year-old to begin swimming lessons and water safety instruction, while water orientation classes with a parent can begin as early as six-months-old.
- The Commission has determined acceptable statewide learning standards for swim instruction based off of the 2020 NYS Physical Education Standards. They developed these standards based on input from New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Aquatic Section; Kathleen Young from the Newburgh Free Academy; Dr. Steven Langendorfer; and the New York State Red Cross Instructors and Instructor Trainers Facebook Group. These are the standards:
- Standard 1: (Psychomotor) - Demonstrates age and ability-appropriate water proficiency in a variety of aquatic motor skills and movement patterns in aquatic environments.
- Standard 2: (Cognitive, Psychomotor) - Applies basic knowledge of hydrodynamic principles, strategies, and concepts related to swimming and water safety when in aquatic environments.
- Standard 3: (Cognitive, Psychomotor) - Demonstrates the capacity to employ knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a level of physical activity and fitness in all aquatic environments.
- Standard 4: (Affective) - Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in aquatic environments.
- Standard 5: (Affective) - Recognizes the value and respect of aquatic-related physical activity for overall wellness, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or environmental stewardship.
- Standard 6: (Cognitive, Affective) - Recognizes aquatic career opportunities and manages personal and community resources related to aquatics to achieve and maintain overall wellness.
- Standard 7: (Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor) - Recognizes and applies behaviors that promote safe experiences in all aquatic environments; identifies situations and conditions which pose safety hazards; and explains and demonstrates age, ability, and training appropriate rescue skills.