{gallery}01_06_09/carrieparmer{/gallery}High heels didn't deter Carrie Parmer from a walk on the diving board at the Paul Stock Aquatic and Recreation Center in Cody, where she worked as the aquatic supervisor. Parmer was recently hired as the Powell aquatic facility superintendent. Tribune photo by Kara Bacon Carrie Parmer has a lot to look forward to in 2009.Monday was her first day as Powell's aquatic facility superintendent. Though the pool's completion still is about a year away, Parmer has plenty of work to do in the next 12 months.“I'm excited,” Parmer said. “It's going to be a busy year, with staffing and training — getting everything up and ready to go.”

Parmer graduated from Lovell High School and swam for Powell High School from 1996-98. She worked as an aquatic specialist at the Paul Stock Aquatic and Recreation Center in Cody for the last two years. Her job there entailed supervision, instruction of life guarding, swimming and Red Cross classes.

City Administrator Zane Logan said Parmer was selected by a city hiring committee for her experience in aquatics, enthusiasm and leadership.

“She seems very enthusiastic, and everyone at the city is excited to have her here,” Logan said. “We think she'll be a good fit for the community.”

As Powell's first aquatic facility superintendent, she will set up the structure for the city's aquatic department.

Parmer's responsibilities include determining the number of lifeguards and other employees, setting a budget, establishing an operating schedule and organizing the pool's programs.

Her main goal is to make sure the pool operates safely.

“I want to create a really safe atmosphere for patrons and staff,” she said. “I want to make sure it's a safe place to be and also make it a friendly, fair environment.”

Several groups will be competing for time in the new pool, and Parmer plans to reach out to local groups so everyone gets fair swim time.

“I think there's room in the pool for everyone,” Parmer said. “For leisure swimmers and competitive swimmers ... we're going to work together to come up with a good schedule.”

Parmer expects to see a surge in swimmers nationwide as Baby Boomers age. Swimming is a lifelong sport, Parmer said, and she thinks Powell's older population will benefit from the new pool, just like young swimmers.

“We can all find time to use this pool,” she said.

As a former Powell High School swimmer, Parmer said she is well-acquainted with Powell's current pool, and she believes the new pool will be an asset to the community.

“The pool that we have now really served its purpose,” she said. “Getting this new pool is great — it will open up leisure and recreation opportunities that we never had before, and we can still have that competitive program that is so strong in Powell.”

In addition to swimming for PHS, Parmer swam with the Powell Piranhas USA swimming team and her mom, Pat Parmer, helps coach for Swim America.

Parmer lived in Powell when she attended Northwest College, where she received her associate degree in outdoor education.

Parmer said she has worked in recreation in different ways, but found that she always came back to swimming.

“I've always felt really comfortable in an aquatics environment,” Parmer said.

Parmer said she's still too new to the job to know what the pool's operating costs and staff structure will be, but she will spend much of 2009 getting ready for the pool's opening, which is slated for early 2010.

Logan said Parmer was hired a full year in advance to get everything in order for the new aquatic center.

“It's not too soon to be getting this set up,” Logan said.