POOL ENGINEERING - Key Persons
Hi, I am Chris and I have been with Pool Engineering, Inc. since 2005. When I am not racking my brain about out how to design your grotto that's bigger than my first apartment, I like to spend my time with my wife, two girls, and our little Frenchie Beau. You can find me slinging spells with my fellow mages in Magic the Gathering or nerding out at Comic Con in our homemade costumes. My wife and I love to host boardgame nights at our house or smoking meats for our friends to enjoy on football Sundays. I try to live my life following the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln, "Be excellent to each other and…party on, dudes!"
Job Titles:
- Office & Accounting Manager
I'm Debbie Mitchell, the Accounts Receivable Manager at Pool Engineering, Inc. I have been a member of the Pool Engineering team since 2010. I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and am grateful for having the opportunity to experience the Venezuelan culture and being able to speak two languages. My garage is full of the paintings I created over the years. Hopefully, when I retire, I will return to the canvas and continue to paint. I am especially proud that I was able to complete three marathons. Although my marathon days are over, I still enjoy a long hike. I love to travel with my husband, read books, cuddle with my dog, and spend time with my kids and grandkids.
Hi I'm Greg. As Director of Business Development, I really get to know the pool business! I have a BA Degree in Business Marketing and over 30 years of experience in all aspects of the pool industry. I am primarily responsible for developing new markets and making sure Pool Engineering's existing clients are well taken care of! Prior to coming aboard at Pool Engineering, I was with Polaris Pool Systems, where I was one of the top salesmen in the nation. I'm an avid world traveler and adventurer, having been to over 25 different countries on 5 different continents. My experience and education have served me well as I have helped bring Pool Engineering into the industry leader it is today.
Hi I'm James. I am one of the first faces you'll see when you walk into our office. I have been with PEI for a little over 2 years and have loved being part of such a close team. I have 2 daughters, 2 dogs and 2 rabbits. The rabbits are boys, but my daughters named them Anna and Elsa after the Frozen characters. I enjoying learning new skills like cooking, or working with power tools. I have Youtube guru'd my way through the remodel of most of my house. When I am not helping engineer pools, I love taking my kids and nephews to Knott's Berry Farm. We are huge fans and usually get season passes to enjoy the park all year round. Everyone could use a bit more boysenberry in their lives! Hopefully I'll see you at our counter or at Calico Square.
Hi there! I'm Katrina Lacher the wife of Todd Lacher, my rock. Well what can I say… I thought after having my amazing girls Samantha and Zoe that I would be a stay at home mom until after they got out of school. But here I am writing a Bio for the Pool Engineering website, as an employee. I guess you can say I'm cheap labor?! So now I am a stay at home mom while working from home. To say it isn't challenging would be a lie, but I wouldn't change it or have it any other way! I love being apart of the daily family business while also staying close to our girls.
I love country music and dancing is for sure on the top of my list of favorite things to do. Put on a good song, I will be the first and last person on the dance floor, of course a cocktail in hand makes it all the more fun! My family is the most important thing in my life, I can honestly say I feel like one of the luckiest people to have my girls and Todd.
Before having my kids I worked at a Model and Talent agent for 13 years. It was a lot of fun and I gained friends that became family. Plus, who doesn't like working with models on a daily basis? On my free time (which isn't much with 2 small children. LOL) I enjoy watching Netflix in the evenings or going for a run or hike on the weekends. One thing I really hate is a dirty kitchen!
Hi, my name is Kyle. When I'm not designing structures at P.E.I., I enjoy playing video games, watching my favorite sports teams (go Lakers, Angels, and Ducks), and traveling. My love for travel started young, as my family would take cross-country trips in our RV to sight-see and visit family. My fiancé Jen and I have a bucket list that includes watching a game at every Major League ballpark and going to Europe together. We rescued a cat named Parker who, despite my allergies, has found a forever home with us. I like to indulge in almost any type of cuisine, but my favorite food to eat is sushi and poke. As the late, great Kobe would say, "Mamba out."
Hi, my name is Matt. Besides dreaming about backyard ‘poolscapes', I enjoy playing golf and spending time with my wife and two young boys. On a holiday weekend, you'll find us at the family vacation home in Palm Desert. I believe Hawaiian pizza is best, toilet paper should be hung with the loose end in the over position, and a freestanding property line wall near a pool does not require a special detail.
My name is Matthew but many people call me "Sauce." If you can't find me in the office, you might find me outside on one of my runs or still playing Pokemon GO. And if you can't find me their either, you might find me either playing video games (#PCMR by the way) or listening to music through my slowly growing headphone collection. My family is from the Philippines and, as basically required by Filipino law, I enjoy karaoke and basketball. I love watching the [insert current basketball bandwagon here] online. There is a Filipino proverb: "Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga." and if you asked me the translation in English, I wouldn't know but my family says it means "Hard work is needed to reach your goals". I hope that mindset carries over well as I assist you through the process at Pool Engineering,
Hello, my name is Roberto. I am from El Salvador and I been part of the Pool Engineering since 2012. My favorite food is the Pupusas!!. I enjoy to watch all kind of sport games, especially soccer games. I'm fans of the Barcelona F.C.. Also, I like to travel, follow all the news about of automobiles and technology. One of my hobbies is to collect perfumes and I have a small collection. I am an optimistic man and always try to find the positive side of the situation. Have a wonderful day and I wish you all the best!
Ron Lacher - CEO, Founder, President
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Owner
- President
- Founder and CEO of Pool Engineering, Inc
As both the founder and CEO of Pool Engineering, Inc., Ron Lacher is a well-known speaker, educator and author on proper trade practices and structural engineering in swimming pool construction. Ron has authored numerous articles on proper construction techniques in various swimming pool trade publications and is a former seminar presenter at national and regional swimming pool trade conferences.
Ron Graduated from California State Polytechnic University with a Degree in Civil Engineering and is a Licensed Professional Engineer and a licensed swimming pool contractor in the State of California. In addition, Ron has served as a former member of the Advisory Board of the National Pool Industry Research Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a former member of the American Shotcrete Association where he was part of the Pool & Spa Committee. Ron is currently a member of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (Formerly The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals/National Swimming Pool Foundation).
Ron's prior experience also includes over 10 years with various Southern California Governmental Entities where he was responsible for the design and construction of millions of dollars' worth of construction projects every year. Prior to entering private enterprise, Ron Lacher was the City Engineer for a major Southern California City. Ron is an American Concrete Institute (ACI) Shotcrete Examiner one of only 12 industry professionals in the US to have attained that certification.
Hi! My name is Shanna Lanham, and I am a Project Coordinator. I am a big Dodger fan, and I love going to all baseball games. One day I'd really like to visit all Major League Baseball Stadiums in the United States. I have wonderful childhood memories of playing baseball from age 8 to 17. I made great friends, which I'm still close to. I had great coaches, including my dad, that taught me to love and respect the sport. I am very competitive and l enjoy watching most sports. UFC fighting is quite exhilarating to watch.
I went on my first cruise this year, to the Mexican Riviera for 7 days. Now that was an amazing, and a life changing experience. I'm a very picky eater but I tried all different types of seafood, which was interesting to say the least. I faced a few fears, and met some really incredible people. I will definitely be taking another cruise someday, hopefully in the near future. More locally, it's cool to just get in the car and drive to San Diego for the day or gamble at the Indian reservations, maybe a fishing trip or comedy show. A few comedian favs of mine is Bob Saget, the late John Witherspoon, and Gabriel Iglesias. Nothing soothes the soul, like laughter.
I'm embarrassed to say, I am deathly afraid of lizards. I'm very aware I am much, much bigger than them, but they still send me running and screaming. I love listening to Rap, and Country Music. I'm obsessed with sappy Hallmark movies, and miniature golfing. If you were wondering, I ALWAYS win!
Hi I'm Tim and I've been with the PEI family since 2004. It's been a great experience growing and building relationships within this company and with all of our clients. I sometimes have trouble staying serious as I'm a professional goofball and often find humor in unique places. My hobbies include meme hunting, learning how to cook authentic ethnic recipes, and discovering enjoyable music. Go Broncos/Mavericks/Dodgers!
Hi I'm Todd, I first got into engineering because my Dad picked my first semester college classes while I was unknowingly backpacking through Europe during the summer after High School. I was initially aghast to find myself enrolled in first year calculus at 7:30am in the morning while a freshman attending San Diego State University (at the time #6 on the annual top list of party schools). Lucky for me my long time fascination with science and math carried me through that initial 17 unit semester and it turned out I was pretty good at engineering. Since then I have been a practicing civil engineer in California and a handful of other states helping to provide engineering services to the pool and landscape construction industry with my colleagues at Pool Engineering. On a personal note, I have a beautiful wife named Katrina, and three vivacious children. My favorite food is probably Tacos (any kind, as long as it satisfies the loose definition of Taco), my heroes include Charles Darwin, Kurt Gödel, and Karl Popper. I love Punk Rock music and Chargers Football, and my main hobbies are cooking, hiking, and reading about science and philosophy. My favorite line from a movie is when Dr. Henry Jones Jr., in response to a question asking what are the legendary Sankara Stones replied "Fortune and Glory, Kid…Fortune and Glory".