Board of Directors

I've been a member of Park District # 2 Commission since the spring of 2019 when I volunteered and was appointed to fill a vacancy left by the departure of a previous commissioner.

I volunteered to serve on the commission because I believe physical activity is important to the health and vitality of the community. The Bitterroot Aquatic Center provides a place for people all ages and economic levels to play in the water, learn to swim, attend classes, swim laps, and develop a habit of movement. The Aquatic Center also provides safety training and employment opportunities for a cadre of lifeguards and other pool employees.

During the past year, I've learned that the demand for the use of the pool exceeds its availability. The community voted against making improvements that would have resulted in a year-round facility that would provide more aquatic opportunities. That makes the challenge for the next few years to work with the community now is to maintain and improve the existing facility and to determine how to provide programs people want at the pool to make the facility available to the greatest number of community members.

I am a fitness lap swimmer; my daughter was on the swim team for five years, and I've coached swimming. I wish to continue to serve the community and help make the Bitterroot Aquatic Center a place where more people can recreate and enjoy the water.

My interest in the Bitterroot Aquatic Center stems from my two daughters, Gwen(13) and Josie(11). This will be the 6th summer our family will be involved with the Bitterroot Swim Team.

Because swimming has become such an important part of our lives, I would like to give my time to the BAC to ensure the entire community can enjoy this facility for years to come.

I believe I am qualified to be a board member of the Bitterroot Aquatic Center. I have served on the board of the Rotary Club of Hamilton on two separate occasions and am a past president of this service club. I have also served on the board of Ravalli County's Habitat for Humanity, and my wife Deana and I own and operate Massa Home Center in Hamilton.

My name is Ryal Weber, and I am running for the Ravalli County Park District #2. I am native to the Bitterroot Valley and a local business owner for the last 13 years. I swam on the Bitterroot Swim Team for eight years in the '90s, and I am currently part of the BST family as both of my kids are on the team. Learning to swim and being part of the swim team made a big impact on my life as well as making so many life long friends. Knowing the impact that the BST made on my life, I would like for my kids as well as many others for years to come, to be able to have a place to swim like the Bitterroot Aquatic Center.

I would love to see a space for community members to be able to swim year-round, and I hope to help with that by being on the BAC board. My vision would be that; the area high schools would be able to compete competitively with the many other schools around the state that have started teams in recent years. I understand that many groups love to use the BAC, and I will work to help everyone be heard in their needs of using the pool.

I am a Hamilton resident for over 20 years and am a regular summertime user of the Bitterroot Aquatic Center. Thanks to inexpensive swim lessons offered through my hometown when I was a girl, I am a lifetime swimmer. I swam competitively in both high school and college and now swim for fun and fitness with our local master's swim team. Swimming has taught me many life lessons over the years, and now I would like to give back to the swimming community by serving on the pool board (Ravalli County Park District #2).