Jacob Specht, 31

General manager
Pool to Spa Services
Wenatchee, Washington

Jacob Specht grew up with the pool and spa industry woven into family life. His father, Rick Specht, founded Pool to Spa Services in 1993 after a career with Aqua Quip dating back to the 1970s. In 2017, after graduating from Western Washington University, Jacob committed to joining the family operation full time — starting at the ground level as a technician assistant. Within months, he earned his CPO certification and began working his way through nearly every department, gaining hands-on experience in plaster and vinyl-liner renovations, complex spa deliveries and short-term rental maintenance contracts. By 2022, he was promoted to general manager, overseeing operations across all divisions: retail, service, maintenance and construction.

What Specht loves most is the connection his work creates. “Whether we’re installing a new Bullfrog Spa or helping a grandparent keep their pool pristine for summer visits with their grandkids, our work supports moments of connection and joy,” Specht says. Just as important to him is building a workplace that invests in its people. “Our mission is ‘committed to excellence for the benefit of our employees, their families and the customers we serve.’ This mindset drives everything we do,” he says.

One of Specht’s favorite moments came during a leadership transition in 2022, when Pool to Spa Services’ service manager left after 17 years. Rather than replace the role, Specht reimagined the structure. “We developed a new leadership [framework] with dedicated managers for retail, service and maintenance,” he says. The result was increased accountability, better communication and a stronger foundation.

Going from being in the field to leading from the office has been one of his steepest learning curves. “Transitioning from working in the business to working on the business requires a complete mindset shift,” Specht says. To make that leap, he embraced technology, implementing tools like ServiceTitan for operational efficiency and Rilla, an AI-powered sales coaching platform, to elevate customer engagement. These systems have helped the company raise the bar for service excellence.

Specht hopes to position Pool to Spa Services as a regional benchmark for professionalism, career development and customer service. “Our industry plays a meaningful role in people’s lives, but too often, it’s not viewed with the same legitimacy as other trades,” Specht says. “I want to help raise the bar for the next generation of pool and spa professionals.”

You can often find Specht and his fiancée camping, mountain biking, maintaining their Jeeps and exploring the Pacific Northwest with their dogs.