Northwest Reno, NV Team

Nichole is the proud owner of Silver Bear Swim School Northwest. She was born in New Hampshire, but spent her formative years in Las Vegas. This is where she was both a competitive swimmer and soccer player. During those years she worked as a referee, lifeguard, WSI Instructor, and a LGTI Instructor. Nichole graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2014.

Nichole began working for Silver Bear Reno in January of 2011 and has never looked back. Over the course of a decade, Nichole has held several management positions and been an integral part of program development. She was the Site Director of Silver Bear Sparks, the first Swim Team Head Coach, and the pioneer of the Special Abilities Program which launched in 2016. Nichole’s passion for Silver Bear and teaching children to swim is shared with her family members and she has enlisted their help in the launch and management of Silver Bear Northwest.

Apart from her time at the pool, Nichole still plays on local soccer teams and enjoys Lake Tahoe adventures and hiking with family, friends, and her dogs. Nichole is excited to continue to educate children about water safety and share her passion for swimming with the community.

Craig is the co-owner of Silver Bear Swim School Northwest. He grew up in New Hampshire and Virginia near the ocean where there was an emphasis on learning to swim and the love and respect for water. He started swimming lessons with his mom at the age of 6 months. Though he never swam competitively, he has always enjoyed swimming and water activities.

Craig worked in restaurants as a pastry chef in Las Vegas and Los Angeles for over 12 years. During this time, he helped open several restaurants, created menus, trained staff, and was a contestant on the TV show Top Chef. Craig has attained a breadth of experience working in Special Education by assisting his mother and sister, who are Special Education teachers. He has volunteered in their classrooms and chaperoned field trips. Craig worked at Silver Bear Sparks for a little over a year, before he and Nichole started the process of building Silver Bear Northwest. Craig loves seeing students grow and progress each week in their swim skills and is grateful to be a part of such a successful program. He looks forward to helping Silver Bear grow as one of the company’s newest leaders.