Chris Dunn, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Rutherford Swim Association (RSA), played a key role in securing the Rutherford Community Pool as RSA's home by preparing and submitting the winning bid to the Rutherford Board of Education. The contract award was a homecoming for Chris, who honed his swimming skills as a student athlete at the 25-meter indoor aquatic center.

A lifelong swimmer and athlete, Chris believes that swimming is a critical life skill, and that the Rutherford pool is the ideal location to foster a community aquatic environment. He co-founded RSA with longtime friend Mike Lazzara; the two have been swimming together competitively since their days at the Rutherford Stingrays, the former summer swim team that dominated Bergen County in the 1990s.

Chris continued his club career at Montclair & Wyckoff YMCA, before swimming collegiately at The College of New Jersey, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and later, his Master of Business Administration.

His coaching career began as an Assistant Head Coach at Pines Lake Association, where he helped oversee competitive swim training for 60 athletes ages 7 to 17. Following his time at Pines Lake Association, he became an Assistant Age Group Coach of the Wyckoff YMCA Sharks, where he coordinated and co-managed daily swim practices and dryland sessions for the team’s Junior National Group. As Co-Head Coach of Rebel Aquatic Club, Chris is responsible for the Senior group progression and planning.

For Chris, RSA’s mission is to share the love of swimming with every child who wants to learn, and to shape successful student athletes who want to compete in college or on a national platform. Chris is a Certified Pool Operator.

Mike Lazzara is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rutherford Swim Association. He began building a blueprint for the nonprofit organization in 2018 in the lead up to a $53 million schools upgrade referendum that called for the demise of Rutherford’s only community pool. The referendum’s defeat crystallized Mike’s vision for a community organization that would revitalize the treasured amenity.  For Mike, the fight was personal as the pool had been his refuge as a student athlete. A self-professed “pool nerd,” Mike followed in the footsteps of his older brother and sister to swim competitively at a young age and become a nationally ranked swimmer. He credits the sport with helping to shape his character and teach some of life’s greatest lessons, like perseverance, when he lost his father as a child.

Mike co-founded RSA with longtime friend and former teammate Chris Dunn. The two have been swimming together competitively since their days at the Rutherford Stingrays, the former summer swim team that dominated Bergen County in the 1990s.

Mike has worked with children his entire career. He’s a former English teacher for St. Nicholas School in Jersey City, New Jersey and Science Teacher for Corpus Christi School in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. He also worked as an assistant swim coach for Wyckoff Family YMCA and Montclair YMCA. He’s a certified USA swimming coach and has led practices and dry land groups for the national team.

Mike is a certified pool operator and Certified Lifeguard and Lifeguard Management Instructor. Mike received a Bachelor of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy from Montclair State University and a Master of Arts in Education from Saint Peters University. He is a certified child advocate and has experience teaching children with behavioral and educational deficiencies.

Rebel Aquatic Club was proud to have Paulo Madeira join our coaching staff in 2023-24. Paulo has extensive experience as a Head Coach and Director of Competitive Aquatics at the Montclair YMCA.

During his swimming career, he was a member of Montclair State University Swimming Tam, where he swam for four seasons and held the 200-yard Breaststroke school record.  As an Age Group swimmer, he competed for Montclair YMCA where he would return to coach for 10 plus years.  Paulo has also coached for 4 years at North Jersey Bluestreaks. Where he was instrumental in growing the program and leading many swimmers to success at the State and National Level. Paulo brings a technical approach and a proven track record, helping young athletes achieve success in the water.

Coach Paddy, our newest team member, brings a wealth of experience with over two decades of coaching under his belt. Having recently moved from Maryland, he's excited to embark on a new chapter here and impart his love for swimming to our team. Paddy's coaching expertise spans a wide range of ages and abilities, and he's particularly adept at working with disabled swimmers. His personal experiences as a hard-of-hearing individual and a kidney transplant recipient give him a unique perspective and deep understanding of the disabled community. Paddy's active involvement in the Organ Transplant Community has even led him to participate in the US and International Organ Transplant Olympics, where he had a remarkable showing in 2004, winning 7 gold medals. His athletic prowess is further evidenced by the 4 world records he currently holds, a testament to his dedication and remarkable achievements in the face of personal challenges.