Alexandria, VA, Oct. 1, 2009- The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) has chosen Lew Akins as the 2009 CBP of the Year. The award is the APSP Builders Council’s lifetime achievement award, presented to a Certified Building Professional and APSP member whose accomplishments have made a significant contribution to the profession.

Dedicated to the pool and spa industry since 1979, Akins is the owner and founder of Ocean Quest Pools by Lew Akins. Akins is widely known as an international speaker, sales trainer, consultant, Certified Building Professional and expert witness. Akins has won more than 184 national and regional APSP and NSPI (APSP’s predecessor organization) awards, and has been named one of the "Top 50 Pool Builders in the U.S." by Pool and Spa News on six separate occasions. In 2000, Akins was also inducted into the NSPI Region III Hall of Fame.

For the past 24 years, Akins has been a regular speaker and educator at the APSP regional and international conventions, training pool builders on advanced subjects including hydraulic design for swimming pools, designing and building negative-edge pools and the proper construction of waterfalls. He is widely considered one of the pioneers of vanishing-edge pool construction.

Among the APSP Builders Council, Akins is known as a superior instructor and an asset to the pool and spa industry. Nominators cited his contributions to the builder's manual, extraordinary teaching skills and the "attention to detail and passion he brings" to his work. They expressed their gratitude, naming Akins' efforts "above the call of duty of membership."

About APSP
The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) is the world's largest international trade association representing the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry. APSP’s mission is ensuring consumer safety and enhancing the business success of its members. Members adhere to a code of business ethics and share a commitment to public health and safety in the use of pools, spas and hot tubs. APSP member companies include manufacturers, distributors, manufacturers' agents, designers, builders, installers, retailers, and service professionals. For more information visit www.APSP.org.