Staff
Penny Pantano
President and Owner
Penny is known as Ms. Penny throughout the Lehigh Valley. She has been teaching swimming in this area since 1978 and has taught thousands of children to swim, love the water and respect it. She instills in the children the confidence to explore the underwater environment and to learn to be safe in, on and under the water. Many of her former students are now bringing their own children to Swim-in Zone.
Click here for Penny’s resumé.
Penny first learned to swim at Girl Scout camp and then became a lifeguard and swimming instructor while in high school. She contined to teach swimming while in nursing school. As a young mother she wanted her children to learn to swim at an early age and became involved in swim teaching again upon moving to the Allentown area. She has set up 5 swim lesson programs including the Lehigh Valley Aquatic Club, Ms. Penny’s Swim Lesson Program, Emmaus Aquatic Club, Meadow Pool Swim Club and Rodale Aquatic Center. She was at the Emmaus Aquatic Club for 18 years as the Swim Lesson Coordinator and an 8 & U coach. She was the 8 & U coach at Meadow Pool Swim Club for 15 years. When the Rodale Aquatic Center first opened, Penny was the Swim School Director and left to open Swim-in Zone.
Penny has been the Water Safety Chairman for Safe Kid since 1988 and organizes the annual Safe Kids Family Water Safety Day. She has been a Red Cross Instructor Trainer for Water Safety, Lifeguarding and CPR. She has been an invited speaker at World Aquatic Babies and Children conference in England. She is also a Certified Pool Operator.
Penny’s dream to build a facility to teach children to swim in a warm, nurturing environment came true in May 2004 when she opened Swim-in Zone.
Sue Schuster
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Sue received her BS in Kinesiology, Health Education and Advanced Dual Certification in Health and Physical Education from Boston University. She was a certified Physical Education teacher in Massachusetts, Virginia and Florida, and taught middle school Phys & Health Ed for 3 years & 2 years of Elementary PE, including Adaptive P.E. with I.E.P. criteria, before joining Swim-in Zone as Swim School Director in 2004. Sue was a member of the first string All Pennsylvania Field Hockey Team, High School All-American in Field Hockey, member of the 5-Time National Championship Marine Youth Physical Fitness Team 1991-95 and Varsity Field Hockey letter winner at Boston University for 3 years. She has coached field hockey, track & field and swimming at the elementary, middle and high school levels and was Assistant Coach to the Jamestown Virginia Division II State Champion Field Hockey Team in 1999. She was Pool Manager of Professional Pools, Newport News VA, a teacher in the Pensacola Aquatic Club and is a Certified Pool Manager. Other Certifications and Awards include Lifeguard, CPR, Water Safety Instructor, National Swim School awarded Infant/Toddler Instructor (Level II and Level III) and National Outstanding Teacher awarded by the National Swim School Association, Certified Pool Operator and lifeguard instructor.
Sue enjoys obstacle racing, triathlons, skiing and bicycling with her husband, Cody, and raising her daughters, Meghann and Christina.
Email Sue at sschuster@swim-inzone.com
Dan Rummer
Facility Director
Dan received his degree in Scientific and Technical Communications from Michigan Technological University and has been employed full time in the Swimming and Water Safety industry ever since. He was Diving Coach at the high school and college levels, Y.M.C.A. Aquatics Director for 5 years in Erie PA and Director of Aquatics at full service year-round community facilities in Pennsylvania and Ohio before joining Swim-in Zone as Facility Director.
Dan is a Certified Pool Operator, Lifeguard Training Instructor and CPR for Professional Instructor and received the National Outstanding Teacher award by the National Swim School Association in 2005.
Dan and his wife Connie have 2 sons, Keegan and Liam and a daughter Kyla.
Email Dan at danrummer@swim-inzone.com
Kevin Weikert
IT Director
Kevin received his BS in Engineering Science and Technology from the Pennsylvania State University. He began working at Swim-in Zone back in 2005 as a lifeguard. He returned after college in 2012 and started as a lifeguard, instructor and front desk staff. Kevin’s swimming and water safety career started at 11 months old with lessons. He has over 10 years experience in teaching swimming.
Kevin is a Certified Pool Operator, Lifeguard Training Instructor and CPR for Professional Instructor & lifeguard.
He is currently the IT Director and Assistant Facility Director at Swim-in Zone. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Heather.
Email: kevinweikert@swim-inzone.com
Dana Kernick
Front Desk Supervisor
Dana was born and raised in Center Valley, Pa. She attended Southern Lehigh School District and remained a very active child and young adult. She was a competitive gymnast for 11 years, a competitive swimmer for 2 years and a competitive cheerleader for 5 years. She graduated from High school in June of 2004. She began working at Swim-in Zone a few weeks before Swim-in Zone opened their doors in May of 2004. She worked at Swim-in Zone throughout the four years she was attending Moravian. She graduated from Moravian College in May of 2008 with a BA in English; Writing Track. Shortly after graduating, she left Swim-in Zone to pursue a career in insurance. She obtained insurance licenses and practiced insurance for about 5 years. During her years in insurance she worked part time at Swim-in Zone whenever she could and found herself selling more swim lessons than insurance policies. She realized her true passion was indeed the family business that she opened the doors with back in 2004.
Dana is currently lifeguard, CPR, AED & First Aid certified and is the Front Desk Supervisor at Swim-in Zone. She enjoys spending time with her family & friends. She loves anything and everything to do with Mermaids! And cats!
Email: DanaKernick@swim-inzone.com