Meet The Team

RJ Meade

Owner

Richard (RJ) Meade is the owner of the Goldfish Swim School in Omaha, Nebraska, the first Goldfish Swim School in the state! Originally from Northfield, Illinois – a suburb of Chicago – RJ attended Loyola University, focusing on political science and sociology. After graduation, RJ became a Certified Public Accountant, managing risk on the US Government debt at the Chicago Board of Trade. He also became a licensed real estate agent and investor. It was after a terrifying first-hand experience that involved his child in a hotel pool and his wife doing a fully-clothed water rescue, followed by little success with the swim lesson options available to his family, that RJ started looking into investing into his own swim school. The life skill of water safety had become a major focus for RJ and his family, and he was thrilled when a Goldfish Swim School opened in his neighborhood. The tried-and-true play-based curriculum, the confidence building culture, and the warm and inviting facility made it clear to RJ that Goldfish was the perfect fit for his swim school investment. With the help and mentorship of a colleague of his that had also opened a Goldfish Swim School, RJ chose to bring the Golden Experience to the people of Omaha, Nebraska. RJ and wife wife Michelle have two sons – Nate and Evan, and a daughter named Jane, who are all major Chicago Cubs fans. RJ also has a passion for coaching children’s sports – baseball, soccer, basketball – so it’s a natural fit for him to move into coaching and teaching swimming as well!

Chris Exstrom

General Manager

Mr. Chris has been with Goldfish for over 3.5 years and loves watching swimmers grow in skill and confidence with each lesson. His favorite levels to teach are Junior 2 and Junior 3, where the magic happens—seeing 3- and 4-year-olds truly learn to swim and light up with pride after swimming 10 feet is his favorite part of the job.
Mr. Chris was promoted to Pool Operations Manager in April 2023, Assistant General Manager in July 2023, and became General Manager in March 2025.
Fun fact: When he was 12, Mr. Chris spent two weeks backpacking and canoeing the Boundary Waters between the U.S. and Canada with his mom—an unforgettable adventure!

Emily D

Pool Operations Manager

Julie N

Sales Manager

Alex J

Marketing Manager

Lizzie C

Front Desk

Kylie M

Deck Supervisor/Front Desk

Audey R

Deck Supervisor

Lydia D

Deck Supervisor

Logan G

Deck Supervisor

Camryn B

Deck Supervisor

Nathan W

Deck Supervisor

Izzy M

Lifeguard

Ellie C

Swim Instructor/Lifeguard

Ethan K

Swim Instructor/Lifeguard

Jill F

Swim Instructor/Lifeguard

Olivia W

Swim Instructor/Lifeguard

Andrew C

Swim Instructor

Ava T

Swim Instructor

Dresden B

Swim Instructor

Hannah L

Swim Instructor

Joshua D

Swim Instructor

Ashlie A

Swim Instructor

Pete K

Swim Instructor

Mia H

Swim Instructor

Lisa H

Swim Instructor

Kaylee

Swim Instructor

Clare C

Swim Instructor

Bianca R

Swim Instructor