Our Team
Carly Lobdell
Founder and Executive Director/Swim Instructor
Meet the founder, Carly Lobdell! Carly graduated from UGA with a degree in Marketing and International Business as well as a minor in Spanish. She is very passionate about swimming and has been coaching for 8 years! She has been swimming since age 5 and was a coach on her neighborhood team, the Laurel Springs Piranhas, during high school. She is excited to pursue her passion for teaching everyone to swim. Her favorite part of the job is bonding with her students. What makes her proud is seeing her once timid students’ confidence shine!
Theresa Gonzalez
Director of Operations/Swim Instructor
Hey Everyone! I’m Coach Theresa and I am incredibly excited to be joining the Oconee Flippers Team. I have a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in Human Development and Family Studies and I have 20+ years of experience working with children (of all ages) in a variety of settings. I have been a student teacher, assistant teacher, babysitter, nanny, soccer coach, dance teacher, and Preschool Lead Teacher. I also have several years of experience working in various office and administrative roles as well.
I strive to build a connection and relationship with each child with whom I have the privilege of working. My goal is to provide a positive and welcoming environment for each child as they learn to swim and learn how to make safe choices around water. I also have experience working with children with developmental differences. I believe swimming is an important life skill, and I am looking forward to working with your children.
Mollie Michie-Lepp
Program Director/Swim Instructor
Coach Mollie moved to the Athens area from Portland Oregon in 2024 and brings with her 5+ years of aquatics administrative experience, coaching and working with swimmers of all ages on the west coast and now the south! With an emphasis on safety, Mollie uses our curriculum to seamlessly join one skill into another, helping create confident and safe swimmers. Mollie a certified lifeguard, lifeguard instructor, water safety instructor and certified pool operator. You may have seen Mollie in the pool at the Walton County or Brad Akins YMCA; she was their aquatics coordinator last year, and decided to work closer to home and spend more time with her new family.
Lindsay Young
Community Manager/Swim Instructor
Hi! I’m Coach Lindsay and I’m thrilled to be part of the Oconee Flippers coaching and administrative team! My passion for working with children has inspired me to serve in several youth-focused roles, including as a youth soccer coach, youth sports medicine trainer, and licensed youth soccer referee. I also have a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia and experience working in office and administrative roles. I love supporting children’s development through sports and athletics, and I can’t wait to bring that energy to Oconee Flippers!
Katie Hood-Weber
Office Manager
Katie is excited to be on staff as our Office Manager. Her attention to detail, advertising and public relations background, and organizational skills are helping manage our exceptionally fast-growing business. With a Type A personality, Katie loves checking off those to-do lists and working as a team to build a responsive, supportive, and thorough foundation on which the Flippers can grow.
A mom of three, Katie loves homeschooling her kids, spending time with her husband, and being a part of a loving community she has found through her kid’s local dance studio. She is a self-proclaimed Disney Nerd and enjoys geeking out on cozy video games, the Hunger Games series, and all-things Disney World related.
Kate Thomsen
Swim Instructor
Kate has been a dedicated swim coach for 20 summers, working with swimmers of all ages and skill levels—from infants as young as 4 months to adults in their 80s. With a passion for water safety and a special talent for helping anxious swimmers overcome their fears, Kate creates a supportive and confidence-building environment in and around the water.
A former state-level high school swimmer and collegiate club competitor, Kate brings experience and enthusiasm to every lesson. Now, as a parent to a 6-year-old daughter, they find even more joy in sharing a love for swimming and ensuring that every swimmer, regardless of age or ability, feels safe, capable, and empowered in the water.
Coach Kailyn
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Kailyn! Kailyn is a Senior at Oconee County High School. Kailyn loves working with kids and has a background volunteering at schools and working at her church day camp! You can find Kailyn the happiest spending time with friends and family, making cherished memories. Kailyn hopes to help the kids get comfortable with the water while also ensuring the parents of their safety. She can’t wait to work with kids and see them thrive in the water!
Coach Caroline
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Caroline! She is a Senior at Oconee County High School and has been a competitive swimmer for 8 years. She started coaching 3 summers ago for the Oconee County Stingrays and loved it; so she is super excited to be joining Oconee Flippers and teaching year round! In her free time, she loves to travel, hang out with friends, and swim of course. Caroline is excited to teach kids safety in the water and watch them make progress and become more independent and comfortable with each lesson!
Coach Ella
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Ella! Ella is in the Class of 2026 at Oconee County High School. Ella loves working with kids and has a background in interning at school and coaching kids in soccer. You can find Ella playing soccer or spending time with her family. Ella hopes to help every kid improve in swimming and feel safe and comfortable in the water.
Coach Jasmine
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Jasmine! She is currently a student at Oconee County High school and will graduate in 2026. She has a passion for working with kids and those with special needs. Outside of school Jasmine enjoys playing soccer, volunteering at ESP, and helping out at her church. She is excited to join the team at Oconee Flippers, where she can continue sharing her love for teaching, having fun with kids, and ensuring their safety as they learn this important life skill.
Coach Andrew
Swim Instructor
My name is Andrew Pierce! I swam competitively for 10 years. I am currently a social studies, education major with a focus in History and attending UGA. I have a passion for teaching and coaching. My favorite thing in the world is seeing people improve.
Coach Lauren
Substitute Swim Instructor
Hi, I’m Coach Lauren! I am a third-year student at UGA studying Psychology and I’m from Cumming, GA. I love working with kids and I’m so excited to get to know and work with everyone and watch them gain confidence in the water. I’m super excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to build a fun relationship with these kids while watching them grow and become great swimmers!
Coach Natalie
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Natalie! She senior at Donovan Catholic School and she has been swimming competitively for 9 years on her local summer swim team and also swimming on the Donovan swim team. She has also been a Junior Coach on her summer swim team for 3 summers and has been a lifeguard for two years. She also loves to babysit and work with kids in her spare time. Her favorite part about coaching is seeing the kids happy and finding their confidence while learning to swim.
Coach Kaitlyn
Swim Instructor
Meet Coach Kaitlyn! Kaitlyn has multiple years of swim team experience and was a lifeguard for 5 years before moving to Athens. She has a passion for kiddos and helping them achieve their very best swimming! You can catch Kaitlyn either studying for her nursing board exam or shopping at TJMaxx. She is very excited to meet all of the smiling faces!
Coach Drew
Swim Instructor
My name is Drew Martin, and I am so excited to join the Oconee Flippers team! I am a junior at Oconee County High School and have been competitively swimming since I was 6 years old. Swimming has always been a huge part of my life, and it has helped me develop discipline, confidence, and a strong work ethic. I also have a passion for working with kids and helping them learn new skills. Outside of school, I stay involved with my soccer teams and church community. I am excited for the opportunity to help kids feel more confident, comfortable, and safe in the water!
Coach Alessandra
Swim Instructor
Hey! I am Coach Alessandra. I am a junior and I have been a competitive swimmer since I was 9 years old. I have always enjoyed the sense of tranquility along with the relaxation and satisfaction after a nice day at the pool. I have experience coaching beginners as well as summer league swimmers and find it very rewarding to see kids improve in the water. In my free time, I love to read, watch movies, swim, and travel. My goal for the kids would be to get them to enjoy the water as much as I do!
Our Deck Supervisors
Joshua Wade
Joshua brings a positive, welcoming energy to Oconee Flippers as a Deck Supervisor, where he enjoys building strong relationships with swimmers and their families. He takes pride in creating a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable and excited to be at the pool.
Outside of work, Joshua enjoys staying active, working on hands-on projects, and spending time with friends and family. He also has a strong passion for music and loves exploring local food spots in his free time.
Our Summer Coaches
Coach Tessa
Substitute/Summer Coach
Hi! My name is Tessa and I’m so excited to be part of the Oconee Flippers team! I am a Junior at North Oconee, and my dream is to swim in college. I have been swimming competitively for 7 years, and I am on the North Oconee State Team. In my free time I like to read, thrift, and paint. I have coached for my summer league team in the past and I cannot wait to continue to help kids feel more comfortable in the water!
Coach Aubree-Clare
Summer Coach
Hi, I’m Coach Aubree-Clare, and I have been swimming competitively for the past 15 years which I’m going into my sophomore year of collegiate swimming at Rider University! I have been teaching swim lessons for the past 4 summers now which I love kids, and watching them learn in the water. It’s a true passion of mine, and I’m excited to teach lessons here at Oconee Flippers!
