Board Members

Stephané Rebeck McCormick has over 30 years of experience in aquatic supervision and management and has held several leadership roles in aquatics, education, and related fields. Her attention to detail and complimentary background in event production makes her especially skilled at aquatic facility inspection, emergency logistics, and on-site problem-solving. Over the course of her career, Stephané has demonstrated a commitment to water safety, drowning prevention, and aquatic education.

A native of New Jersey, Stephané spent 12 years as a swim instructor with the YWCA of Princeton, worked as an ocean lifeguard with the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol on Long Beach Island, and managed the Brooktree Swim and Tennis Club. After working as a corporate event producer for nearly ten years, she moved to St. Louis in 1998. She served as Aquatic Program Manager with Clayton Parks & Recreation from 2001 to 2008, setting regional enrollment records and earning her department the prestigious Best in Aquatics Award from Aquatics International for its overall commitment to aquatics.

Named National Drowning Prevention Alliance 2018 Lifesaver of the Year for her entrepreneurship and impact on drowning prevention, Stephané is a certified Instructor Trainer in Water Safety and Lifeguarding who holds a Master's degree in Education from Columbia University. She has served as an adjunct instructor of physical education and chair of the W-Club Alumni Athlete Association at Washington University. Her achievements have been noted in The Sandpaper, Southern Voice, and Suburban Journal, and she was featured as an expert in aquatic program management in Aqua’Zine. In June 2009, after a highly publicized home pool drowning, Stephané began work on an idea to provide water safety services to residential pools. The result is Backyard Lifeguards, a fully equipped and insured portable professional lifeguard service that also offers site-specific evaluations and water safety training. The goal is to reduce the dramatic rate of drowning at historically under-supervised locations and events. One of only five in the nation whose primary business is supplying contract lifeguard services, the company has earned mentions from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Today in St. Louis, Great Day St. Louis, and the Association of Aquatic Professionals.

In response to increased demand for supervision and management at adult events, Stephané formally added BYLG Sport, now the open-water rescue division of Backyard Lifeguards. BYLG Sport has provided service to events in St. Louis city and county, Jefferson City, Columbia, Kansas City, Southern and Central Illinois, and Chicago. Her open-water event safety plans incorporate supervision strategies from swim and adventure races around the country in which she competes or lifeguards. In 2011, she was one of only twelve rescue swimmers assigned to the Nautica New York City Triathlon. In 2012, Stephané graduated from the United States Lifesaving Association’s Surf Rescue Training Officer Academy.

Later, the company added Club BYLG, which offers private group training for individuals aiming to become American Red Cross Lifeguards and Lifeguarding Instructors. Stephané has worked as an Aquatic Examiner of community pools, mentored Instructor Trainer candidates, and volunteered at Aquatic Safety Schools teaching Lifeguarding and Water Safety Instructor courses.  She is a merit badge counselor in swimming and lifesaving with the Boy Scouts of America. Stephané has been active with the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association and St. Louis Aquatic Professionals, and she presents on a variety of topics related to aquatic supervision, programming, and management at annual industry conferences.