PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing is pleased to announce the addition of four directors to the organization's board. These four join the ten current members and represent a wide breadth and depth of experience and expertise which will help guide the strategic growth of USRowing. The USRowing Board of Directors is now at full strength. "We're honored to welcome such a distinguished group of new board members, and look forward to working together to deliver on our vision and long-term growth strategy," said USRowing Board of Directors Interim President Meghan O'Leary. "On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank all who expressed interest in joining and encourage you to stay involved with USRowing with your local club and the national organization and to put your impressive qualifications and skills to work for the betterment of our sport."
Meet our new directors:
Joe Flynn: Southeast Representative (term ends March 2018)
Joe has rowed, coached, sold video performance software, raised money, and supported rowing for over 50 years. Joe rowed at Orange Coast College and The University of California-Berkeley, from where he graduated. He then moved to coach at Orange Coast College under Coach Dave Grant. His coaching campaigns included The Western Sprints, the IRA Championships, The Henley Royal Regatta and The Dublin Regatta. Joe then coached for four years and taught U.S. History, Civics, and Psychology at his alma mater Skyline High School in Oakland, Calif. He then started a 40-year career in information technology and senior management with Bank of America, Reliant Energy, and Citibank, building banking/business applications worldwide. Joe currently is coaching juniors at Rowing Club of the Woodlands in Texas alongside Coach Dee Hotop. Joe is currently an information technology consultant with GLG Consulting, Austin, Texas.
Charlie Haight: At-Large Director (term ends March 2018)
Born and raised in Poughkeepsie N.Y., Charlie has been a lifelong participant in rowing. Starting out as a coxswain at Poughkeepsie High School, Charlie later became a competitive masters oarsmen at New Haven Rowing Club. Charlie has had a long and successful career in college and university fundraising and alumni affairs, working for a variety of prestigious institutions including Yale University for 16 years and Hobart and William Smith for three years. Charlie served as Vice President for Development at Mount Holyoke College for 16 years and the last five years has served as Senior Associate Dean for Alumni Relations and Resource Development at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Charlie lives in Amherst, Mass.
Marcia Hooper: Female Vice Chair (term ends March 2019)
Marcia is a dedicated supporter of rowing and has been involved with the sport since the mid-1970's when she helped launch the Brown Women's crew program. She has remained involved with Brown University serving as president of the Friends of Brown Women's Crew, as a member of the President's Advisory Council on Athletics, and as an officer of the Brown University Sports Foundation. Marcia has served as co-chair of the National Rowing Foundation since 2012 and has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting USRowing and the U.S. national teams. She also serves as a managing director and board member of the Head of the Charles Regatta. A resident of Dedham Mass., Marcia is currently President of HooperLewis, LLC, an entrepreneurial consulting and angel investing firm and serves as senior advisor to Bowside Capital, a private equity firm. Marcia currently rows at Cambridge Boat Club in Cambridge, Mass.
Steve Shure: Northwest Representative (term ends March 2020)
Steve lives in Seattle, Wash., where he has been affiliated with the Pocock Rowing Center and Seattle Rowing Center clubs. His primary involvement in rowing is as a parent, which has provided him deep and ongoing exposure to the sport in all stages, from initial involvement with novices, regional and national competition, U.S. national team selection processes, collegiate rowing, and as a host family for national team athletes. Steve is the Vice President of Worldwide Consumer Marketing for Amazon.com, having joined Amazon as the first global leader of Amazon Prime. Steve and his family moved to Seattle in 2006 after a 20-year career with Time Inc., where he oversaw marketing for major publications including People, Sports Illustrated, Ski, Skiing, Outdoor Life, and more. In 1996, Steve served as Publisher of the Sports Illustrated Olympic Daily, a full-color magazine sold at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Games. Steve played soccer for Harvard University, from which he graduated Magna Cum Laude in History and Science.
The four Board vacancies, per the Bylaws, were filled by appointment of the Board of Directors. The Board issued a request for candidate submissions on January 24 and accepted submissions through February 1. The Board's nominating committee, chaired by Kris Thorsness, evaluated the candidates by looking at the range of skills needed to support the work of USRowing including development (fundraising, sponsorships, and grants), event management, new rowing markets (fitness, open-water, touring, indoor rowing), and business leadership.
"We were incredibly impressed by the interest, enthusiasm, and qualifications of the entire group of applicants," said Thorsness. "Given the number of highly qualified applicants, this was by far the most difficult decision the nominating committee has made."
The next Board meeting will take place in Princeton, N.J. March 18-19 and, as always, will be open to the entire rowing community. Details will be forthcoming later this week.