Members of USOC Independent Advisory Committee Announced
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – The independent Advisory Committee established by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors will include 13 members to join Paul Tagliabue, the committee's Chairman, in assessing the USOC's Board structure and operations model. The committee's members have wide-ranging experience in Olympic sports, national amateur sports governing bodies, other aspects of the Olympic Movement, youth and professional sports in both the United States and internationally, as well as in not-for-profit organizations
"This committee is comprised of talented leaders with deep experience in Olympic sports and Olympic activities generally, as well as talented individuals who have led sports and partnership organizations," Tagliabue said. "Their commitment and enthusiasm in embracing this opportunity to assess the structure of the USOC is a testament to the significance of the Olympic Movement in our country. I am honored to lead the committee and pledge our dedication to furthering the mission of the USOC and its many constituencies."
Joining the committee are the following:
Ann Cody: Paralympian in wheelchair basketball and track & field, current member of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board
Skip Gilbert: CEO of USA Triathlon, Chair of the National Governing Bodies (NGB) Council and the Association of Chief Executives of Sport
Courtney Johnson: Olympic water polo silver medalist, past member and leader of the USOC Athletes Advisory Council, attorney
Jim McCarthy: former USOC Board member, Chef de Mission for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team, past CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, attorney
John Naber: Olympic swimming gold medalist, Immediate Past President of the U.S. Olympians Association, sports broadcaster, corporate speaker
Jeanne Picariello: Chair of the Multi-Sport Organizations Council, Chef de Mission of the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Team, retired Colonel, U.S. Army
Patrick G. Ryan: Chairman of World Sport Chicago, past chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016, founding chairman of Aon Corporation
Matt Van Houten: Chair of the USOC Athletes’ Advisory Council, member of Board of Directors for USA Team Handball, U.S. Team Handball Men’s National Team member, attorney
Brian Whitcomb: former USA Cycling Men’s National Team member, former vice chair of Athletes Advisory Council, professor at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
David A. Brandon: Regent Emeritus at the University of Michigan, former football player for the University of Michigan
Raul J. Fernandez: Chairman of ObjectVideo, co-owner of the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and the Verizon Center
Hugh B. Price: past President and CEO of the National Urban League, Princeton professor, former member of The New York Times editorial board
John W. Thompson: Chairman of the Board of Symantec Corporation, minority investor with the Golden State Warriors
Paul Tagliabue: Advisory Committee Chairman, National Football League (NFL) Commissioner from 1989-2006, Chairman of the Board of Georgetown University
"We are very pleased that someone of Paul's stature will lead this distinguished independent group in their assessment and evaluation of the USOC," USOC Chairman Larry Probst said. "With six years having passed since the USOC’s governance restructure of 2003, it is appropriate for the organization to examine our processes to determine how we can better operate and meet the needs of our stakeholders."
The committee will assess the size, structure and operating practices of the USOC Board, and make recommendations for consideration by the Board. Findings are expected in March.
"The formation of this committee is absolutely the right step," USOC Board member Mike Plant said. "By hearing from all of our family members in the U.S. Olympic Movement and evaluating the progress and actions of the USOC over the past five years, this committee will ensure the USOC is heading in the right direction and best serving the needs of our constituencies in an expedient and effective time frame."
For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529 or visit www.teamusa.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.