COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the historic results of its 2019 Board of Directors and Athletes’ Advisory Council elections, achieving equal gender representation on the Board for the first time in the organization’s history.
Dr. Tekemia Dorsey (Middle River, Md.), CEO of the International Association of Black Triathletes (IABT), was elected as the Mideast Region representative, becoming the first African-American to serve on the Board. U.S. Paralympic gold medalist Allysa Seely (Glendale, Ariz.) was elected as an Elite Athlete Representative. Both new directors will serve two-year terms beginning in January 2020.
The following Board members were successfully re-elected to their General Director positions: Gabriela Gallegos (El Paso, Texas; South Central Region), Chuck Graziano (Ramsey, N.J.; Northeast Region), Susan Haag (Jacksonville, Fla.; Southeast Region), Kevin Haas (Berkeley, Calif.; West Region), and Keri Serota (Chicago, Ill.; North Central Region).
U.S. Olympian Ben Kanute (Phoenix, Ariz.) was re-elected to the Athletes’ Advisory Council (AAC).
In addition, two independent directors will be selected by the Board of Directors to serve in 2020 after being nominated by USA Triathlon’s Nominating and Governance Committee.
"I am thrilled to welcome Tekemia and Alyssa to the Board,” said Jacqueline McCook, President of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors. “Their experiences as athletes and advocates for our sport will be invaluable in our ongoing drive to expand the accessibility and awareness of triathlon throughout the U.S., as a sport and as a lifestyle. In addition, Ben, in his continuing role on the Athlete Advisory Council, and Alyssa both bring valuable Olympic and Paralympic experience to our USA Triathlon leadership teams. I look forward to working with our new and returning board members, as well as our outstanding USA Triathlon staff, to continue to grow, inspire and support our entire triathlon community."
"It's an honor to serve on USA Triathlon's Board of Directors and to positively contribute to change in the sport for all, but especially minorities,” Dr. Dorsey said. “This sport provides hope to so many across the world, and it remains our duty to continue to give back through the sport — giving inspiration and motivation daily where hope may seem lost at times. I look forward to working with dynamic and energetic visionaries in the days and years to come."
As CEO of IABT, Dr. Dorsey oversees a nonprofit organization serving urban communities — especially black youth — with a mission to increase participation in multisport and provide opportunities to work in the multisport industry. She is also the owner of IABT Multisport Racing, the only African-American and woman-owned multisport racing company in the nation. Dr. Dorsey is a USA Triathlon Level I and Youth & Junior-certified coach, a USA Triathlon-certified race director and a member of the USA Triathlon Race Director Committee.
The Elite Athlete Representatives on the Board of Directors provide insight, perspective and advice from the elite athlete community. Elite Athlete Representatives are full-fledged Board members, participating in all Board meetings and voting on all decisions. All elite athlete candidates are elected by their peers, with voting open to any individual holding a USA Triathlon elite license.
“I am honored that my peers have entrusted me to be the athlete voice on the USA Triathlon Board of Directors,” Seely said. “I look forward to working in conjunction with the other board members to continue growing the sport of triathlon as an inclusive body for all athletes across the country.”
Seely was the gold medalist in the women’s PT2 division at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. She is a three-time ITU Paratriathlon world champion (2015, 2016, 2018) and two-time ITU Paratriathlon World Championships silver medalist. Seely received an ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability in July 2019, commemorating her undefeated 2018 elite season. She is a member of the Toyota U.S. Paratriathlon Resident Team at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Seely has a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on disability and health psychology from Arizona State University, as well as two undergraduate degrees from ASU in genetics, cell and developmental biology and psychology.
Kanute was re-elected to the AAC, a USA Triathlon bylaw-mandated standing committee that broadens communication between USA Triathlon and elite athletes, and serves as a source of opinion and advice to the USA Triathlon Board of Directors. He first joined the AAC in January of 2018 and will serve a second two-year term.
The AAC makes recommendations to the Board on issues related to the needs and concerns of USA Triathlon’s elite athlete members, including, but not limited to: race selection, USA Triathlon National Team qualification criteria, elite athlete rankings, competitive rules in elite races and the procedure for the appointment or election of elite athletes to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Athletes’ Advisory Council.
Kanute is a 2016 U.S. Olympian, the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship silver medalist and a two-time ITU Triathlon World Cup medalist. He helped the U.S. Mixed Relay Team to the 2016 ITU Mixed Relay World Championships gold medal, the 2017 world silver medal and the 2018 world bronze. In August, he anchored the U.S. team to a bronze medal at the ITU World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series Tokyo, a preview of the medal event that will debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Kanute is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physiology.
All officer seats— including President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer — will be elected by members of the Board at the first meeting of 2020 in January.
More information on the 2019 USA Triathlon Elections, including candidate platforms, can be found at usatriathlon.org/governance.
2020 USA Triathlon Board of Directors
Jacqueline McCook, President — Independent Director
Joel Rosinbum, Vice President — Elite Athlete Representative
Kevin Haas, Treasurer — West Region
Ben Collins — Elite Athlete Representative
Dr. Tekemia Dorsey — Mideast Region
Gabriela Gallegos — South Central Region
Chuck Graziano — Northeast Region
Susan Haag — Southeast Region
Allysa Seely — Elite Athlete Representative
Keri Serota — North Central Region
Barry Siff — Ex Officio
2020 USA Triathlon Athletes’ Advisory Council
Greg Billington
Ben Collins
Lindsey Jerdonek
Ben Kanute
Joel Rosinbum
Allysa Seely
Erin Storie
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
