Courtesy: USA Swimming
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, announced today that its Foundation, the USA Swimming Foundation, began the new year with six new members on its Board of Directors. As part of the Foundation’s continued revitalization, the new representatives were vetted through a nomination committee and chosen for their unique expertise in philanthropy.
“We are thrilled to welcome these passionate professionals to the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors,” USA Swimming Chief Commercial Officer Shana Ferguson said. “Under our newly instituted bylaws, we’ve added individuals with rich philanthropic experience who understand the nonprofit space and who truly love this sport. We know these six will help us grow swimming beyond our current capabilities, and we cannot wait to dive in with this talented group.”
- Anne Berry has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate and government relations professional at the federal and state level. As a former collegiate and current Masters swimmer, Berry spends much of her free time working on grassroots swimming efforts to introduce children to the life-saving merits of swim lessons.
- Alex Blavatnik, a former NCAA Division I swimmer for Miami University, is an Executive Vice President and Deputy Chairman of Access Industries, a privately held industrial group with long-term holdings in natural resources, chemicals, media, technologies and real estate. Blavatnik has been a valued supporter of USA Swimming as a long-standing member of the Foundation Trustee Council and Champions Club donor circle.
- Jill Bornstein brings a breadth of experience in board leadership and governance from her 27-year career, including a previous post as a Vice President of Finance at GE Capital. Bornstein is the Co-Founder and CFO of Inspiring Comfort. She has also been an active volunteer in the swimming community with various posts within her local Ridgefield Aquatic Club, as well as served as an official in the Connecticut Local Swimming Committee (LSC).
- Cynthia Eubanks is the Executive Director of Sigma Gamma Rho, a national sorority that has been a partner of USA Swimming since 2012 through its Swim 1922 initiative. With her experience as an administrator in higher education at predominantly minority-serving institutions, Eubanks has committed to endorsing the value of swimming and how it can enhance young people’s lives.
- Jordan Kaplan serves as Chief Development Officer for The Barack Obama Foundation, and prior to this post, served as National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee. Kaplan swam collegiately and, even while traveling extensively for work, still finds time to start most days on the road with a Masters swim practice.
- Teresa Lee has been active in several highly successful capital campaigns and philanthropic institutions, and along with her husband Simon, has been a swim parent in the Southern California LSC for over a decade. The Lees have been passionate supporters of USA Swimming’s learn-to-swim initiatives as members of the Foundation Trustee Council since 2016.
Additionally, the Foundation named David Shackley to its Board of Directors earlier in 2019. Shackley currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Communications at Marriott International and previously served as Executive Producer of Global Launch Events for Apple. Shackley is an avid open-water swimmer and together with his wife, Maya, is a major supporter of our Donor-Athlete Partnership program.
Each of the six newest members will serve a three-year term through December 2022. Current board members Bill Maxson, Board Secretary Dave Wiederecht, and Olympian Maya (DiRado) Andrews were renewed to their board posts for an additional three years through December 2022. Board Chair Cecil Gordon, Shackley and Olympian Elizabeth Beisel will continue in their current roles through the end of December 2020.
The USA Swimming Foundation works to strengthen the sport of swimming by saving lives and building champions. Whether giving grants to programs that offer free or reduced-cost swim lessons or financial support to athletes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country. In addition to the Board of Directors, leadership in the Foundation is provided through a 16-member Trustee Council. Members of the USA Swimming Foundation Trustee Council commit to a four-year term to support the growth and success of USA Swimming through leadership in donor cultivation and financial investment.
About the USA Swimming Foundation
The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions— in the pool and in life. Whether we’re equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim through our Make a Splash initiative or providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.