The National Team Managing Director Task Force has convened regularly since its appointment by the USA Swimming Board of Directors last month. The group has made significant progress, including evaluating the current structure and needs of the National Team Division and the future of the program for the next quadrennial and beyond. The Task Force is currently finalizing the Job Description for the National Team Managing Director role, which will be posted on the USA Swimming website as soon as it is final. After the Job Description is posted, the Task Force will connect with key stakeholders to solicit general input and insight, and it will also begin vetting qualified candidates. Once candidates submit applications, the Task Force will review all applications and select candidates to participate in multiple rounds of interviews. The Task Force will ultimately provide recommended candidates to the Board of Directors and the CEO for a final selection. The Task Force will continue to consult with and provide information to the Board and the CEO as final decisions are made. Ongoing updates will be provided as they become available.

USA Swimming Members,

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton, the USA Swimming Board of Directors has expanded eligibility for the current round of disaster relief grants to clubs impacted by either Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton.

As a reminder, teams are eligible for one grant of up to $5,000. The USA Swimming Grant Review Committee will review grant applications, assessing needs based on the team's ability to resume their normally scheduled operations.

Additionally, the USA Swimming Foundation is collecting donations through the USA Swimming Foundation Club Disaster Fund to provide additional support for the impacted clubs. Your contribution, alongside the $150,000 in grant funding provided by USA Swimming, will be a crucial part of our relief efforts. To donate, click here.

Please contact your Team Services Advisor to make in-kind (product, equipment, supplies) donations or learn more about disaster relief grants.

Thank you for your generosity to our member clubs and communities.

USA Swimming Members,

The USA Swimming Board of Directors has been working diligently to define the processes for selecting the next CEO of USA Swimming. The next CEO will lead the organization through a pivotal quad, culminating in a domestic Olympic Games. This opportunity for the organization and each of our member clubs is rare, and we, as the Board, recognize the need to select a leader capable of capitalizing on this moment. The responsibility of hiring that leader is one the Board takes seriously, and we would like to provide some insight into the work over the last few weeks, as well as the process the Board will utilize to complete the search and hire the next CEO.

To guide the search for the next CEO, the Board recently approved the creation of a nine-member CEO Search Task Force. The Task Force solicits a broad range of input from a diverse set of members, and while the Board approved the structure, each stakeholder group directly named the following members:

1. Maya Dirado Andrews (Board appointee, 10-Year Athlete representative)
2. Natalie Coughlin (Board Vice Chair and Board appointee, 10-Year Athlete representative)
3. Katy Arris-Wilson (Board appointee)
4. Sabir Muhammad (Board appointee)
5. Caitlin Leverenz Smith (10-Year Athlete representative, appointed by the Athletes’ Advisory Council)
6. Michael Lawrence (appointed by the Coach Advisory Council)
7. Jamie Platt (appointed by the Zone Directors’ Council)
8. Anne Berry (appointed by the USA Swimming Foundation)
9. Ginny Nussbaum (appointed by the National Team Steering Committee)

To assist the CEO Search Task Force, the Board heard presentations from executive recruiting firms at this year’s Annual Business Meeting and ultimately selected NU Advisory Partners to guide the search for candidates. NU Advisory Partners brings a rich history of sports executive placements and a familiarity with the sport of swimming. Their co-founder, Nada Usina, was captain of the Florida State swim team and understands the nuances inherent to the sport and National Governing Bodies. Their approach includes surveying and interviewing stakeholders, to ensure a collaborative approach.

The CEO Search Task Force, in collaboration with NU Advisory Partners, will work diligently to thoroughly vet a broad range of candidates over the coming months. As the search for a new CEO continues, the Board is committed to actively listening to stakeholders so that we select the best leader for this pivotal quad. We look forward to continuing conversations with you as we define the goals and responsibilities of the next CEO.

Thank you,
USA Swimming Board of Directors

USA Swimming Members,

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the USA Swimming Board of Directors heard from many coaches and clubs directly impacted by the storm that their members are displaced and their everyday operations are unlikely to resume quickly. In response, the Board approved the allocation of up to $150,000 in initial relief grants to support those clubs.

Teams are eligible for one grant up to $5,000. The USA Swimming Grant Review Committee will review grant applications, assessing needs based on the team's ability to resume their normally scheduled operations.

Clubs seeking more information on disaster relief grants should contact their Team Services Advisor.

Today, September 27, the USA Swimming Board of Directors passed a motion to vacate the Temporary Amendments to the Board Governing Policies Manual (BGPM), effective immediately.

The Board has replaced the vacated Temporary Amendments with updated protocols intended to restore the majority of the CEO’s duties and powers back to the office. This action results from our confidence in COO and Interim CEO Shana Ferguson’s ability to effectively lead USA Swimming and coordinate with the Board in the best interest of all USA Swimming members.

New amendments to the BGPM are available on the USA Swimming website here and shall remain in effect until a permanent CEO begins employment.

The Board looks forward to continued collaboration with Shana, staff, and all USA Swimming stakeholders to support and advance the sport we all love.

Sincerely,
USA Swimming Board of Directors

Distinguished members of USA Swimming,

As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on an incredible year in our sport, and I'm filled with optimism as we kick off the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games. After winning the total medal count and gold medal count at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, USA Swimming athletes put an exclamation point on 2024 with a dominant performance at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (25-meter) in Budapest. American athletes won the overall medal table with 39 medals and the gold medal count with 18, which were 24 total medals and 12 gold medals more than the next highest country. The team added 21 world, 28 American, and 28 championship records along the way. A team has never set more world records at a single international competition, and athletes brought home just short of $1 million in prize money.

The results speak for themselves but are not possible without the incredible efforts of the support staff and coaches, led by head coach Chris Plumb, and the phenomenal culture instilled by team captains Carson Foster, Lilly King, Kieran Smith, and Regan Smith. The athletes are motivated to carry that momentum into the spring season with an eye toward the USA Swimming National Championships and World Aquatic Championships – Singapore in 2025.

While our athletes compete internationally as one USA Swimming team, they owe their success to the thousands of developmental clubs nationwide. The athletes on our current National Team represent 158 different clubs that helped develop and advance their age group careers. USA Swimming coaches, officials, parents, and volunteers take to the pool deck daily to build the base that drives our international results. You should all take pride in the success of USA Swimming athletes and be aware that you might just have the next Gretchen Walsh in your pool right now!

Q4 Board Meeting

We recently had our fourth quarter Board of Directors meeting and USA Swimming staff presented updates on the four main objectives outlined in the 2024 Strategic Plan. The Board heard updates on 2024 membership, noting an increase of 1,000 athletes from 2023, with particular growth in premium athlete memberships. Analysis has shown that we retain premium members more than other athlete categories, so we expect corresponding increases in our retention rates in 2025. In addition to our pursuit of new members, the Board is focusing on retention strategies to drive "growth by retention."

As detailed in the Quad Data Report, retention is directly correlated to meet participation, and the Board, in partnership with staff, continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the Block Party pilot program. In phase II of the pilot, we continue to see positive results related to athlete participation rates, the number of athletes making their competition debut at Block Party meets, and average meet times, with 85% of Block Party meets lasting less than 90 minutes. The Board is committed to continually evaluating how we can make our sport more approachable and enjoyable and looks forward to finding ways to drive innovation in these spaces.

The Board also reviewed proposed action plans related to the 2023 membership surveys. We are confident in the numerous strategies proposed by the staff, with particular excitement for a new structure within the Team Services division. That team will now have staff specifically supporting our LSCs while others remain focused on individual clubs and coaches. Ensuring we support all levels of our organization is critical, and we look forward to the opportunity to partner better with our LSCs.

The meeting also offered the opportunity to review the 2024 financial results and approve the 2025 budget. We anticipate ending the 2021-2024 quad cycle with a surplus, largely due to the ~$5 million in net revenue derived from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming presented by Lilly. Looking ahead to 2025, we are endeavoring to limit the historical deficit typically seen in a post-Olympic year while providing robust and expanded member benefits, including an emphasis on performance technology.

The diversity of our members is our biggest opportunity, and the Board remains committed to strategies targeting multicultural membership growth. During the Q4 meeting, the Board approved the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Quad Plan. The plan focuses on the I4 framework: Increase, Improve, Impact, and Impress. Throughout the quad, in partnership with the USA Swimming DEI team, we hope to increase the number of racially diverse swimmers by 4%, improve collaboration around our DEI Inclusion Guides and Grants, impact underserved communities with grants and access to championship racing opportunities, and impress prospective and current members with our dedication to diversifying and growing our sport, in and out of the pool.

USA Swimming Foundation

2024 was a year for records and historic performances in Indianapolis, as we witnessed in June with the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly. The USA Swimming Foundation kept that momentum rolling out of the pool in Indy in November as they set a new record for total fundraising at the 2024 Golden Goggle Awards. The USA Swimming Board continues to work collaboratively with the USA Swimming Foundation Board, and we were thrilled to approve the nominations of two new members: Scott Rosman and Carrie Stolar, and four incumbent candidates: Tim Buckley, Jon Kossow, Greg Pinchbeck, and Mary Wayte to the Foundation Board.

Leadership Update

At headquarters in Colorado Springs, there are two key vacancies in senior leadership positions, and the USA Swimming Board of Directors is committed to transparency and communication as the searches continue.

CEO Search

The search for the next permanent CEO aims to identify a transformational leader who can successfully guide USA Swimming through the evolving landscape of competitive youth sports, international competition, and collegiate athletics. In October, the USA Swimming Board announced the selection of NU Advisory Partners as our executive search partner, supported by a dedicated Task Force to guide the CEO selection process. The Task Force is comprised of the following members:

Co-Chairs:

1. Sabir Muhammad (Board appointee)
2. Katy Arris-Wilson (Board appointee)

Members:

3. Natalie Coughlin Hall (Board Vice Chair and Board appointee, 10-Year Athlete Representative)
4. Maya DiRado Andrews (Board appointee, 10-Year Athlete Representative)
5. Caitlin Leverenz Smith (10-Year Athlete Representative, appointed by Athletes’ Advisory Council)
6. Anne Berry (appointed by the USA Swimming Foundation)
7. Michael Lawrence (appointed by the Coach Advisory Council)
8. Ginny Nusbaum (appointed by the National Team Steering Committee)
9. Jamie Platt (appointed by the Zone Directors’ Council)

The Task Force and NU Advisory Partners have been working hard to evaluate stakeholder expectations and define requirements for the position. Stakeholders shared feedback across six town hall meetings and more than 40 individual interviews. Following those interviews, the Task Force finalized and posted the CEO Job Description on November 21, 2024. Candidate reviews and interviews are ongoing, and the Task Force will present three to four finalist candidates to the Board for final interviews on January 31, 2025.

National Team Managing Director Search

The Board of Directors is likewise committed to transparency and communication as we, in collaboration with the USA Swimming COO and Interim CEO Shana Ferguson, search for the next USA Swimming National Managing Team Director. This individual will direct all aspects of the National Team program, including high performance, athlete and coach services, funding and operations, and logistics for pool and open water training and competitions. The search seeks to identify a coach with extensive experience and success at the national and international levels, a vision of success for the future of the National Team, and a willingness and proven ability to foster relationships with coaches and athletes and with key external stakeholders. A Task Force comprised of the following members is leading the search:

Co-Chairs:

1. Katie Meili (10-Year Athlete Representative)
2. Ira Klien (Coach Representative)

Members:

3. Shana Ferguson (Interim CEO and COO)
4. Melanie Margalis Fink (10-Year Athlete Representative)
5. Matt Grevers (10-Year Athlete Representative)
6. Dave Durden (Coach Representative)
7. Chris Plumb (Coach Representative)
8. Kathleen Prindle (Coach Representative)
9. Jack Roach (Coach Representative)

The Task Force is working to analyze the structure and needs of the National Team Division and the program's future. The Task Force finalized and posted the National Team Managing Director Job Description on December 11, 2024, and plans to engage with key stakeholders to understand expectations and to solicit general input and insight. Candidate vetting is ongoing, and interviews will begin in the near term. The Task Force will recommend two or three candidates to the Board of Directors and the CEO for final selection, and will continue to consult with and provide information to the Board and CEO.

In the spirit of continued transparency and communication, the Board is excited to announce the launch of a new Board Governance landing page on the USA Swimming website. Available under the About section of the top navigation, the page offers recent updates from the Board, archived Board communications, and easy access to Board Meeting Minutes and other important documentation.

As we enter the holiday season, I hope you take a well-deserved break and enjoy time with friends and family. Please find time to step back for even just a minute and watch the smiling faces of our athletes as they enjoy time in the water with their friends. Swimming offers genuinely historic moments, but it is the culmination of the little experiences that make this sport so special. I remain highly motivated by the prospect of providing those experiences to new families and growing this incredible sport.

Thank you to all the coaches, officials, volunteers, parents, and athletes that drive our sport forward every day. Here's to 2025 and the road to LA28!

Chris Brearton
USA Swimming Board Chair

Distinguished members of USA Swimming,

We were thrilled to host this quarter's USA Swimming Board meeting alongside the 2024 USA Swimming Annual Business Meeting (ABM) and Workshop presented by LiveBarn. Over the course of three days, our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and other key leaders came together and held lively discussions and “rolled up their sleeves” to better our sport. The optimism that filled the air in Denver left a lasting impression on me. A domestic quad offers incredible opportunity, and we as Board members, are heading into 2025 with our ears wide open. We heard from the incredible assortment of delegates elected to represent you and had many candid and collaborative conversations, setting the stage for a transformational quad. I want to take this opportunity to update you on the Board’s efforts at ABM.

Members of the staff presented updates to the Board on the four main objectives outlined in the 2024 Strategic Plan:

• Achieving Competitive Success
• Ensuring Successful Athletes, Coaches & Clubs
• Generating Public Engagement with Swimming
• Being a Best-In-Class NGB

Conversations around competitive success naturally focused on the accomplishments of the USA Swimming teams at the Olympic Games and Junior Pan Pacific Championships. There were plenty of accomplishments to celebrate, while acknowledging both the increase in international competitiveness and the need to support our National Team at the highest level. Turning our attention to the grassroots side of the sport, we reviewed the newly published quad data report resources. It's clear that retention is critical to the growth of our sport and finding new (and fun) ways to expand competitive opportunities is vital to increasing that retention.

International news this summer was abuzz with the historic placement of a pool in an NFL stadium, sparking widespread interest in swimming. USA Swimming's visibility soared, earning over 500 billion total media impressions between the Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Olympic Games. With the world's eyes on our sport, the Goggles On campaign is poised to convert this interest into action. The Board reviewed new video and creative assets to fuel a call to action from summer swimming to the year-round competitive side of the sport. Strategic discussions focused on equipping clubs as extensions of the national campaign through the updated Marketing Toolkits.

Part of our standing as a best-in-class NGB hinges on our ability to be stewards of the organization's financials. The staff shared financial reports that detailed an estimated net profit of $5 million from the Olympic Trials and a projected break-even quad operational budget, outside of investment gain/loss and Board designated funds.

Further, the Board and staff discussed program spending for the remainder of 2024 and aligned on member benefits as our top priority.

• Sarasota, FL, for the April 2025 Open Water National Championships,
• Indianapolis, IN, for the 2025 National Championships, and
• Austin, TX, for the 2025 Toyota U.S. Open.

Since my last update, there have been significant developments with respect to staff leadership. The Board spent considerable time establishing a process to ensure that the search for a CEO and National Team Director will be inclusive, and ultimately result in leadership that will best represent the interests of all USA Swimming members.

To guide the search for a new National Team Director, the Board approved the creation of the National Team Director Task Force. The group consists of key stakeholders with various backgrounds to ensure we consider a broad range of perspectives. The following members will serve on the task force:

• Katie Meili (10-Year Athlete)
• Melanie Margalis Fink (10-Year Athlete)
• Matt Grevers (10-Year Athlete)
• Kathleen Prindle (Coach member of the Board)
• Ira Klein (Coach member of the Board)
• Dave Durden (Former Olympic Coach and current National Team Coach)
• Jack Roach (Former USA Swimming National Junior Team Director)
• Chris Plumb (Former Olympic Coach and current National Team Coach)
• Shana Ferguson (Interim Chief Executive Officer and current Chief Operating Officer)

Further to the CEO search, the Board approved the creation of the CEO Search Task Force. The nine-member task force solicits a broad range of input from a diverse set of members. The following members will serve on the task force:

• Maya Dirado Andrews (Board member and 10-Year Athlete representative)
• Natalie Coughlin (Board Vice Chair and 10-Year Athlete)
• Katy Arris-Wilson (Board member)
• Sabir Muhammad (Board member)
• Caitlin Leverenz Smith (10-Year Athlete representative, Chair of Athletes’ Advisory Council)
• Michael Lawrence (Coach member)
• Jamie Platt (LSC General Chair)
• Anne Berry (USA Swimming Foundation Board Vice Chair)
• Ginny Nussbaum (Coach member)

To assist the CEO Search Task Force, the Board also heard presentations from professional executive search firms that would be engaged to assist the CEO Task Force and guide the hiring of the organization's next CEO. After careful consideration, the Board selected NU Advisory Partners . NU Advisory Partners demonstrated a modern approach to broad stakeholder outreach and brought a familiarity with the sport. Their co-founder, Nada Usina, served as the Florida State swim team captain and understands the nuances inherent to a National Governing Body.

While searching for a permanent CEO, we acknowledge there is important work being done and still to be done, and to ensure stability, the Board passed a motion to vacate the Temporary Amendments to the Board Governing Policies Manual (BGPM), effective immediately. The Board has replaced the vacated Temporary Amendments with updated protocols intended to restore the majority of the CEO's duties and powers back to the office. This action results from our confidence in COO and Interim CEO Shana Ferguson's ability to effectively lead USA Swimming and coordinate with the Board in the best interest of all USA Swimming members. New amendments to the BGPM are available on the USA Swimming website here and shall remain in effect until a permanent CEO begins employment.

As is standard protocol, we will post the Board meeting minutes on www.usaswimming.org in the coming weeks for more details on the topics discussed above. We are genuinely excited about the opportunities the remainder of 2024 and 2025 offer this incredible organization.

Thank you to the athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers for all the time, dedication, and passion you give to drive this sport forward.

All the best,

Chris Brearton
USA Swimming Board Chair