COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 3. THE United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors
elected its new officers for the 2000-2004 Quadrennium, led by Sandra Baldwin of Phoenix, Arizona. Baldwin, is the first woman ever elected to the post of Chair by the organization.
Baldwin defeated Paul George (Wellesley, Mass) by a vote of 108 to 96 with 100% participation from the 114-voting members of the USOC Board of Directors to become the 24th Chair/President of the organization.
"This is the greatest honor that I've ever received in my life," said Baldwin. "I'm thrilled and looking forward to an exciting four years."
Baldwin was elected to the post of Chair after serving as a Vice President/Chair for the Board during the last Quadrennium, 1997-2000. Prior to her election as a Vice President/Chair, she served as the USOC Board
Treasurer and has been a USOC Board of Directors member since 1985.
Grom 1993-96, Baldwin also chaired the Budget Committee and served as the officer liaison for the Audit, Finance, Member Services and Junior Olympics
committees. In 2000, she was the Chef de Mission for the US Olympic Team in Sydney and served as the Chef de Mission in Argentina for the Pan American Games in 1995.
Baldwin has served on numerous USOC standing and
special committees, including the Member Services Committee, NGB Council (1989-92), Development Committee (1985-88), and Foundation Grant Committee
(1985-86), and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).
She served as president of US Shooting from 1994-95 and was the first woman elected president of USA
Swimming, Inc., from 1984-86. She was also USA Swimming's executive vice president (1982-84) and treasurer (1978-82). In 1988, she was honored with
the USA Swimming Athletes Appreciation Award and also received the USA Swimming Award in 1990.
After the election of Baldwin to the position of Chair, George, per the USOC Constitution, was nominated by petition from the floor of the Board
meeting for one of the three Vice Chair positions. He accepted the nomination and was elected to a second term with. Also elected to serve a second term as a Vice Chair was former Olympian Herman Frazier
(Birmingham, Ala). The final of the three Vice
Chair positions also went to a former Olympian, Bill Stapleton (Austin, Texas, who will relinquish his post as chair of the Athletes Advisory Council to serve
as an USOC officer.
The final two officer positions of Secretary and Treasurer were also decided by voting members of the Board. Marty Mankamyer (Colorado Springs) won the post of Secretary and Frank Marshall (Santa Monica,
Calif.) ran unopposed for Treasurer.
The Board also passed an amendment to increase the Public Sector membership from six to eight. All eight individuals that were presented to the Board by the Nominating Committee were approved. Joining the volunteer leadership for the next Quadrennium will be: Gwendolyn Baker (New York, NY), Roland Betts (New York, NY), Donald Fehr (New York, NY), Dr.Henry Kissinger(New York, NY), Donna Lopiano (New York, NY), and Michael McManus (Bronxville, NY). Former Senator Bill Bradley (Chicago, Ill)and Gordon Gund (Cleveland, Ohio) filled the two additional spots that were added
by the Board.
With the new leadership in place for the next quadrennium, the new Executive Committee for the USOC held its first meeting following the close of the Board meeting.