USA Canoe/Kayak Hires Jacobi as CEO
Gerald Babao May 13, 2010
The USA
Canoe/Kayak Board of Directors has appointed Joe Jacobi to serve as Chief
Executive Officer of USA Canoe/Kayak, the National and Olympic governing body
for competitive paddlesports in the United States. Jacobi had been serving as
the organization's Interim Chief Executive Officer since October 2009.
The Board,
with the assistance of a highly qualified search committee, conducted a four
month long search process to find the most capable and qualified CEO possible
for USA Canoe/Kayak. After extensive interviews of the candidates who the
search committee identified as finalists for the job, the Board was unanimous
in its selection of Jacobi as the new CEO.
A native
of Bethesda, MD, Jacobi, 40, is a two-time Olympian in the sport of canoe/kayak
who teamed with Scott Strausbaugh to win America's first-ever Olympic Gold
Medal in Whitewater Canoe Slalom at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Since retiring from elite level competition after the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens, Greece, Jacobi has continued in the sport in a variety of capacities
that include network broadcasting, professional speaking, coaching and serving
on the USA Canoe/Kayak Board of Directors.
"I am
honored and humbled to be chosen to lead this organization that I so
passionately care about and is poised for amazing things," said Jacobi. "From
every corner of the sport, from the Board room to the Boathouse, I have never
seen more desire to see USA Canoe/Kayak succeed than right now. This is our
time."
The
selection of Jacobi for the CEO post initiates a new era of growth and change
at USA Canoe/Kayak. With the development of game-changing paddlesports venues
and training centers, an exciting line-up of international event hosts, a
focused effort on recruiting motivated participants and the 2012 Olympics in
London just around the corner, USA Canoe/Kayak is ready for a quantum leap
forward.
"The Board
is confident that Joe has the skill set, knowledge, commitment and passion to
successfully lead USA Canoe/Kayak, working with William Irving, Gerald Babao,
Stacey Hepp and the entire coaching staff, through the challenges that lie
ahead," said Board Chairman David Backer, an attorney in Portland, Maine.
"We consider ourselves fortunate to have had Joe available to work with us for
the last six months on an interim basis and we are thrilled that Joe is willing
to continue on as CEO on a long-term basis."
Much of Jacobi's work will take place at USA
Canoe/Kayak's offices, both in Charlotte, NC and Oklahoma City, OK as well
spending time in person with the sport's stakeholders and partners across the
United States and around the world. Jacobi, his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Séu Jane, reside in Ducktown, TN near the Ocoee River, one of
America's most popular canoe/kayak destinations and host of the 1996 Olympic
Whitewater Slalom events.
"We look
forward to the enthusiasm Joe brings both to our sport and to the program and
it's exciting to have him officially join our team as CEO," said Gerald Babao,
USA Canoe/Kayak Operations & Membership Director. "We are excited that the
[CEO] search is now complete and have
all the confidence that he has the capability, intelligence and dedication to
inspire and lead."
USA Canoe/Kayak is a member of the U.S. Olympic
Committee and the International Canoe Federation. It governs the Olympic
disciplines of Flatwater Sprint and Whitewater Slalom and sanctions Freestyle,
Marathon, Outrigger, Wildwater, Kayak Polo, Dragon Boat and Canoe Sailing in
the United States.
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MEDIA CONTACTS ONLY
Contact: Gerald L. Babao
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