USA Swimming ‘Reactivates’ CEO Search, In Letter to Membership
USA Swimming’s Board of Directors told its members in a letter on Wednesday that it has “reactivated” its search for a CEO, a process it doesn’t anticipate resetting back to zero.
USA Swimming is back on the search for a CEO after its first choice, University of Delaware Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak, had to withdraw from the position. That happened within a week of her being named, which allowed the board to reconstitute the task force that led the search last year. The organization then identified “numerous world-class candidates” and will both revisit those and “refresh the candidate pool.”
Among the news shared in the letter – signed by board chair Chris Brearton and vice chair Natalie Coughlin-Hall – is that the board does not anticipate the renewed CEO search to affect a concurrent search for a national team managing director, replacing Lindsay Mintenko.
Rawak was named President and CEO of USA Swimming on Feb. 19. The organization announced on Feb. 28 that Rawak would not take the position, citing a “family matter.” It was revealed a day later that a SafeSport complaint was at the root of the change.
The letter to USA Swimming membership, in full:
We want to take a moment to update you on USA Swimming’s CEO search process in light of last week’s news. While these developments were disappointing for us all, we have the utmost confidence in the staff of USA Swimming to continue to advance the organization’s strategic priorities with interim leadership as we move forward. Among those is the ongoing search for the National Team Managing Director, which is progressing well. We do not expect the process to be impacted.
The Board understands this is a crucial time for USA Swimming and our sport as we prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
We have reactivated the search process for a permanent CEO and are moving forward with the urgency, thoughtfulness, and care this moment demands. The search is not starting from scratch, and we are continuing this process with the benefit of even more insight into our organization and what our sport needs at this time.
Following the news last week, the Board immediately reconstituted the Task Force that led the search process last year. We deeply appreciate the Task Force as they quickly resume their work and bring their wide-ranging experience to bear. The Task Force led an inclusive process that benefitted from members’ deep understanding of what the swimming community believes is needed in its next leader.
During the initial search, we identified numerous world-class candidates. We will revisit some outstanding talent from the initial search and refresh the candidate pool to ensure we find the best leader to take USA Swimming forward. Our focus remains on selecting a CEO who fits the profile that resulted from the Task Force’s listening tour– a transformational and visionary leader who can fully harness the opportunities of this particular moment for our sport in the United States.
While this process is ongoing, the Board will continue to update stakeholders about these important leadership roles and share major updates as appropriate. Thank you for your understanding, continued support, and dedication to USA Swimming, our sport, and our athletes.
