Meeting Minutes

USATF Board of Directors
Hyatt Regency - Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 27, 2010

ATTENDANCE/QUORUM
Stephanie Hightower, Jack Wickens, Steve Miller, Aretha Thurmond, Willie Banks, Ken Taylor, Jeff Darman, Philip Dunn, Kim Haines, Bob Hersh, Deena Kastor, Dr. Evie Dennis

By Phone: Elizabeth Phillips, Steve Holman, Larry James (non-voting Counsel), Darlene Hickman (non-voting Secretary)

Office Staff:  Doug Logan, Mike McNees, Lamont Jones, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Jill Geer, Gina Miller, Jim Estes, Shayna Sangster

Guest: Virginia Brophy Achman (Women’s LDR Chair), Pete Smith (compensation consultant), Dan McClory (Business Development Committee Member)

Quorum was present. Stephanie Hightower opened the meeting at 1:04pm (EST).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

CHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President and Chairman Stephanie Hightower recently visited Indianapolis as the keynote speaker for the National Federation of State High School Associations Girls & Women in Sports Day.  While in Indianapolis she also attended, the USATF Senior Staff meeting where she answered questions and explained the Boards vision for the year.  Doug Logan noted that this was a good experience for the staff and asked that any Board members traveling in the Indianapolis area stop by the office to speak with the staff.   In February, Hightower presented at the NACAC Women’s Leaders Conference in San Juan on “Women Influencing Change.” Terry Crawford also presented on “The Chisel that Broke the Glass Ceiling for Female Coaches.”  There are preliminary plans to do another conference in conjunction with the NACAC meet in Miami.

Ethics Committee
A resolution distributed at the meeting asked the Board to approve five individuals to the Ethics committee. Included in those five individuals is one athlete who is yet to be named.

MOTION(Hightower): Approve the Ethics Committee membership of Brian Fullem, Cynthia Perkins, Pete Rhinehart, Carl Sniffen & a selected athlete. All in favor. Motion Passed.

Audit Committee Charter
Kim Haines presented the Audit Committee Charter and asked for approval.

MOTION(Haines): Approve the Audit Committee Charter. All in favor. Motion Passed.
At the last Compensation Committee meeting, the committee members voted to expand the authorization fee for the compensation consultant.  They brought this resolution to the meeting and asked for the Board’s approval.

MOTION(Dennis): Approve additional fee for compensation consultant.
All in favor. Motion Passed.

USA Track Field Foundation
Jack Wickens reported on the USA Track & Field Foundation’s progress throughout the year.  The Foundation is a separate organization that focuses on helping professional track & field athletes reach their goals.  The foundation is contributing over half a million dollars to the sport of track & field.

The Foundation has established a mentoring program for athletes to learn from many of the successful members on the Foundation Board. This gives athletes the opportunity to look beyond their athletic careers and to prepare for the future. The Foundation also actively works to helps athletes find employment that will accommodate their rigorous training regimens.

The Foundation is organizing a Hollywood Road Race fundraiser. They are hoping to have several Hollywood celebrities race, while the general public makes donations to compete on that celebrity’s team. Another fundraiser currently in progress is a first class London tour package that will include the best hotel, fantastic seats to the Olympic Games and time spent with current and former athletes. This package is available to those who make a sizable donation to the Foundation.

FINANCE REPORT
Ken Taylor distributed and reviewed the financial report for the 2009 financial activity as of February 19, 2010.

Logan explained the difference in actual and budgeted revenue related to USOC grant monies.  After several meetings with the USOC, the settlement is still under negotiation.  It is likely that an agreement will be made, but the revenue may not be able to be booked against 2009.

MOTION(Taylor): Approve the December 31, 2009 financial report & activity.
All in favor. Motion Passed.

CEO’S REPORT

Challenge Grant Applications
Prior to the Board meeting, Mike McNees and Gina Miller distributed a document detailing the Challenge Grant application criteria. He requested the Board’s approval.

MOTION(Dennis): Accept the revised Challenge Grant criteria.
All in favor. Motion Passed.

Olympic Marathon Trials 2012
In the process of selecting the site for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, USATF management decided to ask the four major US marathons (New York, Boston, Chicago Houston) to submit a bid for the event. To review the bids, a committee was put together consisting of the Men Women’s Long Distance Running (LDR) Chairs (Fred Finke & Virginia Brophy-Achman), two athletes and Jim Estes (USATF Associate Director of Marketing & LDR Programs).  Three bids were submitted, one from Boston, New York and Houston.  The committee recommended Houston for both the men and women.

Virginia Brophy-Achman and Stephanie Hightower both noted that the committee looked at the decision from the athletes’ perspective.  Both the men and women wanted to go to Houston where their races will have separate starts and will be highlighted separately.  Houston will allow USATF to showcase the sport in a different light.

MOTION(Kastor): Approve the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials location of Houston, TX.
All in favor. Motion Passed.

Strategic Plan
McNees presented a revised version of the Strategic Plan.  Date revisions were necessary due to the recently approved budget.  Some name changes were also made to the owner accountable for certain tactics.

MOTION(Darman): Approve the revised strategic plan.
All in favor. Motion Passed.

Miscellaneous
The Disabled Athlete group is asking for the Board’s support at a Washington D.C. summit to define how they would like to partner with USATF.  If anyone is interested in attending the meetings March 24th & 25th please contact Jack Wickens.

The meeting recessed at 3:20pm, then resumed in executive session.

SUMMARY OF MOTIONS:

MOTION(Dennis): Approve the January 20th minutes.
All in favor. Motion Passed.