Jim McCarthy named to new, 11-member USOC board

Jim McCarthy named to new, 11-member USOC board{mosimage}Jim McCarthy, a longtime USSA volunteer and past chairman of the association, has been nominated to a directorship on the newly restructured U. S. Olympic Committee board. Peter Ueberroth, former baseball commissioner and organizer of the very successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games, was appointed chairman.

The USOC had been operating with a 75-person board when it ran into “conflict of interest” and bribery scandals associated with the Salt Lake City Olympic bid, concerns that drew legislative attention from Washington. After a series of hearings, demands to reform the unwieldy structure of the Colorado Springs-based organization led to the creation of an 11-person board and a massive internal reorganization.

McCarthy has been a part of the reorganization process from the start. Unlike many of his associates, McCarthy recognized immediately the need for reform, citing that the Olympic organization had many of the same problems that beset the U. S. Ski Association in the early nineties.

At that time, USSA was run by committees of volunteers, often divisively. McCarthy, who grew from chairing USSA’s nordic committee to chairing the whole organization, was instrumental in getting USSA on track to evolve from a volunteer structure into the current “staff driven” model. He was chairman from 1995 until 2002.

“Jim’s leadership with USSA during that time period was critical to the development of our present structure,” said Bill Marolt, President and CEO of USSA.

Immediately prior to Marolt’s assuming the presidency of the organization, USSA found itself without an executive officer. For a period of eight months, McCarthy took the role of president while USSA’s board was persuading Marolt to leave the University of Colorado, where he was athletic director.

A soft-spoken leader, McCarthy was a voice of reason for USSA when it was undergoing its own structural reorganization. The volunteer segment was extremely leery of the then U.S. Ski Team’s board of directors, which at the time was a separate organization. Spurred on by McCarthy and a handful of others, USSA created a new set of bi-laws and reformed itself into the modern organizing body it is today.

While they are reluctant to say so on the record, most associated with the Olympic movement point to USSA as the model national governing body in sport today.

The new USOC board is as follows:

Chairman Peter Ueberroth of Laguna Beach, California, independent, president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Olympics, baseball commissioner from 1984-89; managing director of Contrarian Group Inc., owner and co-chairman of the Pebble Beach Co., and member of the board of directors of The Coca-Cola Co. and Hilton Hotels Corp.

Bob Ctvrtlik of Newport Beach, Calif., member of the International Olympic Committee, president of Green Street Properties LLC, member of U.S. volleyball team in 1988 (gold medal), 1992 (bronze medal)

Erroll Davis of Madison, Wis., independent, chairman and president of Alliant Energy.

Anita L. DeFrantz of Los Angeles, IOC member, president of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, member of the U.S. rowing team in 1976 (bronze medal) and 1980.

Jim Easton of Van Nuys, Calif., IOC member, chairman and CEO of Easton Inc., president of International Archery Federation.

Jair Lynch of Washington, D.C., nominated by Athletes’ Advisory Council, 1996 silver medalist in gymnastics, chairman of The Jair Lynch Cos. real estate firm.

Mary McCagg of Cambridge, Mass., nominated by the AAC, an Olympic rower in 1992 and 1996, assistant publishing manager of Candlewick Press.

Jim McCarthy of Chicago, nominated by National Governing Body Council, attorney, director of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Mike Plant of Peachtree City, Ga., nominated by NGB Council, vice president of business operations for the Atlanta Braves, former president of U.S. Cycling, 1980 Olympian in speed skating.

Harold Shapiro of Princeton, N.J., independent, president emeritus and professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, member of the Dow Chemical Co. board of directors.

Stephanie Streeter of Neenah, Wis., independent, chairman, president and CEO of printing firm Banta Corp.