USMS Elects Officers and Honors Members at 2025 Annual Assembly

U.S. Masters Swimming elected officers to its Board of Directors and honored many deserving volunteers and coaches with awards at its 2025 annual assembly.

Elections

The following officers have been elected or re-elected: Ed Coates (South Texas) as president, Julie Dussliere (Florida Gold Coast) as vice chairman of administration, Kenny Brisbin (Southern Pacific) as vice chairman of neighborhood providers, Crystie McGrail (Colorado) as vice chairman of native operations, Carrie Stolar (Minnesota) as vice chairman of applications, Erika Braun (North Carolina) as secretary, and Denise Dombay (Potomac Valley) as treasurer.

Award Recipients

U.S. Masters Swimming honors volunteers whose service stands out in scope and affect with the U.S. Masters Swimming Dorothy Donnelly Service Award. Recipients of this award have made vital contributions on the native, regional, and nationwide degree. The award is called after Dorothy Donnelly, one in all USMS’s first super-volunteers. This 12 months, the recipients are Alana Aubin (New England), Susan Ehringer (Kentucky), Tracy Grilli (New England), Doug Hayden (Missouri Valley), Molly Hoover (Illinois), Tara Mack (New England), Cynthia Myer (North Texas LMSC), Katerine Olson (South Dakota), Linda Hepworth (Pacific), Samantha Kraft (Minnesota), Molly Meyer (Indiana), and Dave Gibson (Hawaii).

The U.S. Masters Swimming Coaches Committee acknowledges coaches who’re constructing our membership in communities all through the nation. The U.S. Masters Swimming Kerry O’Brien Coaches Award is called to honor Coach Kerry O’Brien, who embodies the eagerness, dedication, and coronary heart that these coaches convey to the pool deck. This 12 months’s recipients are Ally Sega (Connecticut), David Ensor (Maryland), Kevin Dorn (Pacific), Cheryl Corvo (Southeastern), Brad Pence (Pacific), David Cameron (Minnesota), Michael Heaney (Pacific), and Steve Stahl (Pacific).

U.S. Masters Swimming considers membership growth a precedence, and acknowledges a neighborhood and a regional membership yearly with the U.S. Masters Swimming Club of the Year Award. Masters swim golf equipment that do essentially the most to advertise the values and mission of U.S. Masters Swimming, not solely of their communities, but additionally on the nationwide degree, are candidates for this award. This 12 months’s Local Club of the Year is Swim Melbourne Masters (Florida).

The Ted Haartz U.S. Masters Swimming Staff Appreciation Award is called in honor of Ted Haartz, a frontrunner in U.S. Masters Swimming since 1970. Ted helped set up the inspiration for USMS’s evolution right into a professionally-operated group. The award celebrates our volunteer roots, in addition to our future, particularly by recognizing one volunteer annually who demonstrates excellence in helping and supporting the National Office workers with its skilled duties of serving our members and selling Masters Swimming. This 12 months’s recipient is Phil Dodson (Illinois).

The U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Service Award honors people who’ve made vital contributions to selling and constructing excellence in USMS open water swimming by embodying the USMS mission, imaginative and prescient, objectives, and aims by means of open water swimming; contributing notably, akin to serving in USMS nationwide committees, LMSC open water or lengthy distance chair, occasion or security director, official, coach, clinician, or volunteer); contributes notably at completely different ranges of USMS (i.e. nationwide, zone, LMSC, and/or native); or demonstrates extraordinary measurable achievement and affect. This 12 months’s award goes to Andreas Lorenz (Gulf) and Nicole Christensen (Gulf).

The Long Distance National Championship Award is introduced yearly to a USMS-registered particular person or group that has made vital contributions to the success and promotion of USMS lengthy distance nationwide championship occasions. These embody the 5 digital championships and 6 open water occasions. This 12 months’s recipient is Jill Wright (Snake River).

The U.S. Masters Swimming Officials Excellence Award is given yearly to a Certified Official in recognition of excellent and vital contributions to U.S. Masters Swimming on the worldwide, nationwide, zone, and/or native degree, together with pool and open water competitions. The recipient isn’t required to be a U.S. Masters Swimming member. An particular person could obtain this award solely as soon as. The recipient could also be a presently lively official or one who has retired from officiating or is deceased. This 12 months’s award goes to Judy Gillies (Arizona) and Mike Whaley (Florida).

The U.S. Masters Swimming June Krauser Communications Award is introduced yearly to a person or group whose communications efforts have contributed to the expansion, enchancment, or success of U.S. Masters Swimming. The award is called for June Krauser, the writer of USMS’s first official rulebook and a prolific author and editor of many newsletters and different publications within the Masters swimming world. This 12 months’s recipient is Kysa Crusco (New England).

The USMS Fitness Education Committee yearly presents the USMS Fitness Award to USMS-registered people and organizations demonstrating excellent contribution to health actions inside USMS. This 12 months’s award goes to the Nickel City Splash Swim Team Adult Learn-to-Swim Program and its lead teacher, Judy Wolf (Niagara).