Hightower elected USA Track & Field President

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http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?dui ... 5_18_59_36

Hightower elected USA Track & Field President
12-05-2008

Contact:
Jill Geer
Director of Communications
USA Track & Field
317-713-4663
RENO, Nev. - Women's Track & Field Committee Chair Stephanie Hightower was elected to a four-year term as USA Track & Field's president Friday at the 2008 USATF Annual Meeting at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, Nevada.

A former-world class hurdler, Hightower succeeds two-term incumbent Bill Roe, whose eight years as USA Track & Field's President will come to an end on Sunday, the final day of the Annual Meeting.

Hightower led the way after the first round of voting with 304 votes, with USATF Vice President Dee Jensen in second place with 263 votes and former USATF Vice President Bob Bowman in third place with 58 votes, which caused him to be eliminated.

In the afternoon runoff election, Hightower was the victor with 328 votes, with Jensen tallying 300 votes.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve this organization," said Hightower. "We have a multitude of opportunities that lie before us, and I'm just happy that I'll have the opportunity to work with the USATF family and move the sport into the 21st century."

"This is a historical Annual Meeting," Jensen said. "As I said throughout the campaign, we are at a critical juncture. I would like to congratulate Stephanie on her victory and thank my supporters for their hard work. I look forward to continuing to contribute to USATF's future."

Hightower brings a wealth of experience to the USATF presidency. In addition to serving as USATF's Women's Track & Field Committee Chair, she started her USATF Board service as a member of the Athletes Advisory Committee (ACC) and serving as AAC Secretary and AAC/USOC representative.

Hightower serves on USATF's International Relations Committee and chaired the 2007 CEO Evaluation Committee. The women's team manager at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Hightower was the U.S. team leader at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships in Morocco. She was the Chief of the Delegation for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris, served as head team manager at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain, and was an Assistant Manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Hightower currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement for the Columbus College of Art & Design, where she is responsible for leading marketing and communications, media relations, philanthropy, community relations, alumni engagement and legislative affairs. She is involved in directing the college's first comprehensive campaign geared to raise $12 million for capital improvements and endowment growth. She has also held cabinet positions with the Mayor's office, where she was responsible for handling sports development.

A former world class 100m hurdler who competed on more than a dozen U.S. national teams, Hightower held several American and world records and was a member of the 1980 Olympic Team prior to retiring in 1988. As a student-athlete at The Ohio State University, Hightower earned Big Ten Conference, NCAA and National championship titles.

Previous USATF Presidents include Dr. Evie Dennis (1979-1980), Jimmy Carnes (1980-1984), Dr. LeRoy Walker (1984-1988), Frank Greenberg (1988-1992), Larry Ellis (1992-1996), Pat Rico (1996-2000) and Bill Roe (2000-2008).

For more information on USA Track & Field and the 2008 Annual Meeting in Reno, visit: www.usatf.org.