USA Swimming has announced the 54 participants selected for its Women’s Coaches in Governance program.
The program combines eight virtual Zoom meetings with one in-person session. The in-person component is slated to take place during the USA Swimming Annual Summit in Denver, Colorado, from September 24-28, 2025. A full breakdown of program topics is available here.
According to USA Swimming, the program is focused on “identifying, educating, supporting and mentoring female coaches who wish to be more involved in organizational governance.”
Local Swimming Committees (LSCs) can nominate coaches, and these nominations receive priority for selection. Coaches may also nominate themselves to fill any remaining spots.
USA Swimming listed the following three criteria to be considered for selection:
- USA Swimming women coach members in good standing, with a minimum of five years coaching experience.
- Less than one year of governance experience and interest in getting involved.
- LSC financial backing to support attendance at the 2025 USA Swimming Workshop.
“We are excited to be in our third year of Women Coaches in Governance,” said co-founder of the program Mary Liston in USA Swimming’s press release. “We are here to show women they have options to have a voice, have a seat at the table, or position on a committee. It is our plan to show them a path to new friends and new connections for a productive future within USA Swimming.”
“This program is geared towards helping us all grow, lead, and celebrate in our sport,” Liston added. “We will honor our common grounds and explore areas for growth. These coaches should expect a positive, interactive experience where they can perfect new tools as they move forward in their careers. We are all in this together, and together we are better.”
See all 54 participants below.
LSC Nominations
| LSC/Region | Name |
|---|---|
| Adirondack | Alicia Faucett |
| Allegheny Mountain | Gianna Boburka |
| Colorado | Patricia Butcher |
| Connecticut | Kristen Finnegan |
| Florida | Emily Mason-Milak |
| Florida Gold Coast | Madison Yelle |
| Georgia | Lydia Scharff |
| Gulf | Lillian Galvan |
| Indiana | Amber Perkins |
| Iowa | Melissa Woltz |
| Kentucky | Lynetter Hudnell |
| Lake Erie | Erin Crabtree |
| Louisiana | Angie Carter |
| Maryland | Meghan Risper |
| Metro | Vic Walcott |
| Michigan | Katie Sullivan |
| Middle Atlantic | Cheryl Edwards |
| Middle Atlantic | Beth Cholish |
| Middle Atlantic | Allison McPeek |
| Minnesota | Chasi May |
| Missouri Valley | Mary-Catherine Ivey |
| New England | Lauren Gale |
| New Jersey | Allison Collins |
| Niagara | Kaziah Howard |
| Niagara | Sage Vadney |
| North Carolina | Wendy Lawrence |
| North Dakota | Kaylee Schell |
| North Texas | Madi Wyatt |
| Ohio | Ellie Lindauer |
| Oklahoma | Pamela Bradley |
| Oregon | Maddie Day |
| Pacific | Kelly Nathane |
| Potomac Valley | Kristina Minear |
| Sierra Nevada | Hillary Hong |
| Snake River | Janice Lopez |
| South Carolina | Mary Leigh Gaza |
| Southeastern | Daun Lutz |
| Southern California | Shelby Hernandez |
| Utah | Kilee Rohlf |
| Virginia | Lauren Waterworth |
| Virginia | Samantha Willis |
| West Texas | Chloe Parker |
| Wisconsin | Katie Humitz |
| Wyoming | Chelsea Dees |
Self Nominations
| State/Region | Name |
|---|---|
| Iowa | Meredith Nash |
| Louisiana | Amanda Caldwell |
| Georgia | Lindsay Knapp |
| Southeastern | Alyson Hannan |
| North Carolina | Emily Laurent |
| North Carolina | Katherine Holian |
| Florida | Alexis Mendenhall |
| Pacific | Noelle Harvey |
| Middle Atlantic | Tara Bolivar |

Now if they can just name their own leader.
with more than 50 % of our athletes female glad to see we are providing more programs for our female coaches kudos to the visonaries who are chamipioning this program