USA Swimming Board of Directors Provide Update On Search For New CEO

Since USA Swimming announced its hiring of Greg Meehan as the National Team Director, the new-look National Team has quickly taken shape. More big names in the coaching ranks have come on board, including Yuri Suguiyama, and new direction are being pursued, including testing a new coaching staff structure at the 2025 World Aquatic Championships.

But as the National Team begins to chart its course towards a home Olympics in 2028, there has been a glaring absence at the top of USA Swimming as the organization has not yet named a new CEO since Chrissi Rawak withdrew from the role in February, nine days after being named by USA Swimming.

On Thursday, USA Swimming’s Board of Directors released a statement providing some insight as to what the search for a new CEO has looked like in the ensuing months. “Thanks to the steady leadership of Interim CEO Bob Vincent, the dedication of our incredible staff, and the additions of Greg Meehan and Yuri Suguiyama as leaders of the National Team, we are in a position to both act with a sense of urgency and to make the best possible decision for the organization,” they wrote.

Sources have told SwimSwam that while Vincent has served as interim CEO since Shana Ferguson departed for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games staff, signing off on both the NBC deal and National Team Director appointment, he is telling people that he is not seeking the permanent job.

The press release shared that USA Swimming re-initiated the search for a CEO in March and “following a recent round of in-person engagements, [they] are actively working with a strong pool of candidates.”

USA Swimming shook up the original nine-person Task Force they appointed in October 2024 for the initial search, adding University of Texas Director of Swimming Bob Bowman and USA Swimming Board Member Kathy Fish. USA Swimming’s Board Chair Chris Brearton also joined the group as a non-voting member. It’s unsurprising to see USA Swimming return to the Task Force, as they also created a Task Force to guide their search for CEO in 2017.

Here’s the makeup of the reconvened Task Force:

• Anne Berry (USA Swimming Foundation Vice-Chair)
• Bob Bowman (University of Texas Director, Swimming & Diving)
• Chris Brearton (USA Swimming Board Chair) *non-voting member*
• Natalie Coughlin (Olympic Athlete)
• Maya Dirado Andrews (Olympic Athlete)
• Kathy Fish (USA Swimming Board Member)
• Michael Lawrence (Lake Forest Swim Club Executive Director/Coach)
• Caitlin Leverenz Smith (Olympic Athlete)
• Ginny Nussbaum (Long Island Aquatics Owner/Coach)
• Jamie Platt (LSC Executive Director/Coach)

Bowman and Fish replaced former National Team athletes Katy Arris-Wilson and Sabir Muhammad from the first iteration of this Task Force.

USA Swimming provided further insight on the search process, stating “to ensure comprehensive evaluations, we have introduced smaller sub-committees within the Task Force to conduct more in-depth interviews and assessments. We also brought on Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as a complementary search partner, to provide an additional point of view. We continue to benefit from the strategic counsel of NU Advisory Partners, a trusted advisor to the process.”

CAA is one of the premier talent agencies in the United States and represents some of the biggest stars across athletics and entertainment. The agency represents more than 1,700 athletes, broadcast talent, coaches, and other sports media personalities across a range of sports.

“We understand this has been a long process,” the Board wrote as it closed out the release, acknowledging the frustration throughout the American swimming community as the months have rolled by with little updates on the CEO search process. “But we remain excited and committed to identifying and engaging the right individual to lead USA Swimming and out incredible athletes, coaches, staff, and volunteers through the LA28 Olympic Games and beyond.”