FRISCO, Texas (Nov. 30, 2022) – US Youth Soccer (USYS) Chief Executive Officer Skip Gilbert is returning to his role as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Chief Executive Officers for Sport (ACES).
He succeeds USA Triathlon’s Rocky Harris, who recently stepped down to join the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as its Chief of Sport & Athlete Services. ACES CEO Rick Mack made the announcement earlier this month. Other ACES Board Members include:
- Virginia Sung, USA Table Tennis (1st Vice Chair)
- Amanda Kraus, US Rowing (2nd Vice Chair)
- Michael Massik, National Strength and Conditioning Association (Treasurer)
- Martin Palmaz, US Hang Gliding & Paragliding (Secretary).
Gilbert was a co-founder of the organization in 2008 while serving as the CEO of USA Triathlon and was ACES’ first-ever Chair. He will again lead a five-person board for the non-profit, which is comprised of CEOs and Executive Directors of USOPC National Governing Bodies (NGBs) as well national sport organizations, similar in scope.
“It is very exciting to have Skip back as our Board Chair,” said Mack. “Without his vision and leadership in supporting the creation of our organization nearly 15 years ago, we may not even exist today. His leadership roles in recent years, particularly in his current role as CEO of US Youth Soccer, make him an ideal leader of the ACES Board.”
The mission of ACES is to support and enhance the business interests of non-profit member sport organizations, share best practices, promote professional development, and formulate a collective voice on common issues. ACES features the following best practices groups, which include participation by USYS and other Member department heads:
- Coaching Education
- Events
- Human Resources
- Officiating
- Public Relations & Communications
- SafeSport
- Women in Leadership
- Membership
“It’s a privilege and an honor to return to this role and work alongside Rick and the other Board Members to best serve the needs of our ACES family and help fulfill our mission,” said Gilbert.
Gilbert will celebrate his third anniversary with USYS in January.
About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.
About ACES
The Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES) is a 501(c)(6) trade association comprised exclusively of CEOs and Executive Directors of non-profit sports governing bodies. The chief executives of most of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee recognized organizations are members of ACES, however, 20 of ACE’s 66 members lead organizations are outside of the Olympic & Paralympic Family.
ACES is a somewhat informal member networking and best practices organization focused on “members helping members.” This manifests itself in a variety of ways that include custom member surveys on a wide variety of topics, seven best practices groups that meet at least quarterly, regular meetings of the members every other month, and special meetings about hot topics.
-USYS-