USA Triathlon announced that Barrett Brandon, Susan Haag, Jacqueline McCook and Michael Wien have been named to the organizations 12-member Board of Directors and recently began their terms of service.
On behalf of USA Triathlon, I am excited and honored to welcome Barrett, Susan, Jacqueline and Michael to the National Board of Directors, USA Triathlon President Bob Wendling said. These four talented individuals possess a magnitude of experience in the worlds of business, governance and multisport, and I look forward to collaborating with them to continue to take our sport to the next level.
Brandon (Fort Worth, Texas) will serve a two-year term as an Elite/Pro Athlete Representative. Also the chair of the USA Triathlon Athlete Advisory Committee, Brandon was elected to the National Board position by his fellow elite athletes. After swimming collegiately at the University of Nebraska, Brandon has collected 16 top-10 finishes on the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Continental Cup circuit since making his elite debut in 2003.
Haag (Jacksonville, Fla.) will occupy the Florida Regions seat on the National Board. A practicing attorney, Haag was a prosecutor with the State Attorneys Office and the Attorney General Office for almost 20 years. Also a veteran multisport athlete with more than 20 years of competitive experience, Haag is a five-time member of Team USA (comprised of those who qualify to compete in the ITU Age Group World Championships each year) and competed at the 2012 Ironman World Championship. She was elected to the ITU Womens Committee late last year and is a member of the USA Triathlon Womens Committee. Additionally, Haag was a member of USA Triathlons Florida Regional Council and brings a wealth of experience from serving on a number of professional and charitable boards.
Following Haags service in 2013, a four-year term on the Board from the Florida Region will be on the ballot in the fall 2013 elections. The successfully elected candidate will begin serving a four-year term in January 2014.
McCook (Miami, Fla.) was appointed to a two-year term as an Independent Representative. She is a veteran strategy and marketing executive, who currently serves as CEO of the McCook Group, a consulting firm advising consumer-oriented companies in strategy, marketing, branding and execution. McCook also has held high-level strategy and marketing positions with ConAgra Foods, Burger King, PepsiCo Restaurants International, and Taco Bell. She started her career in M&A at Morgan Stanley and was a consultant with McKinsey & Company She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and her bachelors degree in international relations from Stanford University, where she was a co-founder of the womens water polo team. A lifetime athlete, McCook is an avid runner, cyclist and swimmer, and has completed four marathons.
Wien (Marietta, Ga.) was appointed to fill the Southeast Regions seat on the National Board. He is the founder and president of Specific Edge Institute in Atlanta and is an adjunct professor of marketing at Georgia State University. Wien has an extensive background in marketing, sales and branding for companies such as PepsiCo, Omni Hotels, CitiBank and Deloitte. He has served on a number of community boards, including the Atlanta Track Club. As a competitor, Wien has earned multiple All-America honors from USA Triathlon, has been a two-time member of Team USA and is a four-time finisher at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Following Wiens service in 2013, a four-year term on the Board from the Southeast Region will be on the ballot in the fall 2013 elections. The successfully elected candidate will begin serving a four-year term in January 2014.
Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon-the fastest growing sport in the U.S. Olympic Movement-as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with more than 510,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
