The USA Canoe/Kayak Board of Directors has appointed Joe Jacobi to serve as Chief Executive Officer of USA Canoe/Kayak, the National and Olympic governing body for competitive paddlesports in the United States.


Jacobi had been serving as the organization's Interim Chief Executive Officer since October 2009. The Board, with the assistance of a highly qualified search committee, conducted a four month long search process to find the most capable and qualified CEO possible for USA Canoe/Kayak.  After extensive interviews of the candidates who the search committee identified as finalists for the job, the Board was unanimous in its selection of Jacobi as the new CEO.

A native of Bethesda, MD, Jacobi, 40, is a two-time Olympian in the sport of canoe/kayak who teamed with Scott Strausbaugh to win America's first-ever Olympic Gold Medal in Whitewater Canoe Slalom at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Since retiring from elite level competition after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Jacobi has continued in the sport in a variety of capacities that include network broadcasting, professional speaking, coaching and serving on the USA Canoe/Kayak Board of Directors.


“I am honored and humbled to be chosen to lead this organization that I so passionately care about and is poised for amazing things,” said Jacobi. “From every corner of the sport, from the Board room to the Boathouse, I have never seen more desire to see USA Canoe/Kayak succeed than right now. This is our time.”


The selection of Jacobi for the CEO post initiates a new era of growth and change at USA Canoe/Kayak. With the development of game-changing paddlesports venues and training centers, an exciting line-up of international event hosts, a focused effort on recruiting motivated participants and the 2012 Olympics in London just around the corner, USA Canoe/Kayak is ready for a quantum leap forward.


“The Board is confident that Joe has the skill set, knowledge, commitment and passion to successfully lead USA Canoe/Kayak, working with William Irving, Gerald Babao, Stacey Hepp and the entire coaching staff, through the challenges that lie ahead,” said Board Chairman David Backer, an attorney in Portland, Maine. “We consider ourselves fortunate to have had Joe available to work with us for the last six months on an interim basis and we are thrilled that Joe is willing to continue on as CEO on a long-term basis.”


Much of Jacobi's work will take place at USA Canoe/Kayak's offices, both in Charlotte, NC and Oklahoma City, OK as well spending time in person with the sport's stakeholders and partners across the United States and around the world. Jacobi, his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Séu Jane, reside in Ducktown, TN near the Ocoee River, one of America's most popular canoe/kayak destinations and host of the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Slalom events.


“We look forward to the enthusiasm Joe brings both to our sport and to the program and it's exciting to have him officially join our team as CEO,” said Gerald Babao, USA Canoe/Kayak Operations & Membership Director. “We are excited that the [CEO] search is now complete and have all the confidence that he has the capability, intelligence and dedication to inspire and lead.”