Roger Williams, president of the Warnaco Swimwear Group, was appointed to the new board of directors of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, joining 14 other business leaders and sports personalities it was announced today by Mark Spitz, Chairman of the Board at a special ceremony that included the re-acquiring of the Johnny Weissmuller Olympic gold medals and the naming of a new sponsor.
Williams has served as President of Warnacos Swimwear Group since May 2002 and oversees all of the Companys swimwear brands including Speedo, Catalina, Cole of California, Rasurel, Anne Cole and Nautica.
Prior to joining the Company, Williams owned his own private consulting firm from 1998 to 2002. Between 1994 and 1997, Williams served as Executive Vice president of Guess?.
He also served as Executive Vice President of Donna Karan from 1992 to 1994. From 1982 to 1990, Mr. Williams served as Chief Operating Officer of Olga Intimate Apparel and Group President – Warnaco Retail, and thereafter as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Warnaco Inc. Mr. Williams also served as Chief Operating Officer of Authentic Fitness Corporation from 1990 to 1992.
Others named to the new board of directors include: Herb Baum, former CEO of The Dial Corporation, Dennis Carey, partner in the executive search firm, Spencer Stuart; Donna DeVarona, 1960 Olympic medalist and pioneer in the field of female athletics and broadcasting; Eldon Charles Godfrey, active for many years with FINA, the international governing body of swimming/diving; Rob OLeary, chairman of the board of Valeant Pharmaceuticals; Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, two-time U.S. Olympian and gold medalist in track and field and now president of WICT (Women in Cable and Telecommunications); John Mullen, joint CEO of DHL Express; Dinesh Paliwal, group vice president of ABB Ltd; Tod Spieker, former UCLA All-American swimmer and owner of Spieker Companies of Palo Alto; Mike Snyder, president of ADT Security Services, Inc.; Mark Spitz, winner of seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics and chairman of the board of ISHOF; Bruce Wigo, a lawyer and President/CEO of ISHOF.
At the same time, Spitz and his new CEO Wigo announced that ADT Security Services, has become an official sponsor of the hall of fame with the main purpose of securing the International Hall of Fames building in Ft. Lauderdale so that other historical artifacts remain in tact.
“We are particularly excited about turning a new leaf in the history of the Swimming Hall of Fame,” said Mark Spitz, chairman of the board of directors. “The first step in this process is to restore the institutions credibility after years of neglect that culminated with the theft of Weissmuller collection. Part of that equation is new leadership and I believe we now have a Board of Directors second to none in the Not-for-Profit world. Another part is the security of our priceless collection of historical memorabilia. Now that we can assure the public that both our fiscal and physical assets will be well protected, we can begin the process of restoring this institution to important position it once held in both the local community and in the world of international aquatics.”
“The International Swimming Hall of Fame is a landmark institution in South Florida, working to promote water safety and training swimmers of all ages and abilities,” said Mike Snyder, president of ADT Security Services, a part of Tyco Fire & Security and also on the new board. “Helping secure the Hall and protect the Olympic medals is a way for ADT to pay tribute to our Olympic swimming heroes as well as to honor the instructors and coaches who have helped generations of people learn to swim.”
“I think I can speak for all the Board members when I say we view our positions not as jobs, but as a responsibility to preserve the history of swimming,” said Dennis Carey, a partner in the corporate executive search firm of Spencer Stuart.
In 2004, Johnny Weissmullers five Olympic medals, four gold and one bronze medal won during the 1924 and 1928 Olympic games, were stolen from the International Swimming Hall of Fame, which served as the collections permanent home. The case was widely reported in the local and national media, including stories on Court TV, MSNBC, CNN, Fox National News and the New York Times.
The medals were recovered a few months later, but in accordance with Florida law, they had to be “repurchased” from “good faith” purchasers, a cost that reached $15,000. The return of the medals was made possible thanks to ISHOF Board Member Dennis Carey, a partner in the executive search firm Spencer Stuart. Carey, who trained for a successful English Channel swim at the Hall of Fame in 1980, donated the money for the specific goal of retrieving the medals.
