USATF Approves Bylaws; Size Of BOD To Be Cut By More Than Half

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

A quorum of 600 USA Track & Field (USATF) delegates meeting yesterday in Reno, Nevada, at the organization's annual congress approved new bylaws that will see the size of its board cut by more than half. The bylaws were proposed in early November as part of a long-awaited effort designed to make the organization more efficient and accountable in its governance of the sport. The changes bring the organization in compliance with requests by the USOC, which had threatened to decertify USATF and curtail its financial support of the NGB if such changes were not made. Highlights among the USATF's changes include: a reduction in the size of the BOD from 32 to 15 members, the creation of a nominating committee to select board members and expanded authority of the CEO to include selecting all national team coaches and overseeing all financial disbursements. USATF CEO Doug Logan said, "A lot of hard work went into it. We have an existing board that legislated its way out of business and is to be commended. It handled itself excellently over the last few months in deliberating and compromising over key issues for the organization's future."