WalkerNational Fitness Foundation
The National Fitness Foundation, the official nonprofit charity of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, has hired industry veteran Clay Walker as its new executive director with an eye toward expanding its fundraising and support for youth sports.
Walker, who previously held senior-level roles with PrestoSports, and the NFL Players Association, among others, will lead the day-to-day operations for the organization, which aims to boost health and fitness, particularly among young people.
Walker succeeds Chris Watts, who is now with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and will be based in Washington, D.C.
His goal is to at least double the foundation’s staff of five over the next year and strike a series of public-private partnerships to fuel the development of a new $100 million endowment. That effort is currently at $1 million, and the organization’s most recent tax return showed $1.8 million in grants and contributions in 2016.
Walker will also be focusing on increasing youth sports opportunities for girls, the disabled and those living in areas that have been economically disadvantaged.
“We want to move beyond public awareness and have more of an extensive impact,” Walker said.
