Ed Gorman Men's Track and Field Chair Candidate Statement

As current Vice Chairman of Men's Track & Field, it is with a profound sense both of humility and duty that I announce my candidacy for election to the position of Committee Chair.

I have enjoyed a long history of involvement with, and service to, the sport of track and field, as well as to our national federation. After competing in high school and college track, I graduated on to coaching professionally at Manhattan College, Arizona State, and The Ohio State University, during which time my athletes experienced success as NCAA and USATF national champions, became All-Americans and Olympians, and represented the USA internationally. I have also served as Head Coach for several national men's teams, including the 2010 IAAF World Juniors and 2012 USA v. Great Britain Challenge meets. In recent years, I have also been employed with Track & Field equipment supplier UCS and with Mondo USA, both of whom have been official Olympic sponsors. As an active track official for many years, I have been honored to serve as the Meet Referee for many regional invitational meets, Collegiate Conference meets, indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships and USATF national competitions, as well as the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials. A member of the MT&F Executive Committee for the last twelve years, I have also served at various times on the USATF High Performance Staff Selection committee, as well as the Development, Rules, Championship Meet Operations, and Site Selection committees, all of which have helped to expose me to the full range of complex issues that must be carefully managed by the MT&F Committee Chair.

Over the years, I have worked hard to nurture contacts with coaches and administrators at the Youth, high school, collegiate, and professional levels, all of whom are key constituents of the MT&F committee. As MT&F Vice Chair for the last four years, I have also cultivated close and cooperative working relationships with the USATF professional staff in Indianapolis on all matters affecting the ongoing MT&F agenda, participated in national team staff selections, coordinated the 2012 Olympic Trials broadcast schedule with NBC, and helped to oversee the Men's Junior program, the establishment of National Championship Qualifying standards, and annual committee budgetary matters. These experiences have helped to prepare me to thoughtfully assume the MT&F leadership position.

I am especially proud to be considered a part of the current MT&F leadership which has demonstrated a strong commitment to openness, diversity, and inclusivity in all of its endeavors. Our leadership ranks, and our key decisionmaking processes, have always included senior members of the Athletes Advisory Committee and at least one women's coach, and we have worked diligently to ensure racial and gender diversity in the ranks of our national championship meet and Olympic Trials officials, as well as on our national team staff. Currently, we are also finalizing a proposal with the Diversity & Leadership committee to jointly identify interested Association representatives for mentoring opportunities at our national championship meets. And because our elite athletes are a major, if not the primary, constituency of the MT&F committee, we co-sponsored the By-law amendment that guaranteed AAC representation on most USATF committees to a minimum 25% of the total membership, at last year's Annual Meeting.

In sum, I believe there is nothing extraordinary or glamorous about being selected to head the Men's T&F Committee, nor should the position be viewed simply as a means of furthering one's personal ambitions. Becoming Chair means many long hours of intense preparation and hard work, both before and during the national championships, troubleshooting with meet officials, mediating appeals, and ensuring that the basic rules of the sport and fair play are always followed. Becoming Chair entails careful consultation with the key members of the T&F constituency, including the other High Performance committee chairs, and especially the Athlete Advisory Committee leadership, on all major issues affecting the committee. As Vice Chair, I have already been privileged to participate in most of these important assignments during my term in office. All I ask for now is that the MT&F membership carefully examine my past record of service to USATF, and the committee in particular, and give me an opportunity to continue my work on their behalf, this time as MT&F Committee Chair.

Thank you for your consideration.

Ed Gorman

MT&F Vice Chair (2008-2012)