YMCA and ACE CEOs Appointed to National Fitness Foundation (Club Industry)

Posted: Sep 20, 2022 in In the News

The following article was originally published in Club Industry on September 20, 2022.

YMCA and ACE CEOs Appointed to National Fitness Foundation

By Club Industry staff

YMCA of the USA President and CEO Suzanne McCormick and American Council on Exercise CEO Scott Goudeseune were two of the eight people appointed in August to the board of directors of the National Fitness Foundation, according to an announcement from the U.S. Health and Human Services.

The Foundation was established by Congress in 2010 to collaborate with the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (President’s Council) and to identify strategic priorities to further the purposes and functions of the President’s Council. The Foundation supports and strengthens the President’s Council’s mission by facilitating investments and partnerships that engage, educate, and empower all Americans to lead healthy, active lives.

“This experienced group of advisors will enable the National Fitness Foundation to take the next step in advancing the health of our nation through fitness and nutrition,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These leaders will help shape the direction of the Foundation as it strives to further the important mission of the President’s Council in supporting sports, health, and fitness initiatives for young people.”

The Board is charged with providing the overall strategic direction related to the Foundation’s vision, mission, program scope, resource allocation, and investment philosophy. It also provides the guidance to the Foundation’s executive director to operate the agenda to deliver upon the board’s expectations.

The full list of new board members are:

• Judith Brown Clarke, Ph.D., OLY – Vice President for Equity & Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer, Stony Brook University
• Scott Goudeseune – Chief Executive Officer, American Council on Exercise
• Elizabeth Kunz – Chief Executive Officer, Girls on the Run International
• Boris Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H. – Professor and Dean, School of Public Health at the University of Maryland and Former Acting Surgeon General
• Michael McConnell, M.D., M.S.E.E. – Chief Medical Officer and Head of Cardiovascular and Digital Health, Tesseract Health and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
• Suzanne McCormick – President & Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of the USA
• Damon Phillips – Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at NBC Sports Group and Head of Diversity & Inclusion
• James Siegal – Senior Fellow, KABOOM!

Members of the President's Council include one health club owner, Jim Worthington, owner of Newtown Athletic Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The full list of President's Council members can be found here.