USA Luge Taps Prodigy Search for Find New Leader
January 23, 2024 – Prodigy Search, a boutique recruiting firm serving the talent needs of media, sports, and entertainment organizations, has been retained by USA Luge to lead in its search for a new executive director and CEO. This executive reports to the board of directors and is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the organization, working under the general authority of the board and directly with the staff to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans, and policies. This individual is the day-to-day leader of the organization, executing the organization’s strategy and overseeing operations of staff at all levels.
Prodigy Search notes that this person is accountable to the board for providing leadership and direction to USA Luge in a manner that enables the achievement of its vision and goals. They are responsible for the overall leadership and management of the organization within the policies established by the board and for the achievement of the organization’s strategic and operational goals and objectives. The individual looks out for and promotes the interests of the grassroots and high-performance athletes through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, safety and accountability, and transparency. This person must be an effective leader who leads the sport through continual improvement.
Candidates should have demonstrating proven success in leading, building, mentoring, managing, motivating, encouraging professional growth, and delegating to staff. Prodigy Search explains that those applying must have experience planning and executing fundraising activities in non-profit, and amateur sports organizations as well as a track record of growing revenue and creating progressive, stable, and sustainable funding sources. They should be a self-starter that can independently assess or enhance existing programs and initiate new programs as needed. The ideal candidate must possess exceptional written and oral communication skills, enabling them to interact effectively with the board of directors, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and other relevant organizations within and beyond the sport.
According to Prodigy Search, candidates will have an advanced degree or substantial career experience in business or sports management. A minimum three to five years prior experience as a CEO/executive director in an Olympic-affiliated National Governing Body, an amateur sports organization, or a sports-related non-profit is a must. Applicants with experience within the USOPC structure are preferred. A genuine passion for the sport of Luge and exposure to or involvement in the sport is also a plus.
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USA Luge is an Olympic class member organization of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. It is the National Governing Body for the sport of Luge in the United States. A registered 501(c)3, USA Luge is based in Lake Placid, NY, with a western office in Park City, UT. Chartered in 1979, as a direct result of the Congressional Amateur Sports Act of 1978, it is the responsibility of USA Luge to recruit, prepare, train, and equip the United States National Luge team(s) for international and Olympic competition as well as promote the growth of the sport nationwide.
Serving Sports and Entertainment Organizations
Prodigy Search, which has been involved with the sports and entertainment business for years, is one of the sector’s leading boutiques. The firm has placed hundreds of candidates into a variety of functions and roles. It represents all disciplines, including senior management, sales, marketing, operations, and administration.
Prodigy Search Assists United States Association of Blind Athletes in Selecting New Board
The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) has announced its new board of directors, which includes seven new appointees. Prodigy Search helped to lead the search process for the board member positions. The at-large board directors are chair Mark Ackermann, vice chair Dr. Skye Arthur-Banning, treasurer Gary Remensnyder, Secretary Amy Wasson, and David Cohen. Two independent directors, who are both new to the USABA board, are Eve Wright Taylor and Brian Eaton.
Prodigy’s client roster reads like a Who’s Who of the sports world. It includes: the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, Pittsburgh Steelers, TD Garden/Boston Bruins, AEG Worldwide, Liverpool Football Club, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Oak View Group, Live Nation, PGA TOUR, Legends, the TGR (Tiger Woods) Foundation, and Endeavor.
Aside from the traditional sports space, over the years, Prodigy Search has expanded by bringing its expertise from the traditional sports business to the “non-traditional” sports space. Prodigy Search has done work throughout the ever-expanding esports industry; sports technology industry; and education and non-profit industries. Today, the firm’s senior partner involvement, high level of service, and transparency of process have presented opportunities to expand beyond sports and entertainment.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
