Olympic Bid Expert to USOC Board

(ATR) The leader of the New York City bid for the 2012 Olympics, takes a seat on the Board of Directors of the U.S.Olympic Committee.

Dan Doctoroff is one of three new members of the board attending their first meeting today in Washington, D.C. He will serve a four-year term as an independent member.

In the early 1990s Doctoroff led the effort to bring the Olympics to New York City, first seeking the US nomination from the USOC and then campaigning internationally against four other cities for 2012. A real estate developer at that time, Doctoroff became a top aide to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg after losing the IOC vote in 2005. From 2011 to 2014 Doctoroff was CEO of Bloomberg LP, the media company founded by Bloomberg.

Doctoroff’s appointment comes as the USOC mounts a new campaign for the summer Games, this time for 2024 in Boston. It’s a place he knows well as a graduate of Harvard. Of the 15 members of the USOC board he’s the only one who’s had hands-on experience in the day-to-day operation of an Olympic bid.

Steve Mesler, a three-time Olympian in bobsleigh, is the new board member selected by the Athletes Advisory Committee. He was a member of the four-man team that won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Games.

Kevin White is the new board member representing the National Governing Bodies Council. He is the vice president and director of athletics at Duke University. He previously served as director of athletics at the University of Notre Dame from 2000 to 2008. At that time he was also a member of the steering committee for the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics.

"Today the USOC welcomes three new board members, who are all world-class professionals and are committed to dedicating their talent and expertise to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements," said USOC Chairman Larry Probst in a statement.

"I’m confident the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family will benefit from their leadership, experience and diverse skill sets, and we look forward to working with them in the years ahead," he says.

Written by Ed Hula.

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