February 24, 2020

A Message from our USATF President - Vin Lannana

Dear USATF Family,

I trust that you are settling into your new year well and that you are excited about a special 2020. I wanted to provide a few updates to our members as the indoor season winds down, and we begin the outdoor campaign. With the US Olympic Team Trials and Tokyo 2020, our sport has much to look forward to in the coming months.

I want to take a moment to recognize the life and legacy of our dear friend, Rex Harvey. Together, we mourn the loss of Rex and send our sincerest condolences to his family.

Although disappointing, the decision to postpone the World Athletics Indoor Championships was made in the best interest of the safety and security of all involved. Both the World Athletics and USA Track & Field heeded advice from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I am pleased that we have had measurable progress inside USATF and our sport. Under the leadership of Dave Shrock and the Associations Executive Committee, many of the issues and concerns are actively being heard and addressed internally and externally. The AEC continues to work diligently at supporting the efforts throughout the country by all our association members. The aim is to provide opportunities and engaging experiences for our athletes, fans, officials, coaches, and volunteers.

As we look to the future, our organization is embarking on several key initiatives to improve our sport. Several Board colleagues and I participated in a Listening Tour with the national office. This opportunity provided a forum for open and candid dialogue for a better in-depth exchange of ideas in the upcoming months. One of the Board of Directors' actions is the formation of nine Board committees, which will assist in addressing important initiatives wholly and efficiently. Additionally, I am pleased to report that a task force was formed that creates the foundation for a long term strategic plan that will guide our organization into the future. The next steps have been initiated, and more information will be available soon. I plan to create several other task force committees comprised of some of our dedicated leaders who have been active in the organization. As we know, our great athletes and their coaches must be at the center of all strategic planning. Hence, I am anxious to see us advance our new initiatives around our athletes' interests.

We look forward to capitalizing on the opportunities associated with hosting the 2021 World Athletics Championships. The collaboration with the Local Organizing Committee, World Athletics, and our Federation has been very encouraging.

The Board of Directors met in NY after the Millrose Games, and I was pleased with the robust dialogue around aggressively pursuing new commercial opportunities.

The US Olympic Team Trials for the marathon is scheduled for Atlanta at the end of the month, and it should be an awe-inspiring event.

In closing, I am optimistic about the direction our sport is heading. We are fortunate to have a passionate constituency and a volunteer force ready to help at all stops on our journey. Our athletes, from youth… to elite… to masters, continue to set the gold standard for our sport. I thank you for playing an essential role as subject matter experts in the best sport in the world.

I look forward to hearing from you at any time.