USA Volleyball elects new executive committee

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

The USA Volleyball Winter Meetings came to a close Sunday with the election of new officers who will serve on the organization's Executive Committee for the upcoming 2005-2008 quadrennial.

Al Monaco was re-elected as president, Kevin Twohig was re-elected as executive vice president, Susan True was elected secretary and Stew McDole was re-elected treasurer.

On Saturday, the Board of Directors voted to amend Article VI 6.03 B of the USA Volleyball bylaws, which previously stated that: "No elected officer may succeed himself or herself."

The decision played a major role in Sunday's elections as Monaco, Twohig and McDole were all nominated from the floor. Twohig and McDole were also candidates for president.

"I was absolutely surprised with the results," admitted Monaco. "I am very pleased, humbled and excited. The advantage now is that we come of out this meeting running full steam along a track to the new quad that now has four-and-a-half years to go. We will accomplish significantly more because of today's elections."

Monaco, who served as the organization's first executive director from 1973-1988, began his current term as president in 2000. As executive director he was responsible for establishing USA Volleyball's first full-time national office and obtaining non-profit status for the organization.

He was also responsible for hiring the first full-time paid national team coaches in the mid-1970s: Arie Selinger for the women's team and Doug Beal for the men's team. Monaco was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1997.

"In my memory.this is an unprecedented vote of confidence for the current Executive Committee," said Monaco. "It also puts an enormous amount of pressure on us to take USA Volleyball to even greater heights. If we just do as well as we have, we failed."

Monaco's re-election also means that USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Howard will continue in the role of past president as a member of the Executive Committee. Howard served as the organization's president from 1996-2000.

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.