COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - As we begin 2017, USA Archery encourages our members to take advantage of available opportunities to have their voices heard. USA Archery is governed by the USA Archery Board of Directors, and their policy decisions are greatly influenced by input from committees. USA Archery committees represent the voices of many different communities within our sport including JOAD, Collegiate, Officials and Rules and Athletes. This month, several newly elected members of the USA Archery Athlete's Advisory Council and Para Athlete's Advisory Council are beginning new terms.
USA Archery recently held an election to fill two open seats on the Para AAC: the female representative and the military representative. Para AAC members are elected for two year terms and half of the seats are up for election each year to stagger elections and ensure program continuity. The Para AAC represents the Para athlete membership and acts as a voice on their behalf. They provide feedback to the USA Archery Board of Directors and staff on Para related issues and selection procedures, and act as a resource to and communicate with Para athletes.
All USA Archery members with a Para classification were eligible to vote in the election. Paralympian Lia Coryell was elected to the female representative position and Richard Burkett was elected to fill the military representative seat.
On her recent appointment, Coryell commented: "My teammates have put their confidence in my ability to represent them and I will not let them down. I am honored to invest my time, energy and resources into building and developing relationships that will truly and honestly reflect the needs and desires of the Para archery community. We are eager to grow and develop the USA Archery Para archery program. I am excited that the time for our voices to be heard is 'Right Here, Right Now!'"
Coryell and Burkett join existing council members Lance Thornton, the compound representative, Eric Bennett, the recurve representative, and Jeff Fabry, the Para Athlete Representative to the Athlete Advisory Council.
USA Archery also held elections at the end of 2016 to determine six of the seven members of the USA Archery Athlete's Advisory Council (AAC) and another, which determined who will serve as USA Archery's liaison to the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) Athlete Advisory Council, fill the seventh seat on the USA Archery AAC, and serve as the Recurve Athlete Representative on USA Archery's Board of Directors.
The athletes elected to the AAC will serve a four-year term beginning in 2017 and will be responsible for providing feedback to the USA Archery staff and Board of Directors on selection procedures, training and events. This committee will play a key role in bringing the voices of the athletes to USA Archery and the United States Olympic Committee.
The following athletes were elected to the USA Archery AAC:
Brady Ellison was also elected to the USOC's AAC and will fill the Recurve Athlete Representative seat on USA Archery's Board of Directors. Ellison welcomes feedback from USA Archery athletes and is looking forward to taking on his new role: "Thanks for the vote everyone," he commented. "Now it's time to get to work. Please come and talk to me at shoots so we can make everything as good as possible."
To learn more about the Athlete Advisory Committees and the many committees that represent the opinions of the USA Archery membership to the USA Archery Board of Directors, click here. USA Archery members are encouraged to provide feedback to committee representatives and to share their voices to help us continue to grow and sustain the success of our sport and our athletes.
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