Robert Hersh
Position: IAAF Council Member
Nominators: Bill Roe, Dr. Evie Dennis
Seconders: John Blackburn, Jerry Crockett, Bob Flint, David Greifinger, Darlene Hickman, William R. Hickman, Chris Huffins, Larry James, Dee Jensen, Brooks Johnson, Edward R. Koch, George Mathews, Linda Melzer, Sandra Farmer-Patrick, Dan Pierce, Susan Polansky, Pat Rico, Allan Steinfeld, Anne Timmons, Andrew Valmon
Since 1999, it has been my privilege to serve as a member of the Council of the IAAF. In doing so, I believe I have been able to contribute significantly to the IAAF, to USATF, and to the sport. I know that I have well represented USATF's interests before the Council. This has sometimes meant lobbying affirmatively on issues of concern to our athletes (like expanding the time period to qualifying for the Olympic marathons) or to our Federation (like bringing the World Cup to the US). On occasion, it has meant defending USATF against attacks by other Council members, principally in the area of doping control, where I have gone to great lengths to explain certain USATF legal and policy positions that are not well understood or appreciated by some members of the international community. In these matters and many others, I have maintained close and continual communication with Bill Roe and Craig Masback, to make sure that we were working in harmony, and never at cross- purposes.
In addition to serving on the Council, I have also been appointed by the President of the IAAF to a number of important Commissions, including the Competition Commission, the Marketing Commission, the Juridical Commission, and the Doping Review Board. These appointments reflect not only my background in the sport, but also the dimension that I bring to the IAAF as an active lawyer, I believe the only one on the Council.
For those of you who don’t know me, let me summarize my prior experience with the IAAF and with USATF. Before my election to the Council, I served as an elected member of the IAAF’s Technical Committee for 15 years, and as Chair of the Committee’s Competition Working Group for most of that period. I was an International Technical Official (ITO) for 16 years, and more recently served as one of six lecturers/examiners conducting the ITO course.
I have also served the IAAF as a public address announcer. I was the senior English language stadium announcer at the past six World Championships, and have also announced four Olympic Games, two World Cups, two World Indoor Championships, and two World Junior Championships. I have, of course, been an announcer at many domestic meets as well, including the past five Olympic trials.
I have been a member of the USATF Board of Directors since 1980 and have served in many other capacities during that period. I served as General Counsel to the organization for ten years (1989-1998). My committee memberships have included Rules (1981–present, Chair 1989-2002), Records (1979–present, Chair 1979-1988), Law & Legislation (1981- present), and International Competition (1984-1999). I was the Commissioner of the USA/Mobil Grand Prix during its existence from 1982-1996. I was honored to have received the President’s Award in 1983 and the Robert Giegengack Award in 1997.
I am a graduate of Columbia University (B.A.) and the Harvard Law School (J.D.) and have been a corporate lawyer in New York City for more than 30 years. I live in Roslyn Heights, NY, with my wife, Louise. We have three grown children.
Dr. Evie G. Dennis
Position: IAAF Delegate
Nominators: Christopher Turner, Bob Hersh, Stephanie Hightower, Alan Roth and Anne Timmons
Seconders: Jerry A Donley, C. Harmon Brown, Roy Griak, Lynn Cannon, Jimmy Carnes, John Chaplin, Jerry Crawford, Jerry Crockett, Shirley Crowe, Inez Finch, James Holdren, Sue Humphrey, Larry James, Dee Jensen, Brooks Johnson, George Kleeman, Barbara Kousky, William Mongovan, Ramona Pagel, R. Craig Poole, Steve Simmons, Carl Sniffen, Deanne Vochatzer
I would like to continue representing USA Track & Field as its delegate to the IAAF. I have served in this capacity for more than twenty years, thus I have been able to develop friendships and working relationships with many delegates from other countries. Continuity is extremely important if we are to hope for any support of USATF’s issues, especially with the current world climate. I have long been involved in amateur sports at many levels. To list a few, I have served in the following capacities (including numberous committees and task forces too numerous to mention here):