The chief organizer of the 1984 Olympic Games, Peter Ueberroth, has been appointed chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee's new board of directors.
The 66-year-old Mr. Ueberroth led the Los Angeles Games to a record profit of $225 million. He served as commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984-1989. Now Ueberroth will lead an 11 person volunteer board in setting USOC policy and overseeing its finances. "We have a lot of business ahead of us in the next 60 days and in the next nine months, preparing for this country to perform at its very best in the upcoming Olympic Games [in Athens, Greece August 13-29]," he said.
The 11 person board replaces an unwieldy 125 member board that often clashed with USOC staff. The new board includes four independent members, three American International Olympic Committee members with limited voting power and four others nominated by athletes and sports organizations.
The announcement comes two months before the start of the Athens Olympics and more than a year after ethics charges against the USOC's former chief executive, Lloyd Ward, prompted a congressional investigation. He later resigned, along with seven other leaders, amid calls for restructuring. A restructuring plan was approved in October when the USOC board voted itself out of existence and dissolved the executive committee.