USA Gymnastics Interim CEO Resigns
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowJust four days after being appointed interim president and chief executive officer of Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, Mary Bono has resigned. In a statement released Tuesday, Bono said her decision "comes in the wake of personal attacks that, left undefended, would have made my leading USAG a liability for the organization."
Bono, a former congresswoman and principal at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting in Washington D.C., drew criticism for a since-deleted tweet which included a photo of her crossing out a Nike logo on her golf shoe with a marker in response to the company’s promotional campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Current USA Gymnastics athlete Simone Biles was among those who expressed concern over the tweet.
*mouth drop*
don’t worry, it’s not like we needed a smarter usa gymnastics president or any sponsors or anything https://t.co/cYQizcjywn
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 13, 2018
After deleting the tweet, Bono said, "I regret the post and respect everyone’s views & fundamental right to express them." She said it would not reflect how she would approach her position at USA Gymnastics.
Bono also addressed the issue in the statement announcing her resignation, which she posted on Twitter Tuesday:
Here is the statement I released earlier today regarding my resignation from USA Gymnastics pic.twitter.com/Oqga5FTXvx
— Mary Bono (@MaryBonoUSA) October 16, 2018
The USA Gymnastics Board of Directors provided the following statement to Inside INdiana Business:
The USA Gymnastics Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Mary Bono as interim president and CEO. Despite her commitment to the sport of gymnastics and helping the organization move forward, we believe this is in the best interest of the organization. We, as a Board, are committed to taking action when we believe a change of course is necessary and to being responsive to our gymnastics community.
While we continue the search for a permanent president and CEO and are currently seeking input from key stakeholders on that search, we remain steadfast in our efforts to fundamentally transform the organization at all levels to ensure athlete safety and well-being is at the heart of everything we do. We are also committed to making sure that the focus remains on the athletes – including this week as our men and women head to Doha to compete in the World Championships. While we have made progress, we have much more work to do. This board is determined to take the necessary steps to support a safe, inclusive and competitive environment where all our athletes and members can grow, have fun and achieve their goals.