USA Gymnastics Foundation strengthens board with new members including Olympic champion Carly Patterson
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (October 28, 2024) – Hall of Famer and Olympic all-around champion Carly Patterson headlines an accomplished group of five new members welcomed to the USA Gymnastics Foundation board of directors in 2024. Also joining the board are Molly Parker Prince, Ashley Davis, Leslie Ferraro and Jess Zeiss, who also serves as treasurer. They join existing board member Elodie Dupuy and newly named officers John Deary (Chair), Kimberly Till (Vice Chair), and Patti Conner (Secretary).
The 2004 Olympic all-around gold medalist and team and balance beam silver medalist, Patterson brings a wealth of experience in multiple fields to the board. The USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer is also a published author, motivational speaker, and has pursued a career in music. In 2024 she served as a mentor to the USA Gymnastics Women’s Artistic National Team, helping to prepare athletes for the pressures of Olympic competition.
Parker Prince leads Coleman Family Ventures, an impact organization driving change in early childhood development, economic mobility, healthcare, and climate. She is a former gymnast and has been inducted into the USA Gymnastics Tennessee Hall of Fame.
Davis is the Founding Partner of West Front Strategies. Following a career in public service, she created a start-up that grew into multimillion-dollar business and oversees the advocacy efforts for her Fortune 500 clients. Davis also sits on various corporate and non-profit boards and is a frequent commentator on various news networks.
Ferraro most recently was President and CEO of QVC and HSN and boasts a long career in key business sectors including marketing, advertising, sales, and operations. She has held executive positions at Qurate Retail Group, the Walt Disney Company and McCann Worldgroup. Ferraro currently shares her expertise as Adjunct Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Patterson, Davis, Parker Prince and Ferraro will join existing member Dupuy as directors. Dupuy is the founder and CEO of Full In Partners and, before then, spent time at Insight Partners and ICONIQ. She was a competitive gymnast for 20 years and has previously served on boards across five countries.
Serving as treasurer of the USAG Foundation, Zeiss is Managing Director of Fixed Income Institutional Sales & Business Development at Northland Securities. He has been a member of the Nebraska State College Board of Trustees since 2014, and is on the fiscal, facilities and audit committees.
Also in 2024, existing board members took on officer roles as Deary became chair, Till took on the vice chair role, and Conner became secretary. Deary is the owner of Deary’s Gymnastics Supply which has been serving the gymnastics community since 1993 and has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2022, previously known as the National Gymnastics Foundation.
Till has held senior roles at Disney, Sony, AOL Time Warner, and Microsoft, and currently serves on the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, while Conner currently serves as Program Chair for the U.S. Trampoline & Tumbling program which recently made history at the 2024 Olympic Games and 2023 World Championships in Birmingham.
“We are very excited to welcome these nine leaders to their roles within the USA Gymnastics Foundation,” said Foundation executive director Debbie Hesse. “As we revamp the foundation’s mission and begin to raise additional funds to impact the athletes and sport, these outstanding board members will be critical to the foundation’s success.”
Collectively, the board works with Hesse to provide support and serve the U.S. gymnastics community. Visit the USA Gymnastics Foundation website for more information on the Board of Directors and the mission of the USA Gymnastics Foundation.
About the USA Gymnastics Foundation
Created from the excitement generated by the success of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the USA Gymnastics Foundation supports the sport of gymnastics while serving as the philanthropic arm to USA Gymnastics. Through charitable giving and investments, the Foundation and its board of directors align donors with the opportunity to support areas of the sport in which they are most passionate.
