North Stonington, Conn., January 24, 2018 —The Board of Directors of the NRF announced at their Annual Meeting that Mara Keggi Ford, Associate Director of the NRF has assumed the leadership role of the Foundation as the Acting Executive Director. This announcement was made concurrently with the announcement that Charles Hamlin, the NRF’s Executive Director, was retiring.
Jamie Koven, co-chair of the NRF’s Board of Directors, commended Charlie on his service, “Charlie served as the NRF’s Executive Director for five years from 2013 to 2017 which included the four years of the Rio Olympic cycle and the first year of the Tokyo quadrennium. During his tenure the NRF raised nearly $6.5 million to support the preparation, selection and participation of our Junior and Senior athletes in their respective World Championships and our Olympic athletes, in the Rio Games. We shall miss his dedication and commitment to our sport and to our athletes.”
“At the fast approaching age of 71, I felt it was time to pass the reins of the NRF to Mara Ford, my right and left hand for the last five years and to seek out new adventures, race in even more masters’ regattas, spend more time with Ellen, my sons and Henry, my grandson. I will forever be grateful for the camaraderie, friendships, generosity and goodwill of the national team community and its many supporters”, Charlie Hamlin commented at the Meeting.
Marcia Hooper, co-chair of the NRF’s Board of Directors, commented that “Mara Ford brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and management skills to her new role at the NRF. She has a terrific breadth of knowledge and experience to lead our fundraising efforts going forward.”
Mara joined the NRF in 2009, and has been an integral member of the NRF team running all NRF events, managing the NRF’s day to day operations, growing the donor community, and assisting with all fundraising efforts supporting US National Team Rowers. Mara is a three time US National Rowing Team Member and Olympian, is familiar with the needs of the athletes and is committed to increasing the support for USA Rowers to win medals in Tokyo and beyond.
Mara Ford stated “I look forward to my new role and am excited to see what we can accomplish. As an Olympian I know what it takes to succeed, and will continue to work tirelessly to provide for the future success of the US National Rowing Teams.”
About the National Rowing Foundation
The National Rowing Foundation’s mission is to support athletes who pursue excellence in the sport of rowing with the primary goal of promoting the United States’ participation in international rowing competitions, provide for the preservation of rowing history, and manage the National Rowing Hall of Fame. https://www.natrowing.org
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For additional information: Mara Keggi Ford (203) 525-6566, National Rowing Foundation; E-mail: info@natrowing.org