The Board is comprised of two members each from the East, West and Central regions, two at-large members and three athlete representatives.  The athlete representatives are selected by the athletes’ advisory council.  The Eastern region consists of the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia.  The newly elected voluntary board members will take office on January 1, 2003 and serve a two-year term.
 
All current USAT members are eligible to vote in the election for one director in his/her region of residence and one at-large director.
 
Three candidates on the ballot hail from the Mid-Atlantic Region.  Robert Vigorito (Columbia, Md.) and Alisa Wright Colopy (Cary, N.C.) are both running for a single director’s slot from the Eastern region while Ray Plotecia (Ruxton, Md.) is running unopposed for the at-large slot.
 
Included below are brief biographies and the platforms of the candidates from the Mid-Atlantic region.  Ballots are printed in the September/October edition of Triathlon Times.  You can also obtain a ballot by calling USA Triathlon at (719) 597-9090.  All ballots must be returned by November 1, 2002.
 
CANDIDATES FROM MID-ATLANTIC REGION
 
Robert Drew Vigorito (Columbia, Md.)
 
Occupation:
Clinical Instructor & Research Coordinator, University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank
President/Race Producer/Director, Columbia Triathlon Association
 
Triathlon History:
 
USAT Board of Directors: 1989-1994 (Vice-President 1993-1994)
USAT Age Group Commission: 1989-1994
Race Director Commission: 1986-1987
Instituted USAT All American Team format: 1990-1991
Race Director, Columbia Triathlon: 1984-present
Race Director, Blackwater EagleMan Triathlon: 1993-present
Race Director, Blackwater Traverse Duathlon: 2001-present
Race Director, Make-a-Wish Triathlon: 1989-present (raised over $1million)
USAT Mid-Atlantic Region Federation Founding Member: 1994
President, USAT Mid-Atlantic Region: 1998-present
Member, Chesapeake Region 2012 Coalition for the Olympic Games
Recipient, “International Olympic Committee Volunteer of the Year” for triathlon: 2001-2002
Age group triathlete: 1983-present
Hawaii Ironman finisher: 1991, 1993, 1998
Cape Cod Endurance (Ironman) Triathlon finisher: 1987-1988
 
Commitment:
 
I have always been a champion for the athlete and for the promotion of fairness and integrity in the sport and will continue to work toward this goal and toward programs that promote these ideals.  I believe that board members must be receptive and responsible for integrity and their representation of the sport and should be volunteers and ambassadors for the sport.  I also believe that we need to re-evaluate current rules and methods that affect the sport, sometimes negatively.
 
 
 
Ray Plotecia (Ruxton, Md.)
 
Education:
 
Bachelors and Masters in Biology, Ph.D. in Ecology
Computer Science, undeclared major
 
Career:
 
Research Scientist
Systems Analyst
Business Owner
 
Racing:
 
Active age group triathlete since 1984
Ironman Hawaii finisher: 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996
Team USA, 1997 – ITU World Championship, Perth, Australia
 
Race Organization:
 
Co-founder, Columbia Triathlon
Race Director, Columbia Triathlon: 1985
 
USAT Age Group Commission:
 
Member: 1983-present
Co-Chair: 1998
Attended Board meetings since 1995
Wrote USAT’s guidelines for physically challenged athletes
Reformed and organized the current youth committee
Wrote and got passed a resolution to increase the AGC budget based on membership numbers
Endorsed by AGC for re-election to USAT Board of Directors
 
USAT Board of Directors:
 
President, USA Triathlon: 2002
Member At-Large of Board of Directors since 1999
Board Liaison, Youth Committee, Medical Committee
 
Wrote and passed several resolutions to:
Ensure that a USAT representative attends all World Championship qualifying races and coordinates the sign-up for Team USA positions
Require all new resolutions presented for Board action to be reconciled with the bylaws, procedures, and rules
Ensure efficient implementation of new policies and procedures
Define the USAT protocol for emergency electronic voting
Establish quality and service requirements for data processing contractors
 
Current Initiatives and Goals for the Sport:
 
Furthering the growth of the USAT Officials program.  Officials are our front line in providing safe and fair racing.  For most USA Triathlon members, the USAT official is the only representative of the national governing body that he or she sees.  The members deserve the best in officiating.  I want “USAT officiated” to be a term that race directors will want to put on their entry forms and that athletes will look for when selecting the races they will enter.
 
I support the growth and development of the club movement in USAT.  I believe that certain initiatives such as youth racing can only be achieved through triathlon clubs.  This is where the parents who are club members can organize fun training events and convince race directors to put on kids’ fun races.
 
I see duathlon as the most rapidly growing area in multi-sport.  I believe the federation should support and nurture this area to the extent that it does triathlon.
 
 
 
 
Alicia Wright Colopy (Cary, N.C.)
 
1500 hours each year!  About the same number of hours an elite athlete prepares each year for the Olympics is what I volunteer towards non-elite athletes such as you.  I back up my promises with my time and my full understanding of your needs.  My goal on the Board is to match the benefits of USAT membership to the needs of nonprofessional triathletes, age groups, juniors, and youth alike.  I understand and respect your needs because for 20 years I have been a triathlete, and for five years I have volunteered as a USAT representative, race director and coach.  I have been involved in triathlon from every side.
 
As a USAT Mid-Atlantic Regional Athlete Development Coordinator (RADC), I am to identify talented youths for pre-Olympic training.  As a race director, I stage races for athletes, ages six through 84 years, including the Mid-Atlantic Youth/Junior Championship.  My USAT-sanctioned events are rated highly by race officials as being well organized, safe and fun for all ages.  I am one of a very small percentage of race directors who produces age-appropriate events for youth and novices. 
 
As a USAT Level II coach, I train Team Fit & Able, which consists of 60 children and 20 adults, by providing several workouts a week and a triathlon summer camp.  I also coach athletes in other states via email.  In 2000, the U.S. Olympic Committee named me, “Developmental Coach of the Year for Triathlon.”  As a triathlete, I have been in the sport since 1982, completing sprint, Olympic, international and Ironman distances.  I was even invited to participate in the Hawaii Ironman in 2002.
 
I love this sport.  I like how anyone that tries triathlon benefits from the experience.  I want all members to benefit from their USAT membership.