Dr. Vivek H. Murthy and International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty join USOPC board of directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced the addition of Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., MBA, and David Haggerty, president of the International Tennis Federation and International Olympic Committee member to its board of directors, adding expertise in health and wellness, as well as additional sport, management and athlete knowledge.

Murthy’s nomination was conditionally approved at the USOPC’s board meeting in January and he assumes the seat of departed independent board member Dan Doctoroff. Haggerty assumes a board position by virtue of his status as a member of the IOC, to which he was elected during 135th IOC Session on Jan. 12, 2020.

"It’s my honor to welcome Vivek and David to the USOPC board, and I know that the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States will benefit enormously from their leadership, individual expertise and commitment to Team USA and the athletes of the world," said USOPC Chair Susanne Lyons. "More than ever this body is charged with proactively working to ensure the mission of the USOPC is supported and to provide diligent oversight. A diversity of experience and voices on the board is critical to that effort, and I look forward to the work ahead."

Murthy was recommended to the board following a rigorous search process by its Nominating and Governance Committee following the departure of Dan Doctoroff, who stepped down from his seat owing to competing time demands.

New Members Profiles

Having more than two decades of experience advancing domestic and global health, Dr. Murthy is currently the Distinguished Policy Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He served as the 19th U.S. Surgeon General from 2014-17. During his tenure, Dr. Murthy launched the TurnTheTide campaign, catalyzing a movement among health professionals to address the nation’s opioid crisis. He also issued the first Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, calling for expanded access to prevention and treatment and for recognizing addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw.

In 2017, Dr. Murthy focused his attention on chronic stress and loneliness as prevalent problems that have profound implications for health, productivity, and happiness.

Simultaneously, he was vice admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, overseeing approximately 6,700 uniformed health officers who served in nearly 800 locations globally. Murthy was a member of the National Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health from 2011-14.

He is the co-founder of Doctors for America, TrialNetworks and VISIONS Worldwide, and serves on the national advisory board for the Satcher-Kennedy Center for Mental Health Equity, board of trustees for the RAND Corporation and the NCAA.

Murthy received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard and his M.D. and MBA. degrees from Yale. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and later joined Harvard Medical School as faculty in internal medicine.

David Haggerty was elected ITF president in September 2015 and re-elected for a second term in September 2019, before being named an IOC member in January 2020. He previously served as chair, CEO and president of the U.S. Tennis Association board of directors, and as chair of the US Open. Additionally, he was an owner of Prince where he worked for over 13 years before becoming president of Dunlop Maxfli Slazenger Sports.

He also served as chairman, CEO and president of Head USA, and as president of Penn Racquet Sports for 14 years before retiring to focus on his volunteer roles with the USTA. He is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame board of directors and the Women’s Tennis Association. He graduated from George Washington University and is a member of the GWU Athletic Hall of Fame, where he still holds the school record for the most wins in singles and doubles.

USOPC Governance Update

The 15-member USOPC board is currently comprised of three representatives from each of the Athletes’ Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies’ Council, and six independent members. The USOPC CEO and every American member of the International Olympic Committee serve as ex officio members of the board.

In 2021, due to sweeping governance reforms enacted in November 2019, the USOPC board will increase athlete representation to five members (33 percent of board voting power), and include the addition, ex officio, of International Paralympic Committee Governing Board members and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation chair (who will be a non-voting member).

USOPC board members are subject to a strict background check and screened for any conflicts of interest that could potentially interfere with acting in the best interest of Team USA athletes, the organization and its stakeholders.

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