(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – June 18, 2019) – USA Shooting’s Board of Directors announced today that it has officially accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Keith Enlow. Enlow officially resigned Tuesday morning for another professional opportunity.
Enlow had been in the position since December 4, 2017 following the retirement of long-time CEO Robert Mitchell. Dave Johnson had served as interim CEO from September 2016 to September 2017 before accepting a coaching position with the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“We are very appreciative of Keith’s dedication, leadership and passion in leading us through a key transitional moment in this organization’s history,” said USA Shooting Chairman Chad Whittenburg. “He fought hard to make sure we were headed in the right direction as an organization and we’re in a much better spot today than we were when he began. Despite his departure, the mission and efforts remain unchanged with 13 months until Tokyo 2020 and we’ll remain focused on supporting our athletes in their quest to achieve their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.”
USA Shooting Board of Directors will conduct their regularly scheduled quarterly meeting Tuesday, June 25 in Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol. Part of the agenda will now include a leadership transition plan following Enlow’s departure. Long-time sports executive Bob Gambardella was recently hired as Chief of Operations, and all but one current Board member has extensive experience with USA Shooting. The current Board is positioned well during this transition given their strong business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit and athlete-first mentality.
Enlow used his knowledge of the industry to stimulate revenue generation while engaging donors, sponsors and other strategic opportunities. Pistol funding was cut by the U.S. Olympic Committee shortly upon his arrival, forcing USA Shooting to scramble to try and find a way for that program to remain relevant and viable. That led to the formation of the Pistol Dreams Committee that included top industry leaders and a reallocation of resources to ensure athletes could continue training and competing. Enlow also helped revitalize the direct mail program, emphasized the build-up of USA Shooting’s own creative content, expanded event fundraising opportunities, and align for continued progression in athlete, coach and resource development.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to help transform USA Shooting, and I am proud of the stability and continuous improvements that were made,” Enlow stated. “I have truly enjoyed my time here with our athletes, staff, the USOC, and the Board, and I believe the experience has taught me much about the sport and America’s shooting team. I wish the Team nothing but success in their preparation for Tokyo and beyond. I know they are capable of great things.”
Seeking 2020 vision, USA Shooting athletes have earned 14 of the 30 Olympic quota spots available with two major opportunities left to earn more. On April 24, USA Shooting launched the RAISE THE FLAG campaign. The campaign is serving as the motivational driver used to pursue all available resources and sharpen the organizational vision on the mission of getting athletes on the podium and seeing that American flag raised in competition. The key element of the campaign is the Chairman’s Challenge being initiated by Whittenburg, to aid in support of funding all USA Shooting athlete travel to 2019 World Cup competition.