JOA announces new board structure

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has announced a number of organisational changes as it looks to restructure the format of its operations to that of what it said is a business model.

At a press conference at its headquarters on Wednesday, the association named seven new commissions that it has created, and announced the chefs de mission and managers of its teams travelling to major games between 2018 and 2020.

The seven commissions are Business Development, Branding and Marketing, Solidarity, Medical, Corporate Governance, Finance, Audit and Games.

The JOA also announced new categories and directors for the sports it governs.

Ice sports, which includes bobsleigh, skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, curling, and luge, will be directed by Nelson Stokes. Court sports includes gymnastics, lawn tennis, netball, volleyball, badminton, squash, basketball, and handball and will be directed by Garth Gayle.

Raymond Anderson will oversee field sports, which include track and field, softball, rugby union, golf, football, cycling, hockey, cricket, lawn bowls and equestrian events.

Yvonne Kong has been named director of body sports, which consist of weightlifting, bodybuilding and fitness, cheer leading, and rock climbing. Alan Beckford is now the director of multiple sports, which concerns special olympics, triathlon, and modern pentathlon.

Nichole Case has been made the director of board games, which are chess, darts, archery, table tennis and skateboarding. Robert Scott takes charge of water sports, which includes canoeing/kayaking, sailing, swimming, diving, synchronised swimming (when admitted), surfing, rowing, kite surfing, and water polo.

Laurel Smith has also been named the director of combat sports. This category includes taekwondo, judo, boxing, fencing, skeet shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, wrestling, karate and sambo.

 

SAMUDA'S CREDIT

 

Newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) Ryan Foster credited president Christopher Samuda for the restructuring.

"This was part of his manifesto in terms of the overall corporate governance structure of not just the board, but the JOA and its member associations," he said. "We campaigned on a holistic approach to governance that is very inclusive, not just of the board members, but other stakeholders within the sporting fraternity. The appointment of a CEO was the first step in the operational side of running the JOA and as such, we would be looking at expanding the management structure with the skill sets necessary to supporting our constituent members."

 

KEY STRATEGY

 

Foster said expanding the JOA's corporate and social responsibility is a key strategy for the next few years, and the new Business Development Officer to be appointed, is important to this plan.

JOA's team leaders for upcoming games:

 

2018

 

- Winter Olympic Games - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 9-25

Chef de Mission - Leo Campbell

- Commonwealth Games - Gold Coast, Australia - April 4-15

Chef de Mission - Dalton Myers

Managers - Kaydean Webley, Hamlin Pagon

- Central American and Caribbean Games - Barranquilla, Colombia - July 19 - August 3

Chef de Mission - Derek Robinson

Managers - Elaine Walker-Brown, Lawrence Garriques

- Summer Youth Olympic Games - Buenos Aires, Argentina - October 6-18

Chef de Mission - Kamal Powell

Manager - Dennis May

 

2019

 

- Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games - San Diego, California, USA

Chef de Mission - Jacqueline Cowan

Managers - Mark Neita, Wayne Thompson

- Pan American Games - Lima, Peru - July 26 - August 11

Chef de Mission - Linnel McLean

Managers - Judith Ewart, Ricardo Case

 

2020

 

- Winter Youth Olympic Games - Lausanne, Switzerland - January 10-19

Chef de Mission - To be assigned

Manager(s) - To be assigned

- Summer Olympic Games - Tokyo, Japan - July 24-August 9

Chef de Mission - Donovan White

Managers - Elaine Hayden, John Isaacs