New Leader for USA Swimming

Chrissi Rawak, the former Director of Athletics at the University of Delaware, has been chosen to lead USA Swimming as its new President and CEO. This announcement comes after Tim Hinchey stepped down last August. Rawak's journey in swimming began in her hometown of Newton, Pa. , where she competed for Germantown Academy. She was part of the school’s 1987 national championship team and trained under coach Dick Shoulberg. Her primary events were the 1500/1650 free, 200 back, and 400 IM. Everyone on her team was a distance swimmer. Rawak continued her swimming career at the University of Michigan, where she was part of the women’s swim team from 1988 to 1992. After graduating, she became an assistant coach for the women’s team under Jim Richardson from 1992 to 1997. She also oversaw the Wolverine Swim Camp during her coaching tenure. Rawak believes that her experiences as both an athlete and a coach have shaped her into the person she is today. She credits the sport of swimming for teaching her discipline, focus, goal orientation, and perseverance. Her coaching experience at Michigan was particularly formative, as it taught her how to build teams and develop young people. After her coaching stint, Rawak worked at Northwestern University from 1997 to 2003, earning a master’s degree in communication. She then returned to the University of Michigan, where she held various positions, including assistant vice president of talent management and development operations and executive senior associate athletic director. In 2016, she became the Director of Athletics at the University of Delaware, making her the first woman to hold the position. She was recognized as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ Athletic Director of the Year in 2024. Chris Brearton, Chair of the USA Swimming Board of Directors, praised Rawak’s proven track record of leading organizations and building winning teams. He also highlighted her firsthand experience with the sport, both as a successful athlete and a coach. Rawak’s vision is expected to help write the next chapter of American swimming excellence. Rawak’s husband, Glenn, was a member of the University of Michigan men’s gymnastics team from 1988 to 1992. Although she hasn’t been directly involved with swimming since the late 1990s, she has kept close tabs on the sport. She noted how Delaware had its first men’s NCAA qualifier in program history last year in Toni Sabev. Rawak believes that swimming is part of her DNA and that she has followed it since she was 10 years old. In October, USA Swimming approved the creation of a nine-member CEO Search Task Force to find Hinchey’s replacement. The Task Force was led by Katy Arris-Wilson, who swam collegiately for the University of Texas for the same four years that Rawak was at Michigan (1988-92). Hinchey served as President and CEO of USA Swimming for more than seven years, beginning in 2017. His departure came on the heels of the American team having a historically low medal tally at the Paris Olympics, particularly in terms of gold medals. The American team won eight gold and 28 total swimming medals at the 2024 Olympics, with the gold medal tally marking their lowest since 1956. Their total medal tally was their lowest since 2004 (also 28). Rawak’s salary at Delaware is currently listed at $648, 383 for the fiscal year ending June 2023. She also earned over $55, 0682 in bonuses for $704, 065 in earnings. While we don’t know what her compensation will be at USA Swimming, Hinchey notably made $962, 555 in 2023 with a base salary of $690, 205. The USA Swimming Search Committee’s projected range for the CEO’s base salary was $500, 000-$600, 000. Given that Rawak made more than that at Delaware, her compensation at USA Swimming will likely be higher than the projected range. Rawak plans to live in Colorado Springs, though the exact timeline of her arrival at USA Swimming HQ is currently unknown. She noted that hiring a new National Team Managing Director is her initial priority, with USA Swimming having moved on from former Director Lindsay Mintenko last summer around the same time Hinchey departed. Rawak also spoke about her general outlook on her role with USA Swimming and the main priorities, including performance in the pool and growing the sport. She believes that the role is to continue to grow and elevate the sport of swimming across the country and even across the world. She also spoke on the importance of “listening and learning, ” as connecting with coaches, athletes, fans, and parents is of paramount importance early in her tenure.