Changes in leadership highlight final days of ASA/USA Softball 82nd Annual Council Meeting

November 15, 2013

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November 15, 2013

 

 

Changes in leadership highlight final days of ASA/USA Softball 82^nd Annual Council Meeting

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — Southern California ASA Commissioner Phil Gutierrez (Oceanside, Calif.) stepped into office as the President of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America this week, the association announced at its 82nd Annual Council Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In addition to the change in presidency, former Director of Membership Services Craig Cress (Edmond, Okla.) assumes the Executive Director role of the organization replacing Ron Radigonda who is retiring after 15 years in the position.  

 

"I am privileged, honored and humbled to become the president of the National Governing Body of Softball, ASA/USA Softball," said Phil Gutierrez.  "We will continue to work hard to develop and promote our game domestically and internationally."

 

Gutierrez takes the reins from Mississippi ASA Commissioner E.T. Colvin, who began his two-year term as ASA President in 2011. The President Elect position was also selected this week in Oklahoma City. Ohio Commissioner Warren Jones (Ashland, Ky.) was elected to follow Gutierrez as President. Jones will take office at the 2015 ASA Council Meeting scheduled to take place in Louisville, Ky.

 

“I am very excited to be elected president elect,” said Jones.  “It has been a goal of mine for a long time as the ASA is something that I've been dedicated to all my life.  I've never played or been involved with anything but ASA Softball. I look forward to continue serving the ASA and hopefully I can help others to open doors and get other ethnic groups involved with our program.  We need to get to the grass roots and work with our local people to promote ASA Softball.”

 

Cress has been involved with the ASA for over 35 years serving in several roles as a player, umpire, district commissioner, Umpire-In-Chief, league administrator, as a council member, and National Office staff member.  A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Cress started his involvement with ASA Softball as a player and spent many years behind the plate umpiring at all levels including National Championships and International Softball Federation Women’s and Men’s Fast Pitch World Championships.   He served on the ASA National Umpire Staff for four years and in 2005, he was nationally honored for his years of expertise as an umpire by being inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in the umpire category.

 

"I am thrilled to become the new executive director of this incredible association," said Cress.  "We have so many great opportunities for our membership and it will take everyone involved with ASA working together to define and deliver these opportunities for the advancement of ASA/USA Softball."

 

About ASA The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 200,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.   About USA Softball USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed six World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------  Steven Embree | ASA/USA Softball

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications 2801 NE 50th | Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Work: 405-425-3422 | Cell: 405-207-1004 E-mail: sembree@softball.org | Web: www.usasoftball.com