Skip Gilbert Named to USA Fencing Board of Directors
Published
USA Fencing named Skip Gilbert, a veteran Olympic and Paralympic sport chief executive, an independent director of its Board of Directors.
USA Fencing named Skip Gilbert, a veteran Olympic and Paralympic sport chief executive, an independent director of its Board of Directors.
The vote and the term
The Board voted on June 27, 2026, during Summer Nationals in Portland, Oregon. Gilbert's term begins Sept. 1, 2026. He was selected alongside Erik Moses, whose term starts the same day.
Background
Per USA Fencing, Gilbert is a former professional soccer goalkeeper who led USA Triathlon through the fastest growth period in its history, ran tennis's US Open, and served as CEO of U.S. Youth Soccer.
What an independent director is
USA Fencing's Board includes seats tied to specific constituencies — athletes, coaches, parents, club owners, referees and at-large members. Independent directors are different: they hold no other affiliation with USA Fencing. The intent is governance judgment that is not attached to any one group's interests.
For a national governing body, that matters most in decisions where constituencies disagree: budget priorities, event structure, qualification paths. Independent seats are a standard feature of Olympic sport governance for that reason.
Why growth experience is relevant
Gilbert's record is largely in participation sports — triathlon and youth soccer — where the core problem is getting people to start and keeping them. That is fencing's problem too. The sport converts interest into membership less efficiently than it could, and the gap sits at the club level: a first class, loaner gear, a schedule a family can actually keep.
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Official USA Fencing source: Skip Gilbert, Veteran Olympic and Paralympic Sport CEO, Named to the USA Fencing Board of Directors — published July 13, 2026.
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