Dawson Hughes has been vice president of the Orange Bowl Committee
The U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) Board of Directors has selected Dawson Hughes to be its new CEO, the organization has announced.
Hughes joins USMS from the Orange Bowl Committee, where he served as vice president of business development, a news release says. “The Orange Bowl is a South Florida nonprofit sports organization that features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the Capital One Orange Bowl, a top-tier college football postseason bowl game,” the release points out.
“A sports business executive with a strong background in revenue generation, corporate and community partnerships, and operations management for large-scale professional and collegiate sporting events, Hughes has led business development for the Orange Bowl Committee for the past six years,” the release continues. “His career in sports began in Major League Baseball, where he directed ticketing efforts for both the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals.”
The release adds, “The USMS Board of Directors established a search committee to work with Turnkey Search, a top executive recruiting firm in the sports and entertainment industries, which conducted a comprehensive, nationwide search for the new CEO.”
“Dawson was a clear choice for us with his unique mix of strong sports business and nonprofit organization experience. With the bonus of his background in youth and collegiate swimming, we’re excited for the leadership and perspective that he will bring,” USMS president Patty Miller says in the release.
“I’m honored to become part of the Masters Swimming team and feel fortunate that my career path in sports marketing has led me back to swimming, a sport that was an integral part of my upbringing,” Hughes notes in the release. “I look forward to developing new strategies to enhance membership benefits for current Masters swimmers and grow the number of adults who stay fit through swimming.”
His tenure begins March 28, the release adds. He and his family will be relocating to Sarasota from the Fort Lauderdale area, the release notes.
USMS established its Sarasota headquarters in 2009.