Stony Brook VP Named To National Fitness Foundation Board Of Directors

Press release from SBU:

Sept. 28, 2022

Stony Brook University is proud to announce that Judith Brown Clarke, PhD, Vice President for Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Fitness Foundation. She will serve from 2022 to 2028. The appointment was announced by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. Brown Clarke was also voted in as the Chair of the Board for the next two years.

Brown Clarke’s appointment recognizes her exemplary leadership in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education. Her thought-leadership and collaboration with multiple organizations, including grant funding and research institutions, are among the key attributes she brings to this appointment. Additionally, Brown Clarke also garnered extraordinary achievements as an elite athlete, as she was a four-time NCAA track and field champion and 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist in track and field.

"I cannot think of a better appointment, and know firsthand how lucky the National Fitness Foundation–and any other organization–is to count Judith Brown Clarke among its leadership,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “As Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Judith Brown Clarke has worked to set actionable goals for a just, equitable, and humane campus community during a critical time."

“I am absolutely thrilled for the opportunity to leverage my deep passion for education, health, policy and sports/physical activity to make a meaningful difference in the lives and wellness of our nation,” said Brown Clarke.

The National Fitness Foundation was established by Congress in 2010 to collaborate with the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (President’s Council) and to identify strategic priorities to further the purposes and functions of the President's Council. The Foundation supports and strengthens the President’s Council’s mission by facilitating investments and partnerships that engage, educate, and empower all Americans to lead healthy, active lives. The Board, in particular, is charged with providing the overall strategic direction related to the Foundation’s vision, mission, program scope, resource allocation, and investment philosophy. It also provides guidance to the Foundation’s Executive Director to execute an operational agenda that achieves the Board’s goals.

Regarding the recent appointment of new National Fitness Board members, “This experienced group of advisors will enable the National Fitness Foundation to take the next step in advancing the health of our nation through fitness and nutrition,” said Xavier Becerra, HHS Secretary. “These leaders will help shape the direction of the Foundation as it strives to further the important mission of the President’s Council in supporting sports, health, and fitness initiatives for young people.”

Other Board newly appointed members include: Scott Goudeseune, Chief Executive Officer, American Council on Exercise (ACE); Elizabeth Kunz, Chief Executive Officer, Girls on the Run International; Boris Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H., Professor and Dean, School of Public Health at the University of Maryland and Former Acting Surgeon General; Michael McConnell, M.D., M.S.E.E., Chief Medical Officer and Head of Cardiovascular and Digital Health, Tesseract Health and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University; Suzanne McCormick, President & Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of the USA; Damon Phillips, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at NBC Sports Group and Head of Diversity & Inclusion and James Siegal – Senior Fellow, KABOOM!.

This press release was produced by SBU . The views expressed here are the author's own.