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Matt Pierre Elected as NWBA President & Two Bylaw Amendments Passed at 2023 NWBA Annual Assembly; Board of Directors Appointments & Officer Elections Executed

By NWBA, 05/24/23, 7:45PM CDT

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. – The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) held its Annual Assembly virtually on May 22, 2023. NWBA Membership elected the new President of the NWBA Board of Directors and voted on NWBA Bylaw Amendment proposals in addition to hearing about the “State of the NWBA.” A recording of the event can be found here.

Board of Directors – Election
During the Annual Assembly, NWBA Membership elected Matt Pierre to the role of Board of Directors President.

Matt takes over the role of President previously held by Ryan Martin. Pierre has been an active member of the NWBA Board of Directors for the last two years. During that time, he played significant roles in refining the strategic plan, partnering on the recent CEO search committee, and leading the National Championships Working Group in securing Richmond, Virginia as the site for the 2024 NWBA Adult and Junior Wheelchair National Championships.

I am honored and excited to be elected by NWBA members to the role of President. I am looking forward to building on the legacy and impact of the organization. I will work with my fellow Board members, NWBA staff and others to support NWBA membership and foster growth of our game.

Pierre has been involved in the NWBA for the past 15 years and has experienced first-hand the wealth of benefits that wheelchair basketball brings to athletes, their families, and the broader community, having watched his son Jack develop from Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute’s (MN) prep team to varsity and now as a member of the Auburn University Tigers wheelchair program.

Pierre is an accomplished executive and industry thought leader with more than 28 years of experience in eCommerce, Shopper Marketing, Brand Management, and Channel Development. Most recently, he pioneered General Mills’ eCommerce business across its entire North American product portfolio. Matt has partnered with more than 25 online grocery retailers and drove advantaged partnerships with Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Kroger and Shipt.

Pierre will serve a four-year term as NWBA President (2023-27).

Bylaw Amendments
NWBA Membership voted on two amendment proposals, and both were passed to update NWBA Bylaws. The bylaw amendment proposals along with their passed status are detailed on the NWBA Annual Assembly webpage. The implementation of the amended bylaws is put into practice within 30 days or as soon as practicable. The updated Bylaws are posted on the Governance Documents page of the NWBA website at https://www.nwba.org/aboutpoliciesprocedures.

Board of Directors – Appointments
Following the Annual Assembly, the Board of Directors elected Appointed (At-Large) Directors. New members Lauren Lobrano and Jim Houston were elected to the Board of Directors and will serve a two-year term. In addition, Steve Curtis was re-elected to a second term as an Appointed Director.

Jim Houston – Jim is a golf professional and operations management expert. Jim currently serves as the Director of Operations at DWA Golf, LLC in St. Augustine, Florida. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of club operations, including - golf operations, tournament operations, food & beverage, golf course maintenance, accounting, human resources, and marketing. Jim previously spent 14 years in Board of Directors positions (including President) for two other Nonprofit organizations: Camp No Limits Foundation, and North Florida Junior Golf Foundation.  Jim has an outstanding history in the area of fundraising, where he created an annual event that has raised nearly $800,000 to date.

Lauren Lobrano – Lauren brings an abundance of experience in the disability awareness and advocacy realm. Lauren is Global Disability Inclusion Director for Amazon. As part of the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team at Amazon, she serves as a subject matter expert on matters related to employees with disabilities. She leads a team whose goal is to make Amazon Earth’s most customer-centric company. Lauren previously served as the Director of the Veterans Career Program for Paralyzed Veterans of America, International Programs Director for the Wounded Warrior Project, and Manager of Policy and Program Development for the American Red Cross.

Board of Directors – Officer Elections
Following the Annual Assembly, the Board of Directors re-elected the officer positions of Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. Teresa Skinner and Mike Godsey were re-elected to their second term as Vice President and Treasurer, respectively. In addition, Dug Jones was re-elected to a second term as Secretary.

Board officer roles are elected to a two-year term.