Athlete Council
The USA Fencing Athlete Council is a diverse group of fencers who represent every weapon discipline, including parafencing. Its mission is threefold:
- Representation: The AC plays a key role in selecting athletes for positions within USA Fencing, ensuring that athletes' perspectives are considered in the organization’s leadership.
- Advocacy: The council advises USA Fencing’s Board of Directors and the Chair on issues important to athletes, from competition policies to the resources available to athletes at every level. They are also key advisors for the Sport Performance team and national coaches, contributing their insights to help shape training, selection and competition policies.
- Support: The AC acts as a first point of contact for athletes who have questions, concerns or grievances. Whether you’re facing a challenge related to team selection, need advice on grievance procedures or simply want to voice a concern, your AC representative is there to listen and guide you. You can contact members of the AC by emailing ac@usafencing.org.
The USA Fencing AC is composed of one athlete representative for each weapon and gender (totaling 6), one male parafencer, and one female parafencer.
Team USA Athletes' Commission Representatives and Alternates, members of the Team USA AC Leadership group, and Athlete Representatives of the USA Fencing Board of Directors are ex-officio members of the USA Fencing Athlete Council.
If any athlete has a weapon-specific concern, problem, protest, or question, the athlete should contact their weapon representative, who can be found by locating him or her below. Any issues in general should be sent to the athlete chair.
Athlete Directors on the USA Fencing Board of Directors: Scott Rodgers PLY and Kat Holmes OLY.
For information on the Team USA Athletes' Commission, visit here.
Athlete Council Contact Information
You can now contact the Athlete Council directly via email at ac@usafencing.org.
| Athlete | Weapon |
|---|---|
Kat Holmes OLY | Women's Epee |
Ari Simmons | Men's Epee |
Lee Kiefer OLY | Women's Foil |
Gerek Meinhardt OLY | Men's Foil |
Elizabeth Tartakovsky OLY | Women's Saber |
Jonah Shainberg | Men's Saber |
Ellen Geddes PLY | Women's Parafencing |
Scott Rodgers PLY | Men's Parafencing |
Daria Schneider | Ex-Officio (USOPC Board of Directors) |
Jackie Dubrovich OLY | Ex-Officio |
Lauryn DeLuca PLY | Ex-Officio |
2024 Team USA Athletes' Commission Election Procedures and Timeline
USA Fencing Athlete Council Guidelines
Athlete Representation Review Working Group Review Report - March 2021
2025-2028 Team USA Athletes' Commission Eligibility PowerPoint
USOPC - Team USA Athlete's Commission Member Election & Voting Policy
2024 USA Fencing Athlete Council: Self-Nomination and Election Process#
USA Fencing is now accepting self-nominations for the Athlete Council! This is a fantastic opportunity for athletes who are passionate about representing their peers and contributing to the future of our sport.
We will be electing one representative in each of the following categories:
- Women’s Foil (WF)
- Men’s Foil (MF)
- Women’s Saber (WS)
- Men’s Saber (MS)
- Women’s Epee (WE)
- Men’s Epee (ME)
- Female Parafencer (WPara)
- Male Parafencer (MPara)
Eligibility:
To apply or vote, you must be a current or former Team USA athlete who has competed in a senior international event within the last 10 years.
How to Submit a Nomination:
To submit a self-nomination, send a written statement of intent (a resume is optional) along with any information that demonstrates your ability to serve USA Fencing’s mission. Be sure to disclose your eligibility in accordance with the USOPC Bylaws.
Email your self-nomination to c.pachuta@usafencing.org and k.reisinger@usafencing.org.
Self-Nomination Period: Submit your nomination by Nov. 1 to be considered for the election.
Nominee Video or Written Statement Submission: After nominations are collected, all nominees will be asked to submit either a video or written statement by Nov. 11. This material will be shared with eligible voters.
Distribution of Nominees to Voters: By Nov. 14, we will distribute the list of nominees and their statements to all eligible voters, along with instructions on how to participate in the election.
Election Begins: Voting will open on Nov. 18. Ballots will be sent to all eligible voters via Election Buddy.
Election Closes:Voting will close at 5pm ET on Nov. 25.
Announcement of Results: We will contact candidates individually to share the results, and then publicly announce the winners.
This is your chance to represent your fellow athletes and make a lasting impact on the direction of USA Fencing. Don’t miss this opportunity to step up and serve on the Athlete Council!