COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (July 18, 2016)
Donna Donaghy and Mitch Stemm have been elected to join the USA Volleyball Board of Directors representing the 40 USA Volleyball Regional Volleyball Associations. Donaghy’s position is a four-year term, while Stemm’s term is for three years. Both positions are effective immediately.
“Donna Donaghy and Mitch Stemm have been exemplary representatives of USA Volleyball as regional commissioners and key leaders within the Regional Volleyball Assembly,” said Lori Okimura, chair of the USA Volleyball Board of Directors. “They have contributed in all areas of governance and leadership, and their individual areas of expertise will provide great balance on the Board and help address key issues regarding our core business.”
Donna Donaghy
Donaghy has been the commissioner/chief executive officer of the Northern California Region since 1994 and been involved in the NCVA region board for over 32 years. She was an adult indoor and outdoor player, also certified as a Junior National Official though now retired. Donaghy has chaired the RVA Compliance Committee for the last eight years and worked as the comptroller at the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships for 10 years. She was recently voted associate chair of the USAV Governance Committee. She has worked as an event arbitrator on and off for several years. Besides running several events in convention centers within her region, she runs the Boys’ Far Western Bid Tournament, the Golden State 18s Qualifier and the No Dinx/NCVA Far Western Qualifier – one of the largest Girls’ National Qualifiers.
“I am very excited to have been voted to a seat on the USA Board of Directors by the RVA,” Donaghy said. “I have worked close to 30 years in this great sport of ours and see this as another way I can contribute. I look forward to working with the other Board members who have helped bring USA Volleyball to the quality it is today, along with the USAV Staff. Thank you.”
Donaghy has been instrumental in growing the sport in Northern California. Not only does NCVA run adult and junior programs, the region has teams in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as well as a sitting team at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships.
“Donna leads one of the largest regions of USA Volleyball, and has contributed significantly to many areas of governance at the highest levels,” Okimura said. “As Regional Commissioner of the Northern California Volleyball Association, Donna continues to grow membership and support new programs in all disciplines. Her continued involvement on the newly formed USAV Governance Committee will enable us to further benefit from her leadership as USA Volleyball enters a new phase of business development.”
Mitch Stemm
Stemm, commissioner of the Hoosier Region since 2010 and a member of the Hoosier Region board since 2005, has committed his expertise to the RVAA for several years. Prior to his tenure with the Hoosier Region, he was a member of the Michiana Region board from 1985 to 2004 before the Lakeshore Region spun off forming the Hoosier Region. Stemm has served as the Hoosier Region junior coordinator since 2005. He has been chair of the RVAA Insurance Committee since 2013 and was appointed chair of the ad hoc RVAA Safe Sport Committee from 2014-2016, two areas of importance to USA Volleyball’s short- and long-term strategies.
“I am excited to begin my term as a USA Volleyball Board member, there is no greater honor than serving your peers,” Stemm said. “I am humbled to now be part of the leadership team in an organization that my family has been associated with for over 30 years.”
“Mitch Stemm of the Hoosier Region Volleyball Association is one of the most proactive members of USA Volleyball in the area of risk management and SafeSport implementation,” Okimura said. “His many years of service to USA Volleyball gives him a unique perspective on where we came from and where we need to be heading in the future. His voice on region-related matters will be a strong one, as it comes from years of experience on many levels of our sport, and a genuine desire to provide the best possible experience for those who participate in beach, indoor and sitting volleyball.”
Stemm, who began playing beach volleyball in 1979 and indoor volleyball shortly afterwards, has been a Michiana/Hoosier and USA Volleyball certified official from 1985 to 2006, the same time period that he played on and managed adult men’s teams in the Hoosier Region. He served as commissioner of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) from 1985 to 1993 and on the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Committee.
Donaghy and Stemm join John Hughes of the Western Empire Volleyball Association as the RVA’s three representatives to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors. This past spring the Board voted to add the third RVA position resulting in two elections. Southern Region commissioner Ken Cain is the outgoing RVA representative to the Board.
