USRowing Appoints Joel Shinofield as Chief Executive Officer
Seasoned national governing body leader and sports executive has spent three decades strengthening Olympic sports, most recently at USA Swimming
The USRowing Board of Directors has appointed Joel Shinofield as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), following a six-month national search led by Elevate’s executive search and leadership advisory practice. Starting on October 13, Shinofield will report to the Board of Directors and will define and execute USRowing’s strategic vision, lead all aspects of the organization’s operations, and ensure alignment across performance, membership, and business objectives.
Shinofield joins USRowing from USA Swimming, where he has served since 2018 as Managing Director, Sport Development, leading the national governing body's largest division — responsible for over 60% of revenue ($24 million in 2024) and serving over 370,000 athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers.
“Over the duration of the search, we listened to our community — members, athletes, coaches, clubs, and partners — about what they needed in a CEO,” said Robert Zagunis, Chair of USRowing's Board of Directors and USRowing Foundation Trustee. “The profile they shaped called for a leader with deep national governing body experience, a member-first orientation, and the discipline to modernize how we serve this sport. Joel Shinofield is that leader. He has spent his career strengthening Olympic sport across the national governing body, collegiate, and club levels, and we are confident he will build on our current momentum and lead USRowing to new heights as we head toward LA28 and beyond.”
The search engaged more than 200 rowing community members to build the profile of the next CEO. This process crystallized what the community was looking for: deep experience in complex, mission-driven organizations, and both commercial and technical acumen.
Shinofield’s record matches that profile: at USA Swimming he led Membership Success and Team Services, directed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment in coach education and certification for 20,000 coach members, oversaw the organization's digital transformation, and led athlete development pathways and more than $1.4 million in annual grant funding to improve access to the sport. These initiatives led to a stronger, more durable, and more member-and-athlete-focused USA Swimming, delivering success to the national governing body.
From 2012 to 2018, Shinofield served as Executive Director of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), guiding it from near insolvency to unparalleled growth in revenue, membership, and advocacy. He also led collaborative efforts with partner organizations including the NCAA, USA Swimming, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and intercollegiate conferences.
Before joining the CSCAA, Shinofield was head coach, director of aquatics, and associate professor at Washington and Lee University from 2003 to 2012, where he built a nationally recognized collegiate program. Earlier in his career, he served as executive director and head coach of Richfield Swim Club in Minnesota and as a program director at Youth Trust, where he brokered corporate, government, and district partnerships with organizations including Target, General Mills, Wells Fargo, IBM, and Cargill.
A novice rower, Shinofield has long-standing ties to the sport through his spouse — a former collegiate and high school coach, former national champion rower at Princeton University, and current masters rower. He will begin his tenure by meeting in person and virtually with rowing leaders and community members across the country in the coming weeks and months, including at the USRowing Annual Member Meeting in December.
“I am honored to join USRowing at such a pivotal moment for this sport,” said Joel Shinofield. “Everything in my career — as a coach, an executive director, and a leader within Olympic sport — has been about strengthening the pathways that let athletes participate and excel. The rowing world is passionate and deeply invested in this sport’s success. I look forward to quickly becoming a member of the community, meeting our stakeholders at upcoming events, and working together to build on the strong momentum already in place.”
The appointment concludes the leadership transition that began with Peter Roby’s appointment as Interim CEO in April. Roby will move into a Senior Advisor role, working with Shinofield and the Board to ensure a seamless handoff.
“The USRowing Board of Directors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Interim CEO Peter Roby. Thanks to his leadership, the organization is making this transition from a position of strength, and is poised for continued success,” Zagunis added.
The CEO search was executed by Elevate, the award-winning global sports and entertainment agency. Elevate's executive search practice has deep experience placing leaders across global sports including governing bodies, Olympic movements, and major professional leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NHL, USTA, LPGA, MLS, and NWSL.
