LOS ANGELES, June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Anita L. DeFrantz, who has served the LA84 Foundation as its President for the last 28 years and has been a staff member for 30 years, announced that she is stepping away from her work at the Foundation. "It has been a wonderful place to work, and a privilege to lead the Foundation in its mission to serve youth through sport and enhance the knowledge of sports in society", said DeFrantz.
She thanked the LA84 Foundation Board for its long support of her efforts and offered a special thanks to her two vice presidents, Patrick Escobar, leader of the Grants and Programs Department, and Wayne Wilson, leader of the Education Department, for their dedicated service throughout her presidency. "I have been fortunate to have such capable senior staff working with me. I leave knowing that their understanding of the mission of the Foundation and its goals will continue to serve the people of Southern California with clarity and compassion."
The LA84 Foundation was endowed with 40% of the surplus of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The original $93 million endowment has worked to fund more than $225 million in expenditures as it has grown in size to be $160 million. The expenditures have supported 2,162 youth sports organizations and Foundation initiated programs including the annual Summer Swim program, which has taught more than 300,000 youth the skills of swimming and aquatic sports, the coaching program which has provided free coaching workshops to 80,000 people, the high school sports award program which is the longest running high school sports awards program in the United States, the nation's leading sports research library and more than a dozen conferences on issues of significance to sport. "Our work serving youth through sport has been based on the concepts of teaching, learning and competition, the TLC of sport We know that sport is an essential part of making youth life ready!" said DeFrantz. "I am proud that the LA84 Foundation, although created as a regional institution, has become the leading convener for issues in sports for the nation and has reached the world through its dedication to sport," she added.
Chair of the Board, Frank Sanchez, accepted DeFrantz's resignation by expressing the Foundation's gratitude for her extraordinary work over the years. He announced that the Board has named DeFrantz President Emeritus of the Foundation. Chair Sanchez said, "Anita DeFrantz has led the organization over these many years with integrity and grace, molding an institution which has worldwide recognition. The Board understands that she has much more to offer the world and wishes her the best as she moves on with the rest of her career."
DeFrantz will serve through the end of 2015 or until a successor is named.
SOURCE LA84 Foundation
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