Three New USA Ultimate Hires: Dana, Raflo, Mares
Posted: January 12, 2012 02:41 PM
Boulder, Colo. (January 11, 2012)—USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States, announced today the hiring of three new staff members.
"We are very excited to be adding three new team-mates to continue to serve our members and athletes at the highest level," noted Dr. Tom Crawford, CEO. "We are particularly psyched about the level of experience, wisdom and tremendous passion these new team-mates will bring to several critical areas."
Richard Dana was named Manager of Competition & Athlete Programs and will oversee USA Ultimate’s College Division initiatives. In support of the organization’s largest division, Dana will be responsible for the direction and management of college competition and related programs, including event planning, registration and processing, communication, personnel, the College STAR program, and other program-related duties.
Dana has been an active volunteer in the Ultimate community, through both coaching and serving in leadership positions for USA Ultimate and Washington Area Frisbee Club events and leagues. Prior to arriving at USA Ultimate, Dana was in the retail environment as area manager for Gamestop and worked as a private environmental consultant. He also holds a pair of undergraduate degrees in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho and Political Science from the University of Kansas.
As USA Ultimate’s Manager of Events, David Raflo will manage the spectrum of the governing body’s events, including its 10 championship tournaments, qualifiers and local affiliated competitions. The newly-created position was designed to aid in the development and implementation of quality standards and best practices for USA Ultimate championship and affiliated events in order to ensure consistent, high-quality experiences for participants.
A familiar face in the Ultimate community, Raflo has previously filled various roles with USA Ultimate and the World Flying Disc Federation in a volunteer capacity for the last 16 years. Most recently, Raflo served as the organization’s National Masters Director and Director of Competition for the USA Ultimate Club Championships. He was also USA Ultimate’s National Open Director from 2000-05, and is a certified coach, observer and instructor. Since 2007 Raflo has been a member of WFDF’s Events, Rules and Spirit of the Game Sub-Committees.
Prior to his hiring at USA Ultimate, Raflo was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and holds a History degree from the University of Virginia.
David Mares was named Manager of Membership Development. Mares will support the continuous focus on the organization’s membership base through various programs and initiatives, emphasizing membership growth and retention, as well as enhanced services and communication.
Mares is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, having earned undergraduate degrees in Economics and Communications last May. His Ultimate experience includes captaining the CU B Team in 2008 and 2010.