FIGURE SKATING: Kevin Burns Hired As Senior Director Of Development For U.S. Figure Skating

Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 24, 2008)-U.S. Figure Skating has announced the hiring of Kevin Burns as senior director of development. Burns will begin his new position April 28."We're pleased to welcome Kevin Burns to U.S. Figure Skating,"said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating."His extensive experience in the field of fundraising, as well as with the Olympic movement, will be a great asset."Burns will lead U.S. Figure Skating's new Development Department, which will help provide financial resources necessary to ensure the long-term growth of figure skating in the United States. The senior director of development is responsible for raising funds for projects to support U.S. Figure Skating, its athlete programs, foundation, the Memorial Fund and other areas to be determined."The future of U.S. Figure Skating is as exciting as its past,"Burns said."I'm thrilled to be invited to play a role in developing programs that will ensure the sport's continued strength at each and every level."Burns will work with U.S. Figure Skating's staff and volunteer leadership to assess and develop the organization's fundraising potential, including, but not limited to, the identification, cultivation and stewardship of donors for major gifts, annual and planned giving, donor events and capital needs. Burns returns to the Olympic family after a five-year hiatus. He worked for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the mid-America regional director of development from 1994-2000 and then for United States Equestrian from 2001-03. In his role with the USOC, he developed the Team Up America and Collegiate Partners programs, which encouraged corporations to become involved in the college athletic community. Prior to joining U.S. Figure Skating, Burns served as the director of development and alumni relations for Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill. Burns was previously employed as the director of development at the Paramount Arts Center in Aurora, Ill., and director of program development at the Muscular Dystrophy Association. A resident of Geneva, Ill., Burns graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and speech communications. U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 1,425 member clubs and Basic Skills programs representing approximately 184,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States, including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.