USA Weightlifting Board of Directors
Click here for a list of previous board members and their terms in office.
The USAW Board as of June 15, 2022.
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Paula Aranda Chair of the Board At-Large Member Seattle, WA board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2018-2022 |
| A former national level athlete, Aranda is active in Weightlifting worldwide, attending competitions overseas and trained for the sport in other countries, in addition to learning weightlifting first in the USA. Aranda, who works at Facebook, has worked at other tech titans previously, including Amazon and Microsoft. Aranda is also appointed to the International Weightlifting Federation - Education and Development Commission, and the Pan Am Weightlifting Federation - Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Commission. Aranda is a first-generation Latina, and celebrates her roots from Chile, but is born and raised in the USA. This is her Second Term on the Board. |
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Jenny Schumacher
Pleasant Grove, UT |
| Schumacher is currently the Head Coach of Proven Strength Weightlifting and represents the interests of USA Weightlifting clubs on the Board of Directors. Schumacher is a Registered Nurse professionally. She is also a National Referee, and has served on the USA Weightlifting Technical Committee, and served as Competition Secretary for national USA Weightlifting events. Schumacher spends significant time professionally in Switzerland, speaking fluent French. Schumacher is currently serving her first term as Grassroots representative. | |
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Shameeka Quallo Independent Member Chicago, IL board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2024 |
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Shameeka Quallo, Esq., Associate General Counsel for the Chicago Cubs, is a strategic business-oriented counsel with transactional and compliance experience and a track record of success and leadership. Shameeka is a trusted legal and business adviser that provides guidance on a broad range of business and marketing initiatives, legal issues and implementing risk management strategies. Shameeka has experience negotiating and drafting a variety of agreements, including sponsorship, vendor, service provider, consulting and licensing agreements, manages litigation and ensures compliance with data privacy laws. In addition to her legal role, Shameeka also serves as Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.
Prior to joining the Cubs, Shameeka was the Associate General Counsel and Sr. Director of Multicultural Affairs for the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), the leading promoter of motorsports-themed entertainment activities in the United States. As Associate General Counsel, she provided counsel and advice in day to day legal matters and negotiated and drafted a variety of agreements. As Sr. Director of Multicultural Affairs, she was responsible for leading ISC’s diversity and inclusion strategy and related programs and partnering and aligning with NASCAR to garner and leverage best practices. Prior to joining ISC, Shameeka was Associate Counsel for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), the longest-running women’s professional sports organization in the world.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Shameeka was an audit manager for 10 years with the National Futures Association, where she safeguarded market integrity by coordinating and performing risk-based financial and compliance examinations of firms that traded futures, options and foreign currency, analyzed internal control systems, and assisted member firms comply with their regulatory responsibilities.
Shameeka is passionate about disenfranchised communities and has an extensive public service background. She currently serves as a Council member of the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club and formerly served as Board Chair of Junior Achievement of Volusia County. She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is an arbitrator with FINRA.
Shameeka is a graduate of Rutgers University, School of Law, and St. John’s University (BS in Finance) where she earned a full athletic scholarship (Track & Field). |
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| Nick Maietta Independent Member Washington, DC board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2018-2022 |
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| Nick is a lifelong athlete with experience working for various aerospace and defense enterprises. Previously, as a management consultant, he served both public and private sector clients in tackling challenges such as reorganizations, acquisitions, and forecasting. Nick holds degrees from MIT, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School, and has previously served on Harvard’s Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility. He is a member of the D.C. Bar, and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served in Operation Enduring Freedom. Nick is currently serving his first term as an Independent member. | |
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Erin Andica Athlete Representative Melissa, TX board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2024 |
| Erin Wallace Andica began weightlifting at Louisiana State University-Shreveport in 2006. She is a 2x National Champion and has competed for Team USA in the Pan American Championships, World Championships, and Summer Universiade. She has served as Team Leader at all levels of the Pan American Championships, as well as having been a member of the Athlete Advisory Council. She was elected to the board in 2020 and is the chair of the USA Weightlifting Athlete Advisory Council and is the USA Weightlifting Representative to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council. | |
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Jordan Cantrell Athlete Representative Clovis, CA board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2024 |
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Jordan Cantrell was elected as an Elite Athlete Director in 2020 and is currently the alternate USA Weightlifting Representative on the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council.
A native of Clovis, California, Jordan lifts for Mash Elite Weightlifting and has represented Team USA in international competition at the Junior and Senior level, including appearances at the 2018 and 2019 IWF World Weightlifting Championships.
Jordan’s many accolades include silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Championships. |
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Jessica Lucero Athlete Representative Orange, CA board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2022 |
| Jessica Lucero was elected as an Elite Athlete Director in 2020. A veteran of Team USA, Jessica has represented the United States in international competition since 2015, including four consecutive appearances at the IWF World Weightlifting Championships.
Jessica is a three-time American Record holder and four-time National Champion.
A native of Altamonte Springs, Florida, Jessica now lives in Southern California. She retired as an athlete in 2020 after a 16 year career. She currently coaches 2016 Olympian and Tokyo 2020 hopeful Mattie Sasser. |
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John McGovern San Diego, CA |
| John McGovern was elected as an Elite Athlete Director in 2020. John is the 2014 National Champion in the 85kg bodyweight category. He has represented Team USA in international competition several times, including the 2012 IWF Junior World Championships, 2014 Pan American Championships and the 2015 IWF Grand Prix. John currently is stationed in San Diego and serves the nation in the United States Navy. He was instrumental in creating the Military Medal awarded to servicemembers at each USA Weightlifting National Competition. John is also a member of USA Weightlifting’s Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee and USAW’s Athlete Advisory Council in an ex-officio role. | |
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Mario Dispenza Technical Director Catonsville, MD board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2022-2022 |
| Mario has served in the role of competition secretary five times at national-level meets and worked as a technical official at more than 40 meets. The founder and head coach of Dispenza Weightlifting, LLC and OSS Weightlifting Club, Dispenza has mentored seven USA Weightlifting members on their path to becoming technical officials themselves. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Kean University, certified public accountant certification in the state of Virginia and his J.D. from George Washington University Law School. Holding top-secret clearance for over 25 years, he was a special agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from 1985-2012, also serving as counsel for both the bureau and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary during the latter years of that time. | |
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Sally Van de Water Technical Member Highland Park, NJ board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2024 |
| Sally has been an active in USA Weightlifting since 2004, first volunteering at local meets and then joining the ranks of WSO and then National and IWF technical officials. Although she enjoys all the roles offered to TOs, her favorite by far is Speaker. She has been fortunate to be the Speaker at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Senior World Championships, the 2019 Youth World Championships, and the 2019 Tokyo Test Event in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. She and partner Mike McKenna co-own McKenna’s Gym in Highland Park, NJ. Where she works to make weightlifting and strength sports accessible to everyone. | |
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Jasha Faye Grassroots Member San Rafael, CA board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2018-2022 |
| A former Olympic Training Center resident athlete, Faye is now a coach of Marin Heavy Athletics. Active in the sport since 1987, Faye represented the United States at the World level and held the Junior American Record in the snatch. Faye also participated in the 1996 Olympic Trials as an athlete. As a referee, Faye has achieved his IWF Category 1 status and has officiated throughout the Pan American region. | |
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Michael Choi At-Large Member Washington, DC board@usaweightlifting.org Term: 2020-2024 |
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Choi was elected as an At-Large Director in 2020. The founder of DC Weightlifting, he is also a career technologist who lives and works in the nation's capital.
Choi currently serves the sport as a technical official, holding the IWF’s highest rank of Category 1 Referee. He formerly served on the USA Weightlifting Master’s Committee and is the current president of the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, DC WSO Board of Directors. |
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