Colorado State’s Head of Health and Exercise Science Named President of American College of Sports Medicine Foundation

The head of Colorado State University’s Department of Health and Exercise Science has been appointed president of the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation.

Professor Richard Gay Israel will lead ACSM’s fundraising and development programs. Additionally, he will oversee the ACSM Foundation grants program, which each year awards nearly $100,000 in grants to aspiring young ACSM investigators.

The ACSM Foundation funds health and fitness programs and campaigns with a variety of corporate and non-profit friends.  Israel, a Fellow of the College, will manage both volunteer and industry resources to link local, regional and national corporate resources to ACSM to promote physical activity and advance sports medicine through research, education and advocacy.  

"ACSM is quite fortunate to have Gay leading our Foundation," said James R. Whitehead, ACSM executive vice president. "He is a master at developing partnerships that exceed expectations. For our partners in the business world, as well as philanthropy, that means their business objectives are met in a highly effective and efficient fashion. For ACSM, it means we have additional resources to improve the public’s health and advance scientific and clinical discovery.

"Gay is not only an expert in the field he serves, but a volunteer who has the spirit to lead ACSM to financial and programmatic growth."

Israel’s goals include a major strategic review of the Foundation’s mission, operations, partnerships, people resources, and endowments during the first quarter of 2005.

"This is an exciting time to lead the Foundation because, in our 51st year as a professional society, we are financially and programmatically very strong – thus, the Foundation’s efforts can be focused on growing our research endowments, funding cutting-edge research, and grass roots public information campaigns aimed at improving the health and well being of the U.S. population," Israel said.

Along with serving as the head of the Department of Health and Exercise Science, Israel is the executive director of Human Performance Clinical/Research Laboratory at Colorado State. He has served ACSM on a number of member committees since 1994, including as chair of the Strategic Planning, Advancement, and Communications and Public Information Committees. He has served as a member of the board of trustees for four years, as well as a two-year term as vice president.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 International, National, and Regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

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