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NAHL U.S. National Team

Keith Gizzi Named USA Hockey Foundation's First-Ever Chief Development Officer

September 21, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Keith Gizzi (Plymouth, Mass.), who has spent the last three years as the director of athletic development at Boston University, was today named The USA Hockey Foundation's first-ever Chief Development Officer.

Gizzi (pronounced JIHT-zee) will serve as the first full-time employee devoted exclusively to The USA Hockey Foundation, and will establish and execute a fund-raising program that will provide financial resources to promote the long-term growth of hockey in the United States.

"Keith's hiring signals a significant step forward for The USA Hockey Foundation" said Ron DeGregorio, president of USA Hockey and The USA Hockey Foundation. "He has the experience level and passion to help advance the mission of The Foundation."

"The USA Hockey Foundation is a wonderful organization with outstanding potential," said Gizzi. "The commitment of The Foundation's Board of Directors to elevate and prioritize fund raising to positively transform the future of hockey in the United States makes me tremendously excited about joining the team."

During his three-year stint as the director of athletic development at Boston University, Gizzi oversaw all fund raising and alumni relations for the University's 24-sport NCAA Division I athletic program. In addition to helping secure gift income of $24 million over the last three years, he managed the latter stages of a capital campaign that raised $60 million. Further, the endowed scholarship and planned giving programs he initiated brought in over $1.3 million in their first year.

"Keith brings a background in multiple areas that will be highly beneficial to The USA Hockey Foundation," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey and The USA Hockey Foundation. "We're extremely pleased he's agreed to join us and look forward to his leadership in building the assets of The Foundation that will benefit our sport."

Prior to his time at BU, Gizzi spent two years each at B.C. Harris Publishing Company in Albany, N.Y., and MyPersonal.com in Boston. His other professional fund-raising experience includes a three-year stay in The Ohio State University's athletic department, where he served as the assistant director of marketing and promotions and solicited annual suite revenues of $3 million and annual corporate sponsorships exceeding $1 million. Finally, as a commercial litigation attorney for five years at Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn (Columbus, Ohio), he represented corporations and individuals in cases involving issues such as contracts, securities and estate planning.

A 1985 graduate of Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.) with a bachelor's degree in history, Gizzi was a four-year varsity football and track letter winner during his undergraduate education. From there, he went on to the University of Texas Law School, where he earned a J.D. degree in 1991. His education continued at Ohio State, where he graduated in 1997 with a master's degree in sport management.

Gizzi will begin his duties with The USA Hockey Foundation on Oct. 9.

The USA Hockey Foundation

As the charitable and educational arm for USA Hockey, Inc., The USA Hockey Foundation is governed by an 18-person Board of Directors. Established in 1989, The Foundation's primary goals are to enhance USA Hockey's mission and activities; to provide funding for education and training of high-performance athletes; and to provide opportunities for greater participation in the sport throughout the country.

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