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USA Water Ski announced on Monday that Executive Director Steve McDermeit has submitted his resignation. McDermeit has been employed with USA Water Ski for the past 13 years. He has served as executive director of the world's largest water ski federation since 1997.Besides overseeing USA Water Ski during a period of unprecedented membership growth, McDermeit was instrumental in USA Water Ski launching its ever-popular grassroots series of events - National Ski League, National Wakeboard League and National Barefoot League - in 1998; adding wakeboarding and hydrofoiling to the organization's list of affiliated sport disciplines in 1999 and 2005, respectively; more than doubling the cash-prize purse of the U.S. Open Water Ski Championships from $50,000 to more than $100,000; and increasing the number of issues of The Water Skier magazine from seven issues per year to an industry-leading nine issues per year. McDermeit also was a key figure in the reorganization of the American Water Ski Association to USA Water Ski and the move of USA Water Ski's headquarters facility from Winter Haven, Fla., to a state-of-the-art facility along the I-4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa. The facility opened in 2000 and now includes a record-capability water ski lake.
"The past 13 years with USA Water Ski - and more specifically, the past 9 years as the lead executive officer - have been some of the best years of my life," McDermeit said. "I am really blessed to have been involved with so many exciting programs and events and to have established so many friendships as a result of my employment with USA Water Ski. I will truly miss the headquarters' staff and the many other volunteers with whom I have worked."
McDermeit submitted his resignation to USA Water Ski President Sherm Schraft and the USA Water Ski board of directors. "This is a very sad day for USA Water Ski," Schraft said. "Steve is the best executive director that this organization has ever had. It will be very hard to find a replacement that is as hard working and as dedicated as Steve McDermeit."
Schraft has appointed Tom Ghiloni, vice president of USA Water Ski, to chair a five-person search committee to find a replacement.
