This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 24, 1994

        PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF 14 MEMBERS TO THE 
         PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORTS

The President today announced his appointment of 14 members to the 20-member President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports advises the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on ways to energize Americans to become more physically active, and as a result, healthier and more physically fit.

President Clinton sought individuals from a wide range of backgrounds with outstanding records of leadership and community involvement. The appointees come from the fields of medicine, professional and amateur sports, physical education and training, and advocacy for physically disabled persons.

The members appointed by the President today are as follows:

ELIZABETH ARENDT of Minnesota

Dr. Arendt, an orthopedic surgeon, is the Director of the Sports Medicine Institute at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Arendt is the first female medical director for a Big Ten athletic department, and only the second in the history of NCAA Division I.

JEFF BLATNICK of New York
Mr. Blatnick won the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal in Greco-Roman wrestling after overcoming cancer. He is currently a television commentator and motivational speaker.

RALPH BOSTON of Tennessee
Mr. Boston is a member of the Tennessee State Governor's Council and Chairman of the State games program, Sportsfest. He is also a three-time Olympic medal winner and has committed a substantial portion of his career to developing athletic programs for inner-city and disadvantaged youth.

DON CASEY of Massachusetts
Mr. Casey is the Assistant Coach of the Boston Celtics. He has been the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and Temple University and an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls.

ROCKNE FREITAS of Hawaii
Mr. Freitas is Vice President for University Relations and former Associate Athletic Director at the University of Hawaii. He holds a PhD in Education and has done extensive research on drug education and substance abuse monitoring in intercollegiate athletics. Mr. Freitas is an elected Trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and played professional football for the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1967-1978.

ZINA GARRISON-JACKSON of Texas
Ms. Garrison-Jackson is one of the highest ranking American women in professional tennis. Ms. Garrison-Jackson grew up playing on the public courts in the Houston public park system, where she now runs a tennis program for underprivileged children.

CALVIN HILL of Maryland
Mr. Hill is currently a Vice President of the Baltimore Orioles. In his career as a professional football player with the Dallas Cowboys, Mr. Hill was Rookie of the Year, and a four-time All-Pro selection. He is also a consultant to Mental Health Management Inc., a company specializing in the treatment of psychiatric problems and chemical abuse.

JIMMIE HUEGA of Colorado
Mr. Heuga was a member of the United States Olympic Ski Team and won a silver medal at the 1964 Olympic Games. After contracting Multiple Sclerosis in the 1970s, Mr. Heuga has become very active in the treatment of MS, having founded the Jimmie Heuga Center, a non-profit scientific research organization and clinic which focuses on treating both the physical and psychological effects of the disease.

JUDITH PINERO KIEFFER of California
Ms. Kieffer is currently Vice President for Grants and Programs at the Amateur Athletic Foundation, an organization which funds city sports programs in Los Angeles with 1984 Olympic surplus funds. An accomplished marathoner, Ms. Kieffer was Manager for both the men's and women's marathons at the 1984 Olympics.

DEBORAH SLANER LARKIN of New York
Ms. Larkin is the former Executive Director of the Women's Sports Foundation, where she developed National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

IRA LEESFIELD of Florida
Mr. Leesfield is an organizer of the Miami Heat Corporate Education program, a partnership between South Florida businesses and the Miami Heat to help improve public education for inner city children. He is also the sponsor of an athletic scholarship at Florida Atlantic University, and has founded the Leesfield Family Foundation, a charitable trust established to give underprivileged children greater access to organized sports. Mr. Leesfield is also former Secretary of Student Athletics at the University of Florida.

JACK MILLS of South Carolina
Mr. Mills is a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Tennis Association, and is the International Tennis Foundation/US Tennis Association Coordinator for the 1996 Olympics.

KEVIN SAUNDERS of Texas
Mr. Saunders was named Best All-Around Wheelchair Athlete in the World in 1990, the same year in which he won five gold medals at the Paralympics. He started the "Wheelchair Success Fund" to give other wheelchair users an opportunity to participate in athletics.

AMBER TRAVSKY of Wyoming
Mayor Travsky is Mayor of Laramie, WY. He has taught karate, women's self defense, skiing, cardiovascular conditioning and racquetball and holds a Masters degree in exercise physiology and cardiac rehabilitation. Mayor Travsky is the founder of the Laramie Triathlon, and of a "Minitriathlon" for children as part of the Drug Free Schools Program.

-30-30-30-