Joel Shinofield Named CEO of USRowing

Joel Shinofield has been appointed chief executive officer of USRowing by the national governing body’s board of directors. He will start in his new role on October 13.

Shinofield has been at USA Swimming since 2018, most recently serving as managing director, sport development. He has been responsible for more than 60% of revenue, which equated to roughly $24 million in 2024, and served more than 370,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.

Elevate’s executive search practice led the hiring process that engaged more than 200 members of the rowing community.

“Over the duration of the search, we listened to our community — members, athletes, coaches, clubs, and partners — about what they needed in a CEO,” said Robert Zagunis, Chair of USRowing’s Board of Directors and USRowing Foundation Trustee. “The profile they shaped called for a leader with deep national governing body experience, a member-first orientation, and the discipline to modernize how we serve this sport. Joel Shinofield is that leader. He has spent his career strengthening Olympic sport across the national governing body, collegiate, and club levels, and we are confident he will build on our current momentum and lead USRowing to new heights as we head toward LA28 and beyond.”

Peter Roby, who had served as interim CEO since April, will move into a senior advisor role. Former CEO Amanda Kraus stepped down last spring after five years as CEO.

While at USA Swimming, Shinofield led a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment in coach education and certification, oversaw the organization’s digital transformation and spearheaded more than $1.4 million in annual grant funding.

“I am honored to join USRowing at such a pivotal moment for this sport,” said Shinofield. “Everything in my career — as a coach, an executive director, and a leader within Olympic sport — has been about strengthening the pathways that let athletes participate and excel. The rowing world is passionate and deeply invested in this sport’s success. I look forward to quickly becoming a member of the community, meeting our stakeholders at upcoming events, and working together to build on the strong momentum already in place.”

Before joining USA Swimming, Shinofield served from 2012 to 2018 as Executive Director of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). Prior to that he was head coach, director of aquatics, and associate professor at Washington and Lee University from 2003 to 2012. He swam in high school and was a volunteer assistant coach in the sport at the University of Minnesota, where he met his wife, Aubrey Borland Shinofield, who was a rowing coach for the Golden Gophers after being part of a national championship team in the sport at Princeton.