Irvine, CA – April 29, 2019 – USA Water Polo is proud to announce the addition of four members to the USA Water Polo Board of Directors. Gerrit Adams, Susan Bao, Laura Muller and Ted Weggeland were approved to join the board in a unanimous vote held on April 28 in Irvine, California. The four bring tremendous experience in a variety of sectors in the business world buoyed by a love and appreciation for the sport of water polo with years spent supporting the game in and out of the water.
"We are delighted to add four new talented and passionate individuals to our board. They represent a range of geographies and skills that will make an important contribution to the leadership of our sport," said Michael Graff, Chairman, USA Water Polo Board of Directors.
More on the new board members:
Gerrit Adams has worked for a family office investment firm, Henry Crown and Company, since 2009 and is involved in the firm's venture investments in the healthcare sector. He currently serves as a director of Relign Corporation, Solace Therapeutics and Corinth MedTech. Adams also serves on the board of the Ted Mullin Fund. A graduate of Brown University, Adams captained the Bears water polo team earning CWPA All-Academic, All-Ivy, All-North, and All-East accolades. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Brown, Adams went on to earn an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. A longtime coach of both water polo and swimming, he currently resides in Chicago, IL and actively coaches and plays.
Susan Bao is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of JP Morgan Asset Management, a global leader in investment management and private banking. With more than two decades of investment experience, Bao manages several Large Cap U.S. Equity strategies with over $30 Billion of client assets. Bao earned a Bachelor of Science from Centenary College before earning an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business. Bao joined the water polo community in recent years thanks to her sons' involvement in Splashball. She resides in Rye, New York, with her husband and two sons. Bao is active in her community and is currently serving on the board of Rye Country Day School and the Rye Art Center.
Laura Muller is the President of Capital Bank & Trust, Capital Group Companies. She previously served as a Senior Vice President with Capital Group Companies Information Technology Group. There she was responsible for the American Funds Service and Retirement Plan Services technology group and Global Business Service technology group. Before joining the Capital Group, Muller was a senior partner within Capital Markets division of Accenture and also spent several years at Bank of America leading the Retirement Services technology and operations group. Water polo has been an important part of her life as her son Jeffrey plays club and high school water polo in Orange County. Muller earned a BBA in Finance from Baylor University and resides in Dana Point, CA with her husband, Joe and two children.
Ted Weggeland is the founder of the Raincross Corporate Group. Based in Riverside, California, RCG is comprised of multiple companies, including Raincross Hospitality Corporation, which operates the Riverside Convention Center, Riverside Convention & Visitors Bureau, Film Riverside, and Taste! Catering. Raincross Advisors, Inc., a boutique government relations firm, represents real estate and clean energy interests. Raincross Development Company develops residential real estate in Inland Southern California. Prior to forming these companies, Ted was a Senior Vice President with the Entrepreneurial Corporate Group. He was also a member of the California State Assembly, where he chaired the Committee on Banking and Finance, and was later a member of the California Travel & Tourism Commission. No stranger to water polo, Ted's two sons played for SOCAL Water Polo Club before each entering the US Naval Academy, where Will captained the water polo team and graduated in 2016, and where Jack currently competes in the sport. A graduate of UCLA, Ted and his wife Jennifer endowed the university's first women's water polo scholarship. Ted also initiated and chaired the effort to build the Riverside Aquatics Complex, and in 2012 he founded the Riverside Sports Commission. A member of the board of trustees of the National World War II Museum, Ted serves the museum as Corporate Secretary and chairs its Marketing Committee. Ted and Jennifer reside in Riverside.
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc., is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 45,000 members, USAWP also is the sanctioning authority for more than 500 member clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the U.S., fostering grass-roots expansion of the sport and providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials.
