"We are excited to have Tom, Deborah, and Blake aboard," said USRF Chair Bill McNabb, former Chairman and CEO of Vanguard. "Each brings different and valuable perspectives and skill sets which help ensure that our foundation board reflects the greater rowing community in the USA," continued McNabb.
Thomas W. Cornacchia (Darien, Conn.) was a varsity member of the heavyweight rowing team at Columbia University from 1981 to 1985 and stroked the Columbia varsity four at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1985. Cornacchia had an impressive 30 year career in finance, retiring in 2017 as a partner at Goldman Sachs as co-head of global FICC sales. He has been active in supporting the Columbia rowing program and, along with his wife, established a program endowment for Columbia Rowing in 2011. He currently serves on Columbia's Athletics Leadership Council in addition to Columbia's Rowing Advisory Committee. Cornacchia has been a supporter and advisor to the Row New York program as well as serving as president of Connecticut Boat Club, a high school women's rowing program, in his local community from 2012 to 2022. He has five children including a daughter who rowed competitively on the U19 national team.
"I am grateful for the foundation, life lessons and relationships that rowing has given me over the years, and I am especially interested in helping to support the U.S. national team. I'm looking forward to working with the foundation trustees and other USRowing supporters to provide every opportunity for our athletes to be successful," said Cornacchia.
Deborah DiSanzo (Andover, Mass.) is President and CEO of Best Buy Health for Best Buy Co. Inc. and is responsible for the company's health technology business. Deborah has more than 30 years of experience as a leader focusing on health care and technology and currently teaches AI in Health and Managing Information in Health care at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
"Rowing has provided incredible opportunities and joy for my family, and I am excited to have this opportunity to give back to the sport," said DiSanzo. "Joining this esteemed group of trustees is an honor, and I look forward to finding ways that I can contribute to the success of rowing in this country."
DiSanzo holds a B.S. from Merrimack College and an MBA from Babson College. She is a Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow and serves on the board of AstraZeneca.
Blake Haxton (Dublin, Ohio) represented the U.S. as a member of the U.S. Paralympic rowing team at the World Rowing Championships and Paralympic Games from 2014 to 2020. Following the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where he placed 4th, Blake was awarded the 2016 USRowing Male Athlete of the Year, an honor bestowed by his Olympic and Paralympic teammates, making him the first ever para-athlete to win this honor. After his rowing career, Blake joined the U.S. Sprint Canoe Team and has been named to the 2024 Paralympic Sprint Canoe team for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Blake earned his law degree from Ohio State in 2016 and currently works as a Research Analyst for Brandywine Global Investment Management in Columbus, Ohio,
"Being a USA athlete has been an enormous honor," said Haxton. "As a still-active competitor, I hope to bring a unique perspective to the USRowing Foundation. Through this new role with the foundation, I will be looking for ways to support Team USA, and promote our high-performance programs and athletes," continued Haxton.