The first meeting of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) was held at the 1928 Olympics. In 1954, American physical educators, physiologists, and physicians belonging to FIMS formed their own American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In 1972 the Midwest Regional Chapter became the first regional chapter of ACSM. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a small number of southern California members of ACSM were meeting sporadically and contemplating the formation of a regional chapter. However, not until 1975 did another attempt by southern Californians successfully lead to the granting of a provisional charter by ACSM to the Southern California Chapter (SCC) in 1977. This was expected to lead to a full permanent chapter in 1981 but a movement on another much larger geographical front postponed this scheduled chartership.
At the May 1980 annual ACSM Convention in Las Vegas, a fortuitous combined meeting of some SCC members and some ACSM members from Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico led to the formation of the Southwest Regional Chapter (SWACSM). A planning meeting of SWACSM was held at the next year’s annual ACSM Convention in Miami. SWACSM held its first convention in November of 1981 in Las Vegas. That same year SWACSM was granted a provisional charter by ACSM.
In the summer of 1982 seven ACSM members from southern California, Utah, and Nevada met all day at Orange Coast College to revise the SCC’s constitution to meet the needs of the newly founded southwest chapter; they also planned the second annual SWACSM convention. In 1985 the Southwest Chapter was granted permanent status by ACSM.
Executive Director Years
Gene Adams, Ph.D. FACSM 1981-1985
Gary Adams, Ph.D., FACSM 1986-1990
Joseph Mastrapaolo &Gail Butterfield 1990 (acting)
Gail Butterfield, Ph.D., R.D., FACSM 1991-1993
Lawrence Golding, Ph.D., FACSM 1994-2000
Steven Loy, Ph.D., FACSM 2001-2003
Jack Young, Ph.D., FACSM 2004-2022
Ben B. Yaspelkis, Ph.D., FACSM 2023-
President Year State
Gary Adams, Ph.D. 1982 NV
James McIlwain, M.A. 1983 CA
Fred Roby, Ph.D. 1984 AZ
Robert Ruhling, Ph.D. 1985 UT
Robert Bielen, M.D. 1986 CA
Robert Conlee, Ph.D. 1987 UT
George Brooks, Ph.D. 1988 CA
Garth Fisher, Ph.D. 1989 UT
Gail Butterfield, Ph.D. 1990 CA
Christine Wells, Ph.D. 1991 AZ
Robert Wiswell, Ph.D. 1992 CA
Larry Verity, Ph.D. 1993 CA
Larry Golding, Ph.D. 1994 NV
Steven Loy, Ph.D. 1995 CA
Marta Van Loan, Ph.D. 1996 CA
Ron Deitrick, Ph.D. 1997 CA
Fred Baldini, Ph.D. 1998 CA
William Beam, Ph.D 1999 CA
Paul Mole, Ph.D. 2000 CA
William Whiting, Ph.D. 2001 CA
Marialice Kern, Ph.D. 2002 CA
Steven Davis, Ph.D. 2003 CA
Richard Coast, Ph.D. 2004 AZ
Jack Azevedo, Ph.D. 2005 CA
Pamela Swan, Ph.D. 2006 AZ
Ben Yaspelkis, Ph.D 2007 CA
Barbara Ainsworth, Ph.D. 2008 AZ
Fred Kolkhorst, Ph.D. 2009 CA
Steven Hawkins, Ph.D. 2010 CA
Michael Hogan, Ph.D. 2011 CA
John Mercer, Ph.D 2012 NV
Lee Brown, Ed.D. 2013 CA
Matt Lee, Ph.D. 2014 CA
Glenn Gaesser 2016 CA
Dale Wagner 2017 UT
Ann Gibson 2018 NM
Todd Astorino 2019 CA
Michele LeBlanc 2020 CA
Marci Raney 2021 CA
Kimberly Henige 2022 CA
Trevor Gillum 2023 CA
Jenevieve Roper 2024 CA
Kenneth Vitale 2025 CA
Assistant or Associate Executive Director Years
Gene Adams, Ph.D., FACSM 1986-1990
Joseph Mastrapaolo, Ph.D., FACSM 1988-1990
Gail Butterfield, Ph.D., FACSM 1990
Mrs. Jeanette Butterfield (Gail’s mother) 1991-1993
Ben Yaspelkis, Ph.D., FACSM 2010- 2022
Member-at-Large Years State
Robert Conlee, Ph.D. 1981-1983 UT
Robert Bielen, M.D. 1982-1984 CA
Janet Lunn, M.A. 1983-1985 CA
George Brooks, Ph.D. 1984-1986 CA
John Pagliano, D.P.M. 1985-1987 CA
Gail Butterfield, Ph.D. 1986-1988 CA
Anne Atwater, Ph.D. 1987-1989 AZ
Steven Van Camp, M.D. 1988-1990 CA
Lawrence Golding, Ph.D. 1989-1991 AZ
Norman James, M.S. 1990-1992 CA
Steven Loy, Ph.D. 1991-1993 CA
Diane Tracy/Ted Adams 1992-1994 UT
Fred Baldini, Ph.D. 1993-1995 CA
Carol Meredith 1993 1993-1995 CA
Casey Donovan, Ph.D. 1994-1996 CA
Priscilla MacRae, Ph.D. 1995-1997 CA
Wayne Willis, Ph.D. 1996-1998 AZ
Fran Weber, M.A. 1996-1998 CA
Jack Young, Ph.D. 1997-1999 NV
Marialice Kern, Ph.D. 1998-2000 CA
Jennifer Thompson, M.S. 1998-2000 CA
Ken Sumida, Ph.D. 1999-2001 CA
Janice Thompson, Ph.D. 2000-2002 NM
Helen DeMarco-Ziraldo, R.D. 2001-2003 CA
Julie Rounds, M.S. 2001-2002 CA
Pat Vehrs, Ph.D. 2001-2002 UT
Sue Biedma 2001-2003 CA
Patricia Eisenman, Ph.D. 2002-04 UT
Ben Yaspelkis, Ph.D. 2003-05 CA
Pat Vehrs, Ph.D. 2004-06 UT
Jennifer Blevins, Ph.D. 2005-07 AZ
Steve Hawkins, Ph.D. 2006-08 CA
Felicia Greer, Ph.D. 2007-09 CA
John Mercer, Ph.D. 2007-09 NV
Michele LeBlanc, Ph.D. 2008-10 CA
Linda Wilkin, Ph.D. 2009-11 CA
Guillermo Noffal, Ph.D. 2010-12 CA
Larry Verity, Ph.D. 2010-12 CA
Matt Lee, Ph.D. 2011-13 CA
Marci Raney, Ph.D. 2012-14 CA
Todd Astorino, Ph.D. 2013-15 CA
Dale Wagner, Ph.D. 2013-15 UT
Ann Gibson, Ph.D. 2014-16 NM
Trevor Gillum, Ph.D. 2015-17 CA
Micah Drummond, Ph.D. 2016-18 UT
Nicole Dabbs, Ph.D. 2016-18 CA
Kim Henige, Ed.D 2017-19 CA
Sarah Dunn, Ph.D. 2018-20 CA
Jenevieve Roper, Ph.D. 2019-2022 CA
Ken Vitale, MD 2019-2022 CA
Jenevieve Roper, Ph.D. 2019-2021 CA
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