The Green Sports Alliance today announced that the organization’s president Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, has decided to step aside from his formal role within the Alliance in order to intensify his green sports initiatives internationally.

 
Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, co-founder of the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) and one of the “Founding Fathers” of the North American sports-greening movement, is moving on from his role as president of the Alliance to work on building a similar movement overseas. Allen’s departure takes effect June 30, following the sixth annual Green Sports Summit, which takes place next Tuesday-Thursday in Houston. Executive Director and Alliance co-founder Justin Zeulner will continue to run day-to-day operations.
 

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, co-founder and outgoing president of the Green Sports Alliance. (Photo credit: Green Sports Alliance)

 
According to Scott Jenkins, the Alliance’s chairman of the board, “as a result of Allen’s leadership, the organization is stronger than ever. Thanks to his mentorship of staff, the organization’s board development, and expanding partnerships across the industry, the Green Sports Alliance leads from a broad base of committed experts with knowledge and experience in all facets of the greening of sports.” Jenkins added “the move is part of a leadership transition plan that has been in the works for some time. We will maintain a close relationship and continue to benefit from Allen’s vision and enthusiasm.”
During Hershkowitz’s tenure as President of the GSA:

• The organization’s revenues more than doubled;
• Membership grew by more than 20 percent;
• A Corporate Member Network was created;
• The influence and visibility of the organization grew internationally.

Hershkowitz played a key role in the organization’s early growth– first as a board member, then more recently as its president. What started as a six-team group in the Pacific Northwest is now a 370-plus member organization that serves all North American major and minor leagues, teams, and venues; NASCAR; USTA; collegiate sports; and a growing number of international sports entities. Through convening key stakeholders and sharing best practices, the Alliance enables leagues, teams and venues to green their operations more effectively and more profitably while involving fans in important greening initiatives. Today, the Green Sports Alliance is considered the leader in the global sports greening movement.
In a conversation this afternoon, Hershkowitz shared that his next “big picture goal is to further broaden the impact of the environmental movement and the climate change fight through the platform of sports.” The way he sees it, since the platform for green-sports in North America is on established, solid ground with the GSA, building a green-sports movement overseas and an organization that will serve it is the next big opportunity and, thus, is his best next step.
Hershkowitz will work with UEFA^ and other European sports federations to build a sports-greening organization from the ground up. The timing appears to be right for it: Hershkowitz noted that “the climate change fight and, more broadly, the environmental movement, are more mature and accepted in Europe than in the US. And many European sports federations, leagues, NGOs and corporations, having seen the work of the Alliance, are ready to get on board with sports-greening.”
But before Hershkowitz shifts his energies more fully to the other side of the pond, there is next week’s GSA summit in Houston and his final President’s Address. ”My time at GSA has been rewarding,” said Hershkowitz, “I look forward to broadening the scope of my sports greening work by fostering an international coalition that builds upon many of our accomplishments here in the United States.”
 

^ UEFA is the governing body of European professional soccer including the EURO 2016 tournament.

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