USA Triathlon has named Deb Wilson as Commissioner of Officials, a role responsible for interpreting and enforcing the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules and supervising a nationwide US network of Regional Officials Coordinators. Wilson assumes the role full-time on April 9, and will work remotely out of Rutland, Massachusetts.
Wilson replaces Charlie Crawford, who announced his retirement in January after 21 years as USA Triathlon’s first full-time Commissioner of Officials. Thomas Reilly was initially named as Crawford’s replacement on March 1, but was unable to assume the role based on the advice of his physicians due to an unexpected health issue.
Category I USA Triathlon Official, Wilson started in the USA Triathlon Officials Program in 2010. She assumed the role of Regional Officials Coordinator for the Northeast Region in 2013. In that position, she was responsible for recruiting, training, supervising and assigning officials to USA Triathlon sanctioned events in her region.
“With her vast officiating experience and dedication to the multisport community, Deb stood out immediately as a strong candidate for this position,” said Rocky Harris, CEO at USA Triathlon. “We are proud to welcome her to USA Triathlon’s full-time staff and are confident she will positively impact both the officials program and the experience of our athletes at USA Triathlon-sanctioned events.”
“I am truly honoured to be selected as Commissioner of Officials, and am excited to join the dedicated and talented staff at USA Triathlon in supporting the triathlon community,” Deb Wilson said. “The officials in our program come from all walks of life to work as an official because they love the sport. I look forward to meeting with the many people who help make our work so meaningful and having the opportunity to serve with current and future officials to grow our program and sport. I would like to thank Charlie Crawford for the work he has done for the sport over many years, and for his mentorship throughout my career.”
Deb Wilson has experience officiating at the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, Collegiate Club National Championships and Northeast Regional Championships. She also served as head official for the elite races at the New York City Triathlon and Rev3 Quassy, two of the most competitive professional non-drafting triathlons in the US.
She has also held certifications as a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Race Director, USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach and USA Cycling Level 2 Certified Coach.
Wilson joins USA Triathlon from Babcock Power, where she worked as an HRIS & Benefits Analyst starting in 2015. She was a business analyst and programmer at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 2013-14, and held various positions in systems analysis, office management and computer operations at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, from 2000-13.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Wilson is an advocate for animal-assisted therapies and is an ambassador and mentor for the non-profit organization Pet Partners.
