In December 2024, a report by ProPublica came out claiming USA Track & Field (USATF) has been facing financial challenges. It claimed that USATF has filed its tax return for 2023, and according to it, the organization is in a financial crisis. Their expenditure in 2023 was approximately 13.7 percent more than the revenue earned by the organization. And now some other details have come up!

Now the USATF is possibly experiencing the departure of some high-ranking staff members. According to Letsrun.com and their sources, on January 31, USATF made this decision as part of “an organizational restructure.” At the start of 2024 itself, Norman Wain left USATF. Next in line to disassociate was Ryan Cash, who left in the summer of 2024 along with Zack Raubuck. Then Adam Schmenk left in December 2024. And again in January 2025, three of the high-ranking officials left the organization, but Letsrun has termed it as they “were let go.”

The names of these three officers are Aarti Parekh, Aretha Thurmond, and Robin Beamon.  And for the position they held, Aarti Parekh was the Chief Communications Officer. Though there is no information as of now on her future endeavors, Parekh joined USATF in March 2023 with diverse work experience in sports. 

Aretha Thurmond had been working with USATF for nearly 12 years before she left. She was last working as Chief of Athlete Services and International Teams in the organization. Whereas Norm Wain was General Counsel and Chief of Business & Legal Affairs at USATF and Robin Beamon was Director of Outreach & Grassroots Programs.

Adam Schmenk was the Chief Content Officer, Zack Raubuck was the Director of Events, and Ryan Cash was the Associate Director of Events. Schmenk was one of the organization’s longest-serving employees at the time of his departure and was working as Chief Content Officer at the time of departure.

The reasons behind these exits appear to be multifaceted. But Letsrun.com suggests that, as per their multiple sources, the recent layoffs were part of a cost-saving measure amid the organization’s financial reports that came out in December 2024.

Also, the website claimed that Wain, Schmenk, Thurmond, and Parekh, made it to the nine highest-paid employees list in the USATF. In 2023, they each made between $177,000 and $270,000, yet their aggregate pay was still far less than USATF CEO Max Siegel’s $1.17 million. But the website also did mention nothing has been confirmed directly by the organization or the ex-employees.

But what was the report that started the speculation in the first place?  

USATF reportedly faced financial losses in 2023

Financial records reveal that USATF reported a $5.6 million loss in 2023, with revenues declining to $35.01 million from $37.94 million the previous year. This downturn has resulted in net assets plunging to negative $4.49 million by the end of 2023. The 2023 tax return not only reported a $5.6 million loss but, also revealed that USATF’s reserves had dwindled from $597,933 in 2022 to a deficit of nearly $4.491 million in 2023. 

However, according to USATF, the reported $5.6 million deficit in 2023 is attributed to strategic, board-approved investments aimed at enhancing athlete performance and event quality, as well as non-cash losses related to uniform VIK. These events provided prize money, travel support, and world-ranking opportunities, resulting in 19 athletes competing in the 2023 World Championships and qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

Also, they further added that every dollar spent in 2023 on these exceptional, one-time costs was an investment in athletic success. They directly contributed to Team USA’s historic 34-medal performance in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

And their finances have improved considerably in 2024. In 2024, USATF maintained healthy financials, including 1.07 million dollars in cash reserves, 10.62 million dollars in investments, and 7.26 million dollars in deferred revenue. Thus, it cannot be said with surety what was the exact reason behind the departure of the officials from USATF.