LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) announced the appointment of Bob Gobrecht as President and Chief Executive Officer.
"We are very fortunate to have someone the caliber of Bob Gobrecht leading Special Olympics Southern California," says Patrick McClenahan, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "His experience, knowledge, and people skills make him perfectly suited to lead this organization. Our special athletes, dedicated staff, and invaluable volunteers should be very optimistic about the future."
As a seasoned sports executive with over 25 years experience with the Walt Disney Company, the Anaheim Angels, the Seattle Mariners, IEG and Seattle Seafair, Mr. Gobrecht brings a new level expertise and knowledge to Special Olympics Southern California.
Mr. Gobrecht earned his BS and MBA from USC and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Sport Management at California State University Long Beach.
Mr. Gobrecht is no stranger to Special Olympics; he previously served as a consultant to Special Olympics Inc. and conducted sponsorship seminars for Special Olympics National Program leaders from over 100 countries, working through IEG, an international consulting organization.
Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) serves over 11,000 children and adults with mental retardation in an 11-county region of Southern California. The program offers sports training and competition in 23 individual team sports on a year-round basis. Athletes range in age from 8 to 80. SOCS is one of 52 accredited Special Olympics entities operating in the United States. For more information about Special Olympics Southern California, please visit www.sosc.org.