Laureus USA Welcomes New Executive Director, Joanne Pasternack

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCEMENT | January 2025 

Dear Sport for Good Network, 

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joanne Pasternack as Executive Director of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA.  

Joanne is a dynamic, forward-thinking leader with 20 years of expertise in driving community impact and advancing social responsibility across the sports and non-profit sectors. She has held influential roles with globally-recognized organizations, including ServiceNow, the Golden State Warriors, the San Francisco 49ers, and Special Olympics. 

As an experienced and inspiring leader, Joanne has successfully led diverse teams and built collaborative relationships among athletes, executives, volunteers, and communities. She has received recognition for her work, with honors that include ESPN’s Humanitarian Sports Team of the Year and SportsBusiness Journal’s Women of Influence. 

Joanne is deeply committed to creating meaningful change through the power of sport and is uniquely positioned to lead Laureus USA into the next phase of growth and influence. As Executive Director, she will leverage her skills as a philanthropic leader to elevate Laureus USA’s strategic fundraising efforts, optimize program delivery and impact, and lead the organization’s relationship management as a champion of our mission- to improve the lives of youth and unite communities through the power of sport. 

She holds a BA from University of Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University, and an Executive MBA for Non-Profit Leaders from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is a former competitive figure skater and certified US Figure Skating and Special Olympics Coach. 

We would like to thank Rachelle Patel and Ben Schornack for their leadership as interim Co-National Directors and the whole Laureus USA team for continuing to drive forward the important work of Sport for Good during this transition period. 

We are thrilled to welcome Joanne to the Laureus USA team! She begins her new role today, January 8th, 2025.  

Please join me in welcoming her to the Sport for Good family and wishing her great success. 

Edwin Moses  

Chairman, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA