Board of Directors

After serving on the USA Baseball Board of Directors for 10 years, John Gall was elected president on December 12, 2023. An Olympian, three-time Team USA alum and former big leaguer, Gall is a native of Palo Alto, Calif.. He played collegiately at nearby Stanford University, where he was a four-year starter for the Cardinal and earned a spot on USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team in both 1998 and 1999. Gall played in 67 games for Team USA over two summers, batting .370 overall with seven home runs and 61 RBIs. The all-time Pac-12 hits leader was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 11th round of the 2000 MLB Draft. After playing parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and the Florida Marlins, the outfielder was selected to compete for the USA Baseball Olympic Team at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Gall started eight of Team USA’s nine games in Beijing, batting .242 and hitting a clutch home run against Chinese Taipei to help the U.S. secure a spot in the medal round and eventually earn a bronze medal.

In addition to his contributions to the organization on the field, Gall joined the USA Baseball Board of Directors in January 2013. As one of six former athletes on the board, he assisted the organization in making key decisions in the advancement of the game of baseball throughout the United States. Gall was also previously USA Baseball’s rep to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Commission (USOPC AC), which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA’s athletes. Additionally, he has spent time as a member of five different USA Baseball committees: the Athletes Advisory Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee, the Medical Safety Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Term expires 12/31/2027

Elliot Hopkins, the Director of Sports, Sanctioning and Student Services at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) was named a member of the USA Baseball Board of Directors in September of 2019.

In his role with the NFHS, Hopkins serves as the staff liaison to the NFHS Student Services Committee as well as the NFHS Baseball and Wrestling Rules Editor. He is responsible for supervising the NFHS Resource Center, which includes the National High School Activities Month effort, numerous national surveys and the NFHS Sanctioning Program. In addition, Hopkins is the director of the NFHS Student Leadership Summit and speaks nationally to students exclusively about hazing prevention and sportsmanship.

Formerly, Hopkins was the Assistant Executive Director at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA) where he managed and organized specific PIAA championships. Hopkins had established a career as a corporate sales representative for several Fortune 500 companies prior to his time with the PIAA and NFHS, including Broyhill Furniture Industries, Xerox Corporation, Bell Atlantic Systems, Inc. (formerly Bell of Pennsylvania) and the Standard Register Company.

Throughout his career, Hopkins has served on many boards, including as a current board member of the Hazing Prevention Organization and a member of the USA Baseball Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, as well as the former Chairman of the NFHS Sportsmanship Ethics and Integrity Committee, Co-Chair of the NFHS Citizenship Committee and member of the NFHS Sanctioning Committee.

Hopkins graduated from Wake Forest University after serving as a captain and four-year starter on the Demon Deacons' football team, before earning his master's degree in leadership development from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

Term expires 12/31/2027

George Grande, who spent more than 40 years in the broadcasting business, served as the television play-by-play voice of the Cincinnati Reds since from 1993-2009. He and partner Chris Welsh worked together for 17 years, making them longest-running TV duo in Reds history. A native of New Haven, Conn., Grande joined the USA Baseball Board of Directors in 2006 and has covered Major League Baseball since 1965. Since 1980 he has hosted the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y. Grande also anchored the first-ever ESPN "SportsCenter" telecast on Sept. 7, 1979, and spent 10 seasons with the all-sports network anchoring that award-winning show and covering the World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, Super Bowl, NCAA men's basketball tournament, College World Series and major college football games. From 1989-90 he broadcasted Yankees games on WPIX, and from 1991-92 he broadcasted Cardinals baseball games before he joined the Reds TV team in 1993.

In 1967, Grande began his broadcasting career as the sports director and news director of the University of Southern California radio station, KUSC-FM, followed by radio stints at KNX in Los Angeles; WERI in Westerly, R.I.; and WNHC in New Haven. He completed his radio broadcast career by handling the Boston Red Sox's pre- and postgame shows on WMEX. Grande also anchored local TV sports telecasts at WTNH in New Haven and at WCBS in New York. He started broadcasting baseball games in 1971 for the West Haven (Conn.) Yankees in the Eastern League.

Grande graduated in 1969 from USC where he played baseball for four seasons and was a member of the 1968 College World Series championship team. While at USC, he played with 14 future Major Leaguers, including Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and slugger Dave Kingman.

Term expires 12/31/2025

Patrick Kivlehan debuted for the Professional National Team in 2015 when he represented Team USA in the Toronto 2015 Pan-American games. Then, in 2021, Kivlehan became a member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games team, where he won a silver medal for the red, white and blue.

Kivlehan enrolled at Rutgers, where he initially played football for four years before returning to baseball during his senior year. During his football career at Rutgers, Kivlehan went to three bowl games, winning all three. After his senior football season, Kivlehan played one year of baseball for the Scarlet Knights, where he won Big East Player of the Year and was the first player to win the conference triple crown. Kivlehan hit .410 with 10 homers and 36 RBI in that season before the Seattle Mariners selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He then spent nine years in the minors, playing 893 games where he amassed a .279 batting average, hitting 189 doubles, 158 home runs and 596 RBI.

Kivlehan made his Major League debut on Aug. 8, 2016, for the San Diego Padres. In 2017, he played in 115 games for the Cincinnati Reds, hitting nine home runs and having 26 RBI. Kivlehan spent the 2018 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the 2021 season back in San Diego.

Kivlehan is the Director of Student Admissions at his alma mater, Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J.

Term expires 12/31/2028

May made his USA Baseball debut in 2015 with the Professional National Team. He started all eight games for Team USA in the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12, helping the U.S. earn a silver medal with six hits and seven runs scored. He was also tied for second on the team in walks with five and hit one of Team USA’s three home runs in the tournament. After playing collegiately at Coastal Carolina University, May was selected in the third round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox and played in 550 Minor League games throughout his professional career, collecting 557 hits and a .265 career batting average. He also recorded 290 runs, 102 doubles, 23 triples, 178 RBIs and 164 stolen bases while playing in the White Sox system. The outfielder made his Major League debut on April 4, 2017, and appeared in 15 games for the White Sox that season.

Following the final season of his professional baseball career in 2018, May began working at Live Oak Bank where he served as an Associate Relationship Manager and a Business Analyst before becoming a Wealth Management Administrator at Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, Inc. in December of 2019. He currently works as an AVP, Junior Special Assets for United Midwest Savings Bank after joining the company in February of 2021.

Term expires 12/31/2025

Mark Payton entered the international stage in 2019, representing Team USA at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12. Over the course of eight games—and starting in six—Payton's tournament was highlighted by a leadoff solo home run that opened the final group game against the Dominican Republic.

Before his professional career, Payton played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns, where he was an All-Big 12 selection in his junior and senior seasons and had a 101-consecutive on-base streak during the 2014 season – the longest in Big 12 history. After a four-year career with Texas, Payton was drafted by the New York Yankees in the seventh round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Payton has appeared in 872 games in the minor leagues (as of 2024) while posting a .291 batting average. His career stats include 181 doubles, 33 triples, 105 home runs and 461 RBI. Payton's Major League debut came on Aug. 22, 2020, with the Cincinnati Reds. After two seasons with the Reds, he moved to Chicago, putting on the White Sox uniform. In 2024, Payton played in 112 games for the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, where he slashed for a line of .309/.383/.463.

Term expires 12/31/2028

Olympic gold medalist Ernie Young held an accomplished playing and coaching career with Team USA spanning 23 years. A member of the gold medal-winning Sydney 2000 Olympic Games team, he also played on the Professional National Team again in 2003. Young spent eight years playing in the major leagues for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics between 1994 and 2004. He remained involved with Team USA after the Sydney Olympic Games by joining the Board of Directors in 2003 before returning in 2021, and eventually serving as a hitting coach for five national teams and managing the 2010 and 2011 Professional National Teams. With Young on the staff, Team USA amassed an overall record of 55-17-2 and won a world championship in 2009.

Term expires 12/31/2025

Jason Dobis has been a member of USA Baseball's executive committee (and, now in its current form, the Board of Directors) since 2001, first as a "Recent Athlete" and now in his current position as treasurer. Dobis was a pitcher for the silver-medal-winning 1994 USA Baseball 18U National Team and later spent three years in Minor League Baseball. Dobis is the immediate past representative (before Ernie Young) for the sport of baseball to the United States Olympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Committee (AAC).

Term expires 12/31/2027

Jenny Dalton-Hill has been as an assistant coach with more than ten years of USA Baseball involvement under her belt. Her first experience with Team USA came as a player on the 2010 Women’s National Team, where she helped guide the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 2010 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Women’s Baseball World Cup. After her playing career, Dalton-Hill served as a coach for the Women’s NTDP in 2011 and 2014 as well as for the Women’s National Team in 2012, helping to lead Team USA to an IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup silver medal. Currently a college softball analyst for ESPN, a position she has held since 2013, Dalton-Hill was an All-American softball player at the University of Arizona. She helped lead the Wildcats to national championships in 1993, 1994, and 1996 and named the 1996 National Player of the Year after winning the Pac-10 Conference Triple Crown in her senior season. Dalton-Hill also previously served on the USA Baseball Board of Directors from 2012-2020 and was a member of the Colorado Silver Bullets in 1997 where she played under MLB Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.

Term expires 12/31/2025

A one-time player in the Washington, Pennsylvania Pony and Colt Leagues, Abraham Key assumed the Presidency of PONY Baseball and Softball in January 1995. He joined the staff on a full-time basis after graduating from West Virginia University's School of Journalism and School of Business in 1981. He had worked five years as a part-time employee while in high school and college. Key is married to Susan Mondik Key, a partner in the Washington law firm of Peacock, Keller. They have a daughter Casey, who graduated from John Carroll University, and a son Lincoln, who graduated from Colorado University - Boulder.

As president, Key is responsible for the daily operation of PONY Baseball and Softball, including, but not limited to, managing the staff and the new international headquarters facility, development and management of agreements with manufacturers and sponsors, directed services to leagues and the Field Director organization and the development of international membership. Key was elected to the PONY Baseball and Softball Wall of Fame in November 1986.

In addition to his responsibilities at PONY, Key has served on the USA Baseball Board of Directors since 1995 and was a member of the Executive Committee as Vice President - Treasurer (2000-08). He served as the United States delegate for USA Baseball at the 2013 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Congress in Tokyo, Japan, 2017 World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) Congress in Botswana, Africa and 2019 WBSC Congress in Sakai, Japan.

Key has been active in the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB), Confederation of Pan American Baseball (COPABE) and International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) in recent years. Key received a Meritorious Service Medal from President Riccardo Fraccari, Italy, in 2013 for his service to international youth baseball and softball. Key received the 2019 Xavier Mateu Award from WBSC-Europe.

He is also a 34-year member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and has served on their Executive Committee (1999-2004) and the Board of Directors (2002-04). He was awarded the ABCA Meritorious Service Award in 2006 for his contributions to amateur baseball. He has served on the USA Softball National Council since 2002.

He was a board member and the treasurer of the National Council of Youth Sports (1992-2002), an organization of full-time professional staff workers in amateur, non-profit organizations concerned with development, enhancement and support of youth sports activities. He served on the Board of Directors for the Major Youth Baseball Alliance (2008-2012).

Locally, Key served on the Washington County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (1999-2005), and was Secretary (2001-05).

He is a Chapter Advisor for the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at Washington and Jefferson College. He served on the House Corporation for Phi Kappa Psi at West Virginia University. He was honored with an outstanding Alumni Award in 2002 at the 150th Grand Arch Council in Pittsburgh. He received the 2015 Washington and Jefferson College Alumni of the Year Award.

Key is an advisory Board member of the Washington Greene County Sports Hall of Fame and received the Youth Service Award in 2014. Key received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Washington County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 2013. Key has served as President of the Brownson House Alumni Association, which supports a youth sports service organization in Washington.

Key is a member of the Church of the Covenant Presbyterian Church and has served as a Deacon and an Elder. He also serves as a member of their Mission Committee.

Key has been a member of the Washington Lions Club for more than 25 years and is the recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow Award for dedicated humanitarian services.

Key has coached baseball in Washington Youth Baseball; basketball at the Brownson House, the LeMoyne Center, JFK School and Washington Junior High School and softball at TWIST and Washington High School. He is also a member of the Washington Elks Lodge 776.

Term expires 12/31/2025