Wilkinson elected USBC President
May 01, 2015
ARLINGTON, Texas – Frank Wilkinson of Staten Island, New York, has been elected president of the United States Bowling Congress by the USBC Board of Directors and Cathy DeSocio of Wichita, Kansas, will serve as vice president of USBC for the 2015-2016 season.
Wilkinson, 28, who has served as USBC vice president the last two seasons, and DeSocio, left, will assume their new roles on August 1. Wilkinson takes over for Andrew Cain of Phoenix, who is completing his third and final term as president. USBC presidents are limited to three one-year terms; Cain will continue to serve on the board as an athlete director.
“This is an exciting time for USBC and the bowling industry,” said Wilkinson, who will become the youngest president in USBC history. “I look forward to serving and working with our stakeholders as we continue toward achieving our goals of building a future for our sport for generations to come.”
Wilkinson, the owner of Rab’s Country Lanes, has been involved in the sport most of his life. He joined the USBC board as a youth committee representative in 2010 and currently serves as the Youth Committee chair. He was elected to the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America board in 2014 as a USBC representative and has been a director on the National Council of Youth Sports since 2012. He is a Youth Education Services Committee member for the New York State USBC and also serves on the Staten Island USBC board.
He has received many honors, including the Staten Island Chapter of the American Cancer Society Distinguished Community Service Award in 2012, and in 2013 received the NYS USBC Youth Leaders Bridging the Gap Award and the Staten Island Small Business of the Year presented by the City of New York. He recently was recognized as one of Staten Island’s Top 20 under 40 leaders in business by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation.
DeSocio, who was the first female president of BPAA, also has been involved in the bowling business her entire life. She currently is president of JOMA Company, which operates seven centers in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and also is vice president of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.
She has received several honors for her work in the sport, including the Great Plains USBC Hall of Fame Pioneer Award for Exceptional Leadership, Continued Support and Distinguished Service to the Sport of Bowling in 2014, and the Wichita Business Journal Women in Business Award in 2013.
Go to BOWL.com/Board to learn more about the current USBC Board of Directors.
Wilkinson, 28, who has served as USBC vice president the last two seasons, and DeSocio, left, will assume their new roles on August 1. Wilkinson takes over for Andrew Cain of Phoenix, who is completing his third and final term as president. USBC presidents are limited to three one-year terms; Cain will continue to serve on the board as an athlete director.“This is an exciting time for USBC and the bowling industry,” said Wilkinson, who will become the youngest president in USBC history. “I look forward to serving and working with our stakeholders as we continue toward achieving our goals of building a future for our sport for generations to come.”
Wilkinson, the owner of Rab’s Country Lanes, has been involved in the sport most of his life. He joined the USBC board as a youth committee representative in 2010 and currently serves as the Youth Committee chair. He was elected to the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America board in 2014 as a USBC representative and has been a director on the National Council of Youth Sports since 2012. He is a Youth Education Services Committee member for the New York State USBC and also serves on the Staten Island USBC board.
He has received many honors, including the Staten Island Chapter of the American Cancer Society Distinguished Community Service Award in 2012, and in 2013 received the NYS USBC Youth Leaders Bridging the Gap Award and the Staten Island Small Business of the Year presented by the City of New York. He recently was recognized as one of Staten Island’s Top 20 under 40 leaders in business by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation.
DeSocio, who was the first female president of BPAA, also has been involved in the bowling business her entire life. She currently is president of JOMA Company, which operates seven centers in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and also is vice president of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.
She has received several honors for her work in the sport, including the Great Plains USBC Hall of Fame Pioneer Award for Exceptional Leadership, Continued Support and Distinguished Service to the Sport of Bowling in 2014, and the Wichita Business Journal Women in Business Award in 2013.
Go to BOWL.com/Board to learn more about the current USBC Board of Directors.