09/28/2004 GAAS:450:04 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Three Members of the Athletic Commission
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Michael Carona, Dr. Gary Gitnick and Bruce Jenner to the State Athletic Commission.
“Mike, Gary and Bruce are three tremendously talented individuals who share my commitment to physical fitness and to fostering a safe environment for all athletes to compete,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Each of them brings a unique background invaluable to serving the boxing and martial arts community through enforcement of the rules and regulations necessary for fair and competitive events while ensuring the welfare and safety of the athletes.”
Carona has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement. Since his election in 1999, he has served as the sheriff of Orange County. Carona began his law enforcement career in 1976 as a deputy with the Orange County Marshal’s Office. He served within the Marshal’s Office for 23 years including 11 years as the marshal of Orange County before being elected sheriff. Carona’s professional training also includes graduation from the FBI LEEDS program, the National Executive Institute and the California Peace Officers Standards and Training Command College. He is co-chair of the Amber Alert Program, senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security, and a member of the California Council on Criminal Justice and the Fraud Assessment Commission. In addition, Carona is a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do.
Carona, 49, of Orange, earned Master of Arts degrees in management from the University of Redlands and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in addition to an undergraduate degree from the University of Redlands. He is a Republican.
Dr. Gitnick is a professor of medicine and chief of the division of digestive diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. After completing medical school and an internship at Johns Hopkins University, Gitnick completed internal medicine and gastroenterology subspecialty training at the Mayo Clinic and three years as a research associate at the National Institutes of Health. He then joined the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1969. Throughout his career there, he has served as chief of staff of the University of California, Los Angles Medical Center and as medical director of the University of California Health Care Programs. In 1977, Gitnick founded the Fulfillment Fund to provide economically disadvantaged students with the resources, tools and skills needed to complete high school and pursue higher education. In addition, he has served on the California Medical Board since 2000.
Gitnick, 65, of Encino, is a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He is registered decline-to-state.
Since breaking the world record in the decathlon at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976, Jenner has served as a sports commentator, a motivational speaker, on the boards of several non-profit and charitable organizations and as a professional race car driver. He currently serves on the boards of the Special Olympics, the National Dyslexia Research Foundation, the Dream Foundation, C.O.A.C.H. for Kids, and is a supporter of Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. As a sports commentator for several national sports networks, Jenner has covered track and field, surfing, motocross, the CART Indy car races and the Olympics in various countries. Jenner has been honored by the Washington, D.C.-based Lab School for Learning Disabilities, is the recipient of the Celebrity Outreach Award, a member of the Olympic Hall of Fame and the recipient of the Outstanding International Sportscaster of the Year Award.
Jenner, 54, of Calabasas, earned a Bachelor of Science from Graceland College in physical education. He is a Republican.
These positions require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem.
The mission of the California State Athletic Commission is “to make California the model state for the welfare of boxers and other licensees, with worldwide respect from the public and the industry.” Until the California State Athletic Commission was created, no regulatory agency existed in California to govern the sport of boxing and full-contact martial arts. Today the commission regulates all parties involved in boxing and full-contact martial arts shows and regulates professional and amateur boxing and full contact martial arts competitions and maintains full control over the administration of each show. No such event takes place without the prior approval of the commission. This regulatory process promotes the health and safety of the athletes and ensures bouts are fair and competitive, thereby protecting the athletes and consumers.
