LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, US, has brought in Reynold Hoover as its new chief executive.
Hoover joins LA28 having previously held senior roles in both the US military and the country’s federal government, and takes charge just before the Olympic torch passes to Los Angeles following the 2024 games in Paris across July and August.
He will now lead the organizing committee in both the planning and execution of the games, with LA28 saying Hoover is set to “direct the committee’s day-to-day work.” He will report to Casey Wasserman, chair and president of LA28, and will start work on June 10.
The previous permanent chief executive of LA28, Kathy Carter, announced her intention to step down from that position in mid-December last year. She had been in the role since September 2021.
Hoover rose to the rank of a three-star Lieutenant General in the US Army, before retirement in 2018. During his service, he spent time in both Kuwait and Afghanistan.
He also served in various senior civilian defense-based roles during his time in the military, including at the CIA between 2011 and 2016, and before that as a special assistant to President George Bush between 2005 and 2007.
Since retirement six years ago, he has taken various roles, including as a member at the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. In addition, Hoover is a qualified commercial litigation attorney.
The 2028 Olympics and Paralympics body has said his appointment “underscores LA28’s heightened focus on operations and delivery.”
Hoover has now stated: “Helping to deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games on American soil will serve as the capstone of my career in public service … I look forward to working with LA28’s talented team and the many dedicated community and business partners to help deliver another successful games in LA.”
Wasserman added: “Reynold is one of the few people in the nation who possesses the operational and logistics expertise that the Olympic and Paralympic Games require. He’s been tasked with some of our nation’s most complex challenges, and we are fortunate to have him on our team as we prepare to welcome the world in 2028.”
Hoover was hired by LA28 through Korn Ferry, the global consulting firm.
Los Angeles was formally awarded hosting rights to the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in late 2017.
LA28 will officially begin on July 14, 2028, with the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, and will run through July 30, while the Paralympics opening ceremony will take place on August 15, with that event concluding on August 27.
