VAWA Executive Director Andrew Farrar resigns

Richmond, VA - It is with regret that Virginia Wrestling Association(VAWA), the state chapter of parent organization USA Wrestling, announces the resignation of Executive Director Andrew Farrar effective April 30, 2016. Andrew is resigning to pursue an opportunity with ARMS Software a company that supports wrestling throughout Virginia. VAWA wishes him the best with continued success in his future endeavors. Although he is leaving his post at VAWA, Farrar will not be leaving the wrestling community as he was recently elected Vice Chairman of USA Wrestling’s Folkstyle Committee and he will be working with USA wrestling in Rio at the 2016 Olympics later this summer. 

Farrar joined VAWA in April of 2014 to become only the second paid full time Executive Director of any State Chapter of USA wrestling. Once on board he wasted no time in building VAWA into a brand in the wrestling community. In under a year he developed a social media presence for VAWA with parents, coaches, officials and especially athletes that is unparalleled in the country. Under Farrar’s leadership VAWA established the Dick Glover Lifetime Achievement Award and Scholarship. The scholarship is permanently endowed with oversight from the highly regarded Community Foundation. With this he helped make VAWA the first state chapter of USA Wrestling to offer a permanently endowed merit based college scholarship. 

Farrar’s final words to the Executive Committee summed up his passion for the organization, the State of Virginia, and the sport of wrestling.

“I want to thank the VAWA Executive Committee for their decision in 2013 to become just the second USA Wrestling state association to create a fulltime position. These two years have been rewarding and challenging in a myriad of ways. Our sport is on the rise in Virginia and it's been an honor to spend every day serving our wrestlers, coaches, club leaders and parents. Leaving my position with VAWA and USA Wrestling would be really hard if the organization was in a bad place, but I feel very good about the work we have done and our direction moving forward. I look forward to a great summer with our national teams and plan on remaining activein the organization down the road.” Andrew Farrar

State Chairman Bill Swink was equally complimentary and passionate about Farrar’s impact on the organization saying:

“I would like to thank Andrew for his two years of service to Virginia Wrestling Association we took a huge leap of faith hiring our first full time employee and Andrew has lived up to expectations. The relationships he has built with the athletes, parents, and clubs has been invaluable. Getting the Dick Glover Scholarship off the ground and making us the first state association to offer a scholarship by working with the Community Foundation of Richmond who manages both the finances and selection of the winners is big. Andrew will be missed as a full time employee, but he will be staying on as a valued volunteer with VAWA as he moves on to his next full time position. Thank you Andrew for all that you have done for Virginia Wrestling Association.” 

Farrar will continue to work with Bill Swink and the VAWA national team coaching staff to coordinate and execute the logistics for our 2016 VAWA national teams.

VAWA will conduct a national search to fill the position being vacated by Farrar maintaining their commitment to offering superior customer service, products and membership benefits to its members. In the meantime all inquiries and business communications should be directed to Bill Swink at forgewrestling@yahoo.com. You can find the job description here: http://go.teamusa.org/1TGKVyr