Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/75912
USA WRESTLING ADMINISTRATION USA WRESTLING PRESIDENT JAMES RAVANNACK United States, in August 2006. He most recently served as First Vice President of USA Wrestling. Other officer positions Ravannack, of Metairie, La., was elected as the President of USA Wrestling, the national governing body of amateur wrestling in the he has held with the organization were Second Vice President and Secretary. Ravannack was named 2001 Man of the Year by USA Wrestling, which recognizes an outstanding man for his contributions to the sport of wrestling. He also was inducted in 2005 by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American, which honors past wrestlers for their notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. Ravannack is a successful businessman in the off-shore oil industry Ravannack served as Team Leader of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team for freestyle wrestling which competed in Athens, Greece. He also served as a team leader for other U.S. international teams, including the 2003 Senior Freestyle World Team, the 2003 Pan American Games Freestyle Team, the 2001 Senior Freestyle World Team and the 1999 Senior Freestyle World Team. He also served as a Team Leader at the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 2007 Pan American Games. Ravannack has been the USA Wrestling state chairperson in Louisiana since 1996, organ- izing and developing wrestling activities in his state. He served as the Event Director for numerous USA Wrestling national and regional events, including the Southeast Junior Regional Championships on an annual basis. He has hosted a number of World Dual meets in New Orleans, La. Other major events held in his state have been the Greco-Roman World Team Trials, the Regional Olympic Trials, the Women's Junior and Cadet National Championships as well as an International Junior Festival. Ravannack founded the Gator Wrestling Club, which trains and supports talented Senior- level wrestlers in all three styles. The Gator WC has placed a number of wrestlers on U.S. World Teams on the Senior level, and numerous Team USA members compete for the club. He has been a significant contributor to "Wrestling for the Next Millennium," the joint cap- ital campaign for wrestling. Ravannack serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. He has built and organized a USA Wrestling Regional Olympic Training Center in Louisiana, which is open for kids and provides opportunity for all levels of wrestling. Ravannack was a state wrestling champion for East Jefferson High School in Louisiana, and competed on the college level for Louisiana State University. Ravannack was also a high school wrestling coach from 1984-1998. He has made significant contributions to the off-shore oil industry during his lifetime, show- ing great skills as a businessman and entrepreneur. Ravannack and his companies are cred- ited with the world's largest plug-and-abandonment operations, lift boat operations and slick line operations. One of the companies he co-founded, Superior Energy, is a leader in developing tech- nologies and equipment for marine conservation and off-shore plug-and-abandonment. His wife is Jocel, and their family includes Chad, Claire, Kay and Logan, all with an inter- est and involvement in wrestling. His son, Chad, wrestled at Oklahoma State. 2012 USA Wrestling Media Guide - 5