Gala - Kurt Thomas Foundation

Steve Butcher - 2024

With more than 30 years of distinguished leadership in the sports and fitness industry, Steve Butcher has built a career defined by athlete-first values, integrity, respect, and a deep commitment to fair play and good governance. His dynamic leadership style emphasizes positivity, collaboration, fiscal responsibility, and coalition building, all while promoting a strong team culture.
Steve currently serves as the President and CEO of SLB Sports Inc., the exclusive U.S. distributor of TaiShan Gymnastics equipment. From 2017 to 2022, he held a senior executive role at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in Lausanne, Switzerland—one of the most established Olympic sport governing bodies in the world.
Initially recruited as Technical Coordinator, Steve was promoted to Sports Director in 2019, where he led the FIG Sports Department. In this role, he was responsible for managing the federation’s global competitive operations, including those at the Olympic Games.
He provided strategic leadership to the elected technical presidents across all FIG disciplines: Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline (including Double Mini-trampoline and Tumbling), Aerobics, Acrobatics, and the newly integrated discipline of Parkour.

Brody Malone - 2025

John Brody Malone (born January 7, 2000) is an American artistic gymnast. He has been a member of the United States men’s national artistic gymnastics team since 2020 and represented the United States at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
He was a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He is a three-time United States national all-around champion (2021, 2022, and 2024). On horizontal bar, he is the 2022 World Champion, the 2025 World Champion, and the 2021 World Championship bronze medalist. With four Olympic and World Championship medals, Malone is the sixth most decorated U.S. male gymnast of all time. He is also a ten-time NCAA National Champion

Mike Jacki - 2021

The Kurt Thomas Flair Award was presented to Mike Jacki, former President & CEO of USA Gymnastics and close longtime friend of Kurt. This Flair is to recognize a person who has worked very hard to elevate the status of gymnastics. John Macready interviewed Jacki who told several very funny stories about Kurt.
Mike is widely regarded as one of the most visionary and influential leaders over the past three decades in both Olympic sports and action sports. He’s held CEO positions for both the U.S. national governing bodies for Gymnastics and Skiing.
As President of USA Gymnastics, Mike initiated the Safety Program in 1985. His accomplishments also include:
- Finalist for the 1968 Nissen Award after winning Big Eight titles on floor exercise, parallel bars and in the all-around
- Four-time Big Eight Champion and an All-American (still rings) in 1967
- Served as President of USA Gymnastics (1983-94), Jacki was also on the United States Olympic Committee’s Board of Directors (1984-92)
- Nationally recognized gymnastics judge, Jacki scored seven NCAA Championships ·
- Inducted into the United States Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2004
“Mike Jacki graduated from Iowa State Univ. where he was team captain of the 1968 team. Midwest Open Championships: Gold-SR; Iowa Open: Gold-AA; NCAA Regional Championships: Gold-FX; 1968 Big Eight Conference: Gold-AA, PB, SR and FX, (1968). NCAA Championships: Bronze-SR, (1967). Mike was an All American in 1967. Working for the Sport: Mike is a recent Past-President of the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches-Women. He was President of USA Gymnastics from 1983 to 1994. Mike took on the responsibility of the USGF at a time when the very existence of the organization was in jeopardy. He began with a $700,000 deficit. His creativity in this job was legendary and this leadership defined what the national programs are today; promoting national club growth, athlete support, early recognition of talent, and athlete financial and training support. Many of his ideas had to be successfully recognized at the FIG international level in order to be implemented for our athletes and all athletes worldwide. Service: Competition Director for the 1984 Olympic Games; Member of the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors from 1984-1992; Member of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1991-1996; President of the Organizing Committee for the World Gymnastics Committee in 1991; elected to the FIG Executive Committee in 1984, Vice-President in 1998, and first Vice-President in 1992. During the voting years of the 1984, 88, and 92 Olympiads, Mike prevailed in helping to elect all of the USA candidates that ran for positions including our first technical committee President, Jackie Fie, in 1992. Mr. Jacki is now an Honorary Member of the FIG. Judge: Mike was a nationally rated judge having judged major conference championship meets and seven National Championship meets. Honors: Nissen Award Nominee, (1968).
Source: Data courtesy of Jerry Wright, author of Gymnastics Who’s Who, 2005. Introduction and formatting by Dr. Larry Banner, Web Manager.”

Scott Hamilton - 2023

The Foundation is proud to present the 2023 Kurt Thomas Flair Award to Scott Hamilton. ( Scott Hamilton (figure skater) )
Hamilton’s passion for ﬁgure skating was rewarded with U.S. Olympic Committee’s ﬁrst Olympic Spirit Award in 1987 and the International Skating Union’s (ISU) highest honor of merit, the Jacques Favart Award, in 1988.
In 1990 he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. He continues to inspire others as a speaker, humanitarian, and as a cancer and pituitary brain tumor survivor. As the founder of the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy ( Scott Hamilton Skating Academy | Antioch TN ) at the Ford Ice Centers, he continues to coach Skating while sharing his love of the sport.

Bart Conner - 2024

Not only was Bart Conner an accomplished and decorated gymnast, but he was also a pioneer for the country’s status on the world stage of competitive gymnastics. He was named to the Olympic Teams in 1976 and 1980. He was a world champion on parallel bars in 1979 and was a three-time winner of the American Cup (1976, 1980, 1981). In 1984, Conner won a gold medal on parallel bars, the first event gold medalist (joining three others that year) for the U.S. since 1932. He also won the gold medal in the men’s team competition. For his accomplished career, Conner was the first American inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Abie Grossfeld - 2022

Born in New York City, Grossfeld was an excellent athlete from a young age. He won gold medals in two Jr. Olympic Cycling Championships, (1949–50), won the New York City 4 X 50 relay team title at Madison Square Garden in 1949, and the Bronx High School high jump and standing long jump titles in 1949.
He was awarded the “New York Maritime Benevolent Association Medal” for saving a human life in peril, diving into an ice filled river in New York to save a drowning five-year-old.
He coached the American gymnasts at the 1964, 1972, 1984, and 1988 Olympics. His 1984 team, with Mitch Gaylord, won the combined exercises championship. He was also the head coach of the men’s team at the 1986 Goodwill Games.
He was chosen NCAA National Coach of the Year three times (1973, 1975, and 1976).
He was elected to the United States Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1979. He was named Gymnastics Federation Coach of the Year in 1984 and received the USA Gymnastics “Spirit of the Flame Award” in 1999 and the World Acrobatic Society’s Acrobatic Legend Award in 2001.
He was elected into National Judges Frank Cumiskey Hall of Fame.

Kurt Thomas Foundation Black Tie Gala

Kurt Thomas Foundation Black Tie Gala

Kurt Thomas Foundation Black Tie Gala

Kurt Thomas Foundation Black Tie Gala

Kurt Thomas Foundation Black Tie Gala

Information about the 2025 gala, including:

01.

Main

02.

Hotel

03.

Highlights

Mike Jacki - 2021

Abie Grossfeld - 2022

Scott Hamilton - 2023

Bart Conner - 2024