Board of Directors

USA Team Handball

Patrick Jalabert is a mechanical design engineer with a Master of Science degree in civil and structural engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, IL) and a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from ENSTA Bretagne (France). He has been working as a product design engineer for Poclain Hydraulics for over six years. In that role, he has successfully managed innovative hydraulic motor design projects for industry leaders such as John Deere, Caterpillar or Bobcat.

Patrick has also spent the past seven years in a leadership role within Chicago Inter Handball, one of the country’s most prominent handball organizations. He has contributed his more than 20 years of passion for the sport of handball and his advanced organizational skills to support the continuing development of handball in the Chicago-land area and the Midwest. Most recently, he has driven the development of a Midwest Team Handball League, despite the difficulty in rallying and securing commitment from other organizations within the region.

Patrick was appointed to the USA Team Handball Competition Committee in 2014 and took on the chairmanship of the committee in 2017. In that capacity, he has undertaken the ambitious project of continuously updating the USA Team Handball rulebook to reflect the ever-changing landscape of team handball in the United States. In addition, Patrick has supported the implementation of a new membership and event management platform and is contributing to the effort to improve the federation’s tools in that area.

Julia was elected by her peers to serve as the Team USA Athletes' Commission Alternate Representative and Athlete Director on the USATH Board of Directors, a position she will hold from January 2025 through December 2028.

Julia has been a member of the Women's National Team since 2010, playing in almost 100 international matches over the span of her career, including the Pan-American Games (2019) and Pan-American Championships (2013, 2015, 2017). She competed professionally in Paris, France from 2015-2022 before moving back to the United States. She has held various leadership roles within USA Team Handball as Captain of the Women's National Team, Co-Chair of USA Team Handball's inaugural Athletes' Advisory Council, and founding member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. 
Off the court, Taylor is a strategic planning consultant at a Boston-based Public Health Institute. Her expertise is supporting cities, states, and organizations nationwide redesign their policies, systems, and practices to address the social determinants of health, such as race and class, and to focus on racial equity and health equity as public health issues.
Taylor earned her bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012 and her master's degree in Sociology from the University of Paris-Cité in 2017. She currently resides in Savannah, Georgia, with her life partner, Vince, and their rescue dog, Senga. She is also a proud mixed-race Filipina-American. 

Drew was elected by his peers to serve as the Team USA Athletes' Commission Representative and Athlete Director on the USATH Board of Directors, a position he will hold from January 2025 through December 2028.

Drew has been a member of the USA Men's Indoor and Beach National Teams since 2016 and has competed in over 100 international matches between both teams. Drew was introduced to the sport in 2011 as a freshman at the United States Air Force Academy under the influence of coach Mike Cavanaugh and played all 4 years and served as Team Captain his senior year. After graduating in 2015, Drew got stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base the same summer that coach Michael Hinson began the USA Beach Handball Program in Hermosa Beach.

In 2018 Drew was selected for the Air Force World Class Athlete Program through which he was able to play full-time in Europe, 1 season in Germany with TSV Bayer Dormagen and 2 seasons in the Spanish Asobal (1st league) and European League with Ademar Leon. During his time with Ademar Leon, Drew became the first North American born player to play and score in both the Asobal and European Leagues. Upon his return to the US in 2021, Drew joined SF Cal Heat and won back to back club national championships and played in the 2023 Super Globe in Saudi Arabia. Drew led the California Eagles to a national championship in 2024 as well as the North American Club Championship. Drew has competed domestically in both the collegiate and club systems and has represented the US national team in indoor and beach at multiple Continental Championships, World Championships, Pan American Games, IHF Super Globe, World Beach Games, World Games, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Beach Handball Showcase. Drew was also named the Air Force Male Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2023.
Outside of handball, Drew serves as an active duty Major in the US Space Force where he is a Program Manager for classified national security space programs. Drew has a B.S. in Management from the United States Air Force Academy and a M.S. in Finance from Liberty University. Drew served on the USATH Athlete Advisory Council from 2020-2024. Drew also enjoys surfing, golfing, serving in youth ministry at his church, and spending time with friends and family including his wife Julia, who is a member of Team USA Beach Volleyball. 

Jason was elected by his peers to serve as the Beach Athlete Director on the USATH Board of Directors, a position he will hold from January 2025 through December 2028.

Originally from Akron, Ohio, Jason grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he discovered team handball after a brief stint as a pitcher on the West Point baseball team. Jason led the West Point Black team to three consecutive college team handball national championships and competed with the USA Indoor National Team in various international competitions from 2009 to 2013.

As an Army Special Forces officer, Jason led Green Beret teams on deployments to Colombia and Afghanistan. After transitioning from the military, he returned to handball while earning his MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Jason has since represented the United States in numerous beach handball competitions, including the last two Beach Handball World Championships in Greece and China, the Global Tour in Brazil, and the NACHC Championships in Puerto Rico.

Jason and his wife currently reside in Austin, Texas. He serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Home Run Dugout, a baseball-themed entertainment startup, where he oversees licensing and future growth opportunities. In his free time, Jason enjoys playing basketball, skiing, outdoor adventures, and traveling.

Olga is a highly accomplished financial executive with over 20 years of experience across diverse industries, including automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, retail, public, and nonprofit organizations. She has an extensive background serving as CFO for fast-growing companies, where she was responsible for managing all financial aspects of multiple companies and joint ventures across North America. In these roles, Olga played a pivotal role in driving significant growth and market expansion through startup ventures, organic growth, and strategic acquisitions.

Throughout her career, Olga has demonstrated exceptional leadership in executive roles, with a focus on M&A, integrations, process improvements, and innovation. Her strategic direction has ensured the establishment of robust operational controls, compliance, reporting procedures, and the development of teams and systems that guarantee financial strength and maximize operational efficiency.

Born and raised in Belarus, Olga immigrated to the United States, where she overcame significant language and cultural barriers. Despite these challenges, she earned her CPA and quickly established herself as a leader in the finance sector. Olga’s journey from an immigrant to a top-tier financial executive has been marked by resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Starting her career at the entry level as an Accounts Receivable Clerk, Olga exhibited exceptional dedication and expertise, rising through the ranks to become a CFO. Today, she is the founder and CEO of CXO Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in providing fractional CFO services to small and mid-sized companies, offering them access to high-level financial expertise.

In addition to her financial career, Olga is passionate about sports, particularly handball, having been a former player herself. She has recently re-engaged with the handball community and is eager to contribute to the development of the sport in the USA, including potential involvement in building the USA handball team and serving on the Team Handball Board.

With a strong track record of success, a deep commitment to mentorship, and a passion for giving back to her community, Olga is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to any board. Her blend of financial expertise, leadership experience, and dedication to sports development makes her a valuable asset, bringing a unique perspective and a strong drive for innovation and growth.

Andre Carter, Independent Director
Mr. Carter is a dynamic leader with strong executive experience and collaborative style that builds team and scale. His proven ability to motivate and empower staff levers human capital development, creates operating and development models, and maximizes intangible assets. A seasoned growth-stage operator with a proven track record of scaling early-stage ventures into mature, high-value, and exit-ready enterprises, he brings deep knowledge of business and brand development and market entry. Capturing nascent and emerging markets, and leveraging innovative and entrepreneurial approaches, he has led successful firms across multiple industries. He also brings much needed experience in developing and achieving strategic goals via functional execution plans.

We look forward to leveraging Mr. Carter’s skillset to get the organization on the track to success through clear strategy and accountability.

David Eldridge has much experience in and out of Illinois government, including having served as Legislative Counsel to the Governor, Senior Policy Advisor for the Executive Ethics Commission, Deputy Director at Central Management Services, Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Corrections, Assistant Counsel to the Illinois Speaker of the House, and Legislative Director for the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois. David has also served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy-Reserves.

David currently maintains a solo law practice focusing on government relations. He also serves in the Olympic Movement as an Independent Director on the USA Team Handball Board of Directors and as a Member of the USA Fencing Grievance & Discipline Committee. Further, he previously served as an Independent Director on the USA Volleyball Board of Directors.

David possesses a J.D. from Tulane University Law School and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Mississippi, and the District of Columbia.

In his private time, David enjoys traveling, fencing, running, and writing poetry.

David resides in Springfield, Illinois, with his wife, Sara, and their daughters, Louisa and Abigail.

Gitomer joined Weldon, Williams & Lick (WW&L), a leader in the ticket and event access space for the last 124 years, as Chief Revenue Officer in 2022. He spent eight years in ticket sales consulting, operating his own firm, The Strategic Sports Group, for the last two years and prior serving six years as Vice President, Premium Ticketing for Van Wagner. His consulting work included direct oversight of two of the highest grossing new ballpark premium sales campaigns in Major League Baseball history for the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, as well as on-site strategic direction for premium sales for the Atlanta Hawks renovation of State Farm Arena.

Gitomer has a wealth of experience managing and selling tickets in pro sports, including roles as the Premium Sales Director for the Orlando Magic and the award-winning Amway Center, Director of Ticket Sales and Service for Sporting Kansas City leading into their new stadium, Children’s Mercy Park, with the Brooklyn Nets kicking off the suite sales process for the Barclays Center, the Arizona Coyotes, and with his hometown Philadelphia Eagles.

Chris Brase, General Membership Director

Handball is something that has long been an important part of Chris Brae's life, because the game is deeply embedded in his family tree. He played for the first time in 2008, when he was invited to attend the 100-year anniversary tournament for the founding of Turnverein Kirchzell. Accompanied by his cousins, Chris learned how to play and love the game in the same place his family has for generations. Upon his return to the United States, Chris quickly helped found a club in Philadelphia, where he was attending college. Following his graduation, he returned to Germany  and played with FSV 1895 Magdeburg, while a fellow on an ambassadoral program funded by the American and German governments. In 2012, Chris rejoined Philadelphia and managed the club's operations, coached and captained the team as a player. While building the club in Philly, Chris sought higher competition with the DC Diplomats and short-lived clubs in Houston and Columbus. In 2014, Chris moved to Brooklyn and joined the New York City Team Handball Club. From there, New York has been his home and the club has become a diverse extension of his family. He competed for their men's teams for several years, winning an Open National Championship in 2017. Eventually, Chris migrated into coaching. As a coach, he has led New York's men's and women's teams to many trophies across the country, and anticipates more are on the way.
Outside of handball, sports have always been an essential part of Chris' life. Growing up in New Jersey, Ihe competed at the highest levels in both basketball and baseball. Chris attended La Salle University, a school with a rich handball history of its own, and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Following his graduation and his time in Germany, Chris embarked on a career in sports media production. That career has brought him to a number of the top organizations in the sports industry including Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, Bleacher Report, the New York Jets and many others. He looks forward to applying his experience on and off the handball court to improve the state of handball in this country for everyone that loves it as he does.