Barminski, Gonzalez & Hawley Appointed to USA Field Hockey Board of Directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following the December meeting, USA Field Hockey is pleased to announce and welcome Michael Barminski, Melissa Gonzalez and Ron Hawley to the Board of Directors. Barminski and Gonzales will serve on the board through 2022 in the roles of Athlete Director and Hawley will served through 2024 as an At-Large Director.

“Congratulations to Mike, Melissa and Ron on their election to the Board,” said Cathy Bessant, USA Field Hockey Board of Directors Chair. “Adding two strong athletes and a skilled at-large member strengthen our Board and will help us greatly in achieving our goals and fulfilling our mission. All three have passion and perspective that are immediately impactful. Athletes, coaches, club leaders, umpires - the entirety of the field hockey family will benefit from their service.”

Barminski has been a staple of the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2010. In his tenure, he has accumulated more than 90 international caps and led USA to multiple podium finishes. Those notable medal wins include bronze at the 2017 Pan American Cup and the 2019 Pan American Games, and gold at the 2018 Hockey Series Open.

He has also traveled across the globe representing USA in a handful of series in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa and South Korea. Simultaneously competing with the senior squad, Barminski also played for the junior side. He led USA to fourth place finishes at the 2008 and 2012 Junior Pan American Championships.

The 2021 season was Barminski’s first year as the assistant coach at Stanford University. He has also coached the Junior USMNT and Ventura County Red Devils since 2017, and the Ventura County Roadrunners since 2016.

Barminski has also coached within USA Field Hockey's Futures program and the Field Hockey Federation, while serving on the board of USA Field Hockey as an athlete representative since 2019.
A 2016 graduate of University of California, San Diego, Barminski later received his Master’s in Business Administration from DeVry University.

“Being involved with this sport for more than two decades I’ve made an impact in a lot of arenas,” commented Barminski. “However, being on this Board is the pinnacle of stewardship for me in the sport. I look forward to the responsibility and serving the field hockey community of the United States.”

Gonzalez, a two-time Olympian, was dominate in the midfield for the U.S. Women’s National Team from 2010 to 2018, when she retired with 241 international caps. Originally recruited to the University of Connecticut for soccer, she ultimately chose field hockey as she helped guide the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament every year. She earned several honors and awards, including NCAA All-Final Four Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, All-Big East Second Team and NFHCA All- Mideast Second Team honors her freshman year in 2007.

In 2008, Gonzalez entered her sophomore season as UConn’s top returning scorer while also being selected for Junior National Camp and the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team the same year. She was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and earned NFHCA All-America and All-Mideast First Team honors in 2009, as well as being named to the Junior World Cup Team. In 2010, she was again named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in addition to First Team All-American honors and a finalist for the Honda Sports Award.

Gonzalez verified her importance to the USWNT at the 2011 Pan American Games in the team’s stunning first place finish. From there her leadership skills continued to grow and resonate with her teammates over the years from the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup and 2015 Pan American Games, to the 2017 women’s Pan American Cup, FIH Hockey World League Semifinals, and London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Gonzalez spent the past four seasons on the coaching staff at Wake Forest University, earning a promotion from assistant coach to associate head coach in 2020. In January 2022, she accepted the role of Yale University’s Caroline Ruth Thompson ’02 Head Coach. She also serves as the U-16 USWNT assistant coach, a role she has held since October 2019.

"I'm honored to be in the position to serve on USA Field Hockey's Board of Directors,” said Gonzalez. “I'm committed to USA Field Hockey's Mission to Grow the Game, Serve Members and Succeed Internationally; I'm excited to begin!”

Hawley has a career background in governance, management and nonprofit leadership. He served as a Special Agent with the North Carolina State Bureau (SBI) and rose to the level of Assistant Director and managed the SBI’s Division of Criminal Information (DCI). He also served on a Federal Advisory Committee providing policy guidance to the FBI Director for the management of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services division (CJIS), the CJIS Advisory Policy Board (APB). During his years of service, he was involved in the creation of a newly established Security Committee, then served as the committee’s first chair.

While with the State of North Carolina, Hawley earned the designation of Certified Public Manager, was appointed by the Governor as North Carolina’s Chief Information Officer, as well as North Carolina’s member of SEARCH Group, Inc., a nonprofit states-based membership organization whose focus was on improving policy and governance of the nation’s criminal justice information. He subsequently served with SEARCH as a Board Member, Staff Member and finally Executive Director for 9+ years.

Hawley was an athlete himself, playing high school football and baseball, and eventually going on to play baseball at Campbell College (now University). In his senior year with the Camels, he was named captain as well as team MVP.

His background in field hockey sprung from his sister playing on an intramural team in college. His appreciation for the sport grew and he began following it seriously just before the London 2012 Olympic Games. In late 2013, Hawley became a USA Field Hockey Member and in 2018, he sat on the Board of Director Ethics Committee and served until he joined as a Board Member. 

Hawley has volunteered countless hours to the organization and sport. He provided staff support to the U.S. Women’s National Team Retention Project and participated in the Governance Committee’s rewrite of the Bylaws to bring them into compliance with federal legislation and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s requirements.

“I am excited by this new opportunity to serve the USA Field Hockey Family,” remarked Hawley. “I look forward to applying my years of relevant experience to that end by following Ted Lasso’s advice to be curious, not judgmental.”

Please join USA Field Hockey in welcoming Barminski, Gonzales and Hawley to the Board of Directors.