Lynn C. Swann, appointed chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by President George W. Bush in June 2002, retired from the position, effective July 30, 2005.

Swann was instrumental in achieving the President’s mandate calling for a reinvigorated Council. The President’s Council is a Federal Advisory Committee comprised of twenty volunteer citizens who advise the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) about ways to help Americans become physically active.

Under Swann’s leadership and that of Dr. Dorothy (“Dot”) Richardson, vice chair, the Council has played a key role in promoting the President’s HealthierUS initiative, which calls on Americans to be physically active every day for good health and overall well being.

Swann’s engaging personality, sense of humor, warm accessibility and quick grasp of complex health issues made him ideally suited to serve as chairman of and spokesperson for the Council, which is part of the HHS Office of Public Health and Science. Swann provided both leadership and continuity in realizing the President’s mandate to the Council. He served first under HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and then under Secretary Michael O. Leavitt; he developed a close working relationship with U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona in stressing prevention of chronic disease through healthy lifestyle choices.

A dynamic and sought-after speaker and media personality, Swann volunteered large blocks of his time to represent the Council at conferences, appear at health and fitness events, and visit young people in schools, after school programs, boys and girls clubs, and hospitals to discuss and encourage physical activity. He appeared regularly on national television and provided in depth interviews to newspapers and magazines, where he discussed the obesity epidemic and the health benefits of physical activity. He testified on these topics before the Senate Select Committee on Aging and the House Committee on Workforce Reform.

On July 18, 2003, Swann joined the President in Dallas, Texas, to launch the Council’s innovative, interactive Web site, www.presidentschallenge.org. In December 2004, he served as master of ceremonies for Secretary Thompson’s Innovation in Prevention awards gala, and in May of this year, Swann hosted the Second HealthierUS Fitness Festival with Secretary Leavitt on the National Mall to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

“Lynn’s dedicated public service and his achievements as chairman will always be remembered and appreciated by those of us who have been privileged to work with him to encourage Americans to get moving for health,” said Melissa Johnson, the Council's executive director. “We will miss him, but we know he will continue to be a health and fitness ambassador wherever he goes. We thank him for his service and wish him all the best in his future undertakings,” Johnson said.

(See Lynn Swann’s bio; Lynn Swann’s White House Web chat; Lynn Swann’s Web chat for the Washington Post Online).