National Football Foundation

Tom Cove served as the president & CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) from 2005 until his recent retirement in October 2024.
 
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., and representing the interests of more than 500 leading manufacturers, brands, licensors, distributors and retailers, SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation and the vitality of the industry through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs, and member services. During his tenure, Cove oversaw the transformation of the association from a traditional tradeshow focused manufacturers group into a full-service industry organization, delivering unparalleled sport and business advocacy, world-class sports participation research and analysis, innovative thought leadership and events, and a wide variety of targeted member services to address the specific needs of industry companies.
 
Cove’s signature leadership accomplishments include the Congressional passage and funding of the Carol White Physical Education for Progress (PEP) program, which drove almost $1 billion into local physical education programs around the country; the groundbreaking program to eliminate child labor in global soccer ball production, for which SFIA was awarded the Corporate Conscience Award; the Industry Participation Plan (IPP), a multi-million dollar collaboration which coalesced the entire sports and fitness industry to support legislation and grassroots programs to increase physical activity and sports participation; and the establishment of National PE Day and National Health Through Fitness Day, bringing hundreds of celebrity athletes and industry executives to lobby Capitol Hill annually.