USA Table Tennis Welcomes Two New Staff Members

USATT Adds Barbara Wei as Marketing Specialist and Vlad Farcas as Event Coordinator as the Organization Heads into Its Ninetieth Anniversary Year of Celebration

 

(Colorado Springs, CO – January 4, 2023) – USA Table Tennis (“USATT”) the national governing body for the sport of table tennis, which will celebrate its Ninetieth Anniversary in 2023, today announced that the organization has added two staff members. USATT welcomes Barbara Wei, who will serve as the organization’s marketing specialist, and Vlad Farcas, who joins the organization as USATT’s event coordinator.

“We’re very excited to add Barbara and Vlad to our staff in this historic year for USATT,” said USATT Chief Executive Officer Virginia Sung. “Barbara comes with a wealth of experience and talent that she developed as a player and has advanced in the marketing, media and communications arena for international table tennis events. Vlad has proven himself as a highly effective and creative force in managing high-level table tennis tournaments. We believe that these two will prove to be invaluable additions in our efforts to continue to provide our membership with the highest quality of service and support.”

Wei is a familiar face to the USATT family after her long and successful run as an elite-level junior table tennis player where she built her rating to almost 2300 before heading to the University of Pennsylvania and then Harvard University to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health and social sciences field. Wei began her career as a marketing and sales consultant for large healthcare companies, and now works to promote the growth, leadership and mental well-being of young adults.

In the table tennis community, Wei has become a leading commentator at elite-level international events, serving on the broadcast crew at the 2021 ITTF World Championships in Houston, Texas, and the 2022 ITTF World Championships in Chengdu, China, as well as sitting in the lead commentator chair at USATT Five-Star events, including the recently completed US Open in Ontario, California. Wei will undertake several duties for USATT in the marketing and communication areas, including developing and expanding the scope of USATT’s brand and social media presence.

“I’m excited to join USATT in this special year,” said Wei. “I was fortunate to have a fun and productive experience as a young table tennis player growing within USATT’s junior system. Since then, I’ve had several tremendous experiences as a commentator at high-level national and international events. I look forward to touching base with our membership and being a part of the organization’s efforts to expand USATT’s reach and continue grow and improve the sport in the United States.”

Farcas is also well known within several facets of the US and international table tennis communities. His experience includes serving on the US Para National Team Coaching Staff, where he has worked with US stars such as Jensen Van Emburgh, who claimed a Bronze Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Farcas is also well known for his efforts in running the San Antonio Table Tennis Club in San Antonio, Texas, where he has managed over 20 USATT sanctioned tournaments. He was also instrumental in running the 2022 Adult and Junior National Team Trials in Fort Worth. Farcas will serve in all phases of organizing, managing, and growing USATT tournaments, including the Five-Star Major Events and those tournaments related to the selection and development US National Teams for able-bodied and para players.

“I’m elated to be joining USATT at this time,” said Farcas. “I look forward to working with Virginia and the rest of the staff as we seek to plan and execute professional, elite-level table tennis tournaments that rival the finest events on the international circuit. I’m also excited to meet and listen to our members about ways that we can make our events more accessible, efficient, and exciting for table tennis players throughout the United States.”

Wei will continue to live and work from her current home base in Chicago, Illinois, and her USATT email address (which will be active in the immediate future) will be Barbara.Wei@usatt.org. Farcas will be based in his home city of San Antonio, Texas, and will have the USATT email address of Vlad.Farcas@usatt.org.

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