Fort Dupont Ice Arena Announces Murry N. Gunty as Chairman

​New leadership brings experience, resources to Ward 7 facility

The Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena today announced the appointment of a new Chairman of the Board and additional Directors. Incoming Chairman Murry N. Gunty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc., brings rink ownership, operating expertise and extensive hockey experience and resources to Fort Dupont. His election and those of additional directors will sustain the rink’s longstanding commitment to the community, maintain its operation as a non-profit, and continue Kids On Ice® programs that for 25 years have transformed the lives of more than 20,000 children, primarily from Wards 7 and 8.

“We are excited to join and continue the great work of the board, build on its success and preserve the arena’s role as a vital recreation facility for families in the District. With a mission to serve children who may lack access to skating facilities, equipment and guide them from Learn To Skate to the great sports of hockey, figure, speed and synchronized skating, Fort Dupont is a unique treasure among ice rinks in North America,” said Gunty. “Our commitment is to preserve and strengthen the special role of Fort Dupont in the community and sustain the positive impact of its extraordinary programs, teams, coaches and instructors.”

In addition to Gunty, new directors joining the existing Fort Dupont board include Tarik El-Bashir, a native Washingtonian and one of the country’s preeminent sports and hockey reporters; Kim Weiss, also from the area and the first female bench coach of a North American Junior Hockey team; former Preseason All-American football running back and business executive Ellery Roberts; high-profile criminal defense attorney and Harvard Law Review member Ismail J. Ramsey; Bob Weiss, owner/operator of Rockville Ice Rink, the largest such facility in the DC Metro area; and several Black Bear financial and management executives.