USPA's leadership begins with its members who elect a 22-member board of directors to represent their interests. Elections are conducted every three years. The board members, who live throughout the country and work without compensation, hire an executive director, who in turn hires a staff. The executive director and the staff work at USPA Headquarters in Fredericksburg, Virginia, just a short ride from the government agencies and Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The USPA Board is comprised of eight national directors and 14 regional directors who all serve three-year terms. The regional directors are elected from the members in the USPA region where they reside; national directors are elected at-large. Twice each year, the board meets to review and develop programs, set policy and guide the organization. The headquarters staff carries out the policies of the board, administers USPA programs and provides daily management needs.

Regional directors are responsible for safety, training and membership services in their region. They appoint at least one USPA Safety & Training Advisor at each recognized skydiving location for assistance. S&TAs provide advice and training for extraordinary jumps, verify rating renewal requirements and issue license tests. They are expected to address safety problems and violations and may be called upon to investigate skydiving accidents.

Board members want member feedback about USPA programs and policies. You can contact your regional director or any board member here. For issues related to specific DZs, you can use our locator to find the appointed Safety & Training Advisor.

USPA interacts with local, state and federal government officials, including those of the FAA, U.S. Congress, state transportation departments and legislators. Much of this activity focuses on monitoring and evaluating bills and regulatory action to assess their impact on skydiving.

USPA also has programs to educate local, state and federal agencies on the success of self-regulation. By communicating with pilots, airport managers and businesses, and air traffic controllers, USPA ensures that others know about and understand skydiving’s focus on safety, including safe integration in the national airspace.

USPA represents the membership on many aviation working groups, coalitions and councils that gather in Washington, D.C. USPA involvement ensures that skydivers retain their rights and interests in using airports, airspace and government services (like air traffic control).

USPA supports and promotes skydiving competitions and skydiving records. USPA-issued skydiving licenses are recognized internationally through the International Parachuting Commission of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, which oversees all air sports.

USPA sanctions national competitions, selects the U.S. Parachute Team for world competitions and administers the U.S. Parachute Team Trust Fund. USPA holds annual National Championships in Formation Skydiving, Vertical and Mixed Formation Skydiving, Artistic Freefying and Freestyle, Canopy Formation, Canopy Piloting, Wingsuit Flying, Freefall Style and Accuracy Landing, and Speed Skydiving, as well as the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships.

Parachutist, the official monthly publication of USPA, dates back to 1957 and is mailed to all members; it’s the world’s largest skydiving publication.

USPA also publishes several monthly e-newsletters, a variety of manuals for training, competition, ratings and governance, as well as an annual calendar, collecting the year’s best skydiving photos from the U.S. and around the world.

USPA began publishing the Parachutist Starter Mag in 2023 to help new skydivers learn more about the sport.