Reid Carter, Spokesperson for the 2023 Squamish-Whistler Steering Committee, is pleased to announce that the Local Organizing Committee has been formed and the Chairperson appointed.
“We are thrilled to have assembled such an experienced team of sport, business and fundraising experts who are committed to bringing the 2023 FIS Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships to Whistler Olympic Park. The Team will be led by Norman Laube as Chairperson. Norman is a successful senior business leader and built the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club in Vancouver into one of the most successful full service clubs in the country.”
Bio’s of the Local Organizing Committee follow:
Norman Laube, BComm, ICD.D
Chairperson – Local Organizing Committee
Norman is leading the team to plan, fund and deliver the 2023 FIS World Junior/U23 Nordic Ski Championships at Whistler Olympic Park. Based in North Vancouver, Norman is President of Laubenfels Investments, a development and consulting company focussed on providing housing and community facilities. Throughout his professional career, he has been involved in raising more than $1B of equity and debt for real estate projects. He is past Chair of the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club in Vancouver where he led its growth over 10 years to be one of Canada’s leading full-service ski clubs and put in place the funding platform to raise more than $1M. Norman is former President & CEO of Surrey City Development Corporation, Director of the Hiyám Squamish Nation Housing Society, founding Director of Callaghan Valley XC Training Centre and Honorary Vice Consul – Austria.
Norman is a NCCP Level 3 Cross Country Ski Coach and has also coached community soccer and field hockey for more than 20 years. He is an avid outdoors enthusiast and enjoys spending time in the mountains with his family.
“The 2023 Ski Championships are an incredible opportunity to reignite the passion of the 2010 Winter Olympics, inspire young athletes and share the beauty of the Sea2Sky region with the world.”
Norman Laube
Reid Carter
Vice Chair & Sponsorship Lead
Reid is co-leading the team to plan, fund and deliver the 2023 FIS World Junior/U23 Nordic Ski Championships at Whistler Olympic Park. Based in West Vancouver, Reid is a former Managing Partner of Brookfield Asset Management and currently serves as a Corporate Director on three public and two private companies. He is also Chair of Cross Country BC and a member of the Nordiq Canada Divisional Chairs Council. Reid is no stranger to fundraising having raised over US$5 billion in the capital markets over the past fifteen years and will lead activities related to fundraising in support of the 2023 Ski Championships.
“Holding the 2023 World Junior Ski Championships at Whistler Olympic Park provides a focal point with a “home court advantage” for our many talented young skiers in preparation for the 2026 Olympics while also showcasing this world class venue and the region’s beauty with the world”
Reid Carter
Roger Soane
Sport Legacy, Venue & Accommodation Lead
Roger is the President & CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies, the organization responsible for administering the 2010 Olympic Nordic, Sliding and Athletes Village venues and their associated sport legacies. With over 40 years of international operational experience spanning the globe, Roger has for the past seven years been at the helm of Whistler Sport Legacies overseeing the three venues that were built for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler. All three venues are still hosting major events with the world’s top athletes attending in the Sliding and Nordic disciplines. Both Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Sliding Centre have become key components as training venues for the next generation of Olympians as well as community and tourism assets for recreational users. Before WSL, Roger spent his career in the tourism sector in many international destinations before landing in Whistler in 2008 with his wife and three children becoming General Manager of the Fairmont Whistler. He has been Chair of Tourism Whistler and continues to serve as a Director. Sport has played a big part in Rogers’s life although growing-up in London, it wasn’t until later in life that winter sports became a focus for him and his family
Dave Dyer
Nordiq Canada (Cross Country Ski du Fond) Representative and Canadian Snowsport Liaison
Dave is the Director of Marketing for Nordiq Canada (Cross Country Ski du Fond Canada). Working from Ottawa and Canmore, Dave is responsible for Olympic level cross country ski events at the domestic and international level in Canada. He is a member of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Advertising Matters Committee and Cross Country Executive Committee. He is responsible for negotiation of international and domestic television rights for Canadian World Cup events and development and execution of sponsorship initiatives for cross country ski events in Canada. Dave has been instrumental in bringing to and staging FIS World Cup events in Canmore and Quebec over the past 10 years.
Jeff Ellis
FIS Liaison & Media Lead
Jeff is one of two individuals representing Nordiq Canada on the 2023 FIS Junior/U23 World Nordic Skiing Championships Organizing Committee. He brings to the committee 6 years of experience working for FIS on the World Cup circuit from 2012-2018. During this time, he was on site for over 60 World Cup events, 3 World Championships and 2 Olympic Winter Games. Jeff recently joined Nordiq Canada as the Event Coordinator in September 2019 and resides in Penticton, British Columbia with his young son Breck and wife Kikkan Randall a former US Ski Team member and 2018 Olympic Champion in Cross-Country skiing.
John Heilig
Ski Jumping Canada and Nordic Combined Ski Canada Representative
John is President of JHeilig Sport and Recreation Services providing Nordic sport consulting in the Sea2Sky Corridor and around the world. He currently is advising Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and was PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Nordic Combined and Rasnov, Romania 2016 FIS World Junior Nordic Championship Technical Delegate.
John was Manager Nordic Sport at Whistler Olympic Park and Sport Manger – Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined for VANOC during the 2010 Winter Olympics. He represented Canada for 7 years as an international athlete in Nordic Combined and was National Coach of Nordic Combined Ski for 10 years.
John is Director of Canadian Snowsports Association (representing Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined), FIS International Committee member for Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping and High Performance Director of Nordic Combined Ski Canada.
Len Apedaile
Technical Delegate for Cross Country Skiing
Len is Managing Partner of Econ Consulting providing forestry expertise around the world. He is President of the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club on Vancouver Island and was Sport Manager – Cross Country Skiing for VANOC during the 2010 Winter Olympics. He is an FIS recognized nordic skiing consultant with expertise in Paralympic and Olympic event planning and management, venue and course design and construction, officials training and development and training.
Len is a FIS and International Paralympic Committee Technical Delegate for Nordic Skiing. He is Head of Technical Control and Officials, Nordic Skiing Sport Technical Committee International Paralympic Committee / World Para Nordic Skiing. Recently, Len was a key member of the Organizing Committee of the 2019 World Para Nordic Ski Championships held in Prince George, British Columbia.
Tim Hope
Whistler Olympic Park – Managing Director
Part of the Senior Leadership Team of Whistler Sport Legacies, Tim is the Managing Director of Whistler Olympic Park, the host venue for the 2023 FIS World Junior/U23 Nordic Ski Championships. He is responsible for providing direction to Whistler Olympic Park’s Nordic Sport and Recreation activities, Guest Services, Maintenance and Operations departments. Prior to joining Whistler Sport Legacies, Tim was instrumental in preparing Whistler Olympic Park for the 2010 Winter Olympics as part of the VANOC Team where he was responsible for the planning and delivery of the temporary infrastructure needs for World Cup test events and the Olympic / Paralympic Games. Tim resides with his family in Squamish, BC and is a Director of the Britannia Mine Museum.
“The 2023 Ski Championships are an opportunity to continue towards inspiring youth and families to participate in Nordic Sport by showcasing future Olympic Champions in hosting this event.”
Tim Hope
Georgia Manhard
Steering Committee Member, Government Fundraising Advisor
Based in 100 Mile House BC, Georgia is the former Chair of Cross Country BC and member of Cross Country Canada’s Board of Directors. She has held many different leadership roles in the sport including Competition Chair for an FIS World Cup. Georgia has raised a family of life-long cross country skiers who are active as competitors and coaches.
“I believe that the Squamish-Whistler 2023 World Junior Nordic/U23 Ski Championships will support a new wave of cross country athletes that will come of age as final year juniors and U23s in 2023. This event would act as a perfect stepping stone for their World Cup and Olympic careers.”
Georgia Manhard
Sheryll Yeager
Steering Committee Member, Event Organizer & Volunteer Coordinator
Sheryll is Vice Chair of the Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal and a former reporter and journalist. She is Chair of Callaghan Valley Cross Country, coordinating the efforts of the five local ski clubs in Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, West Vancouver and Vancouver. Sheryll is a Level 3 Cross Country Ski Racing Official and was Deputy Chief of Competition Control for Cross Country Skiing at the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Games. She has organized the P’ayakentsut Loppett at Whistler Olympic Park since its inception in 2011 and was Event Organizer of the Haywood Cross Country Ski Nationals in 2013.
Dirk Rohde
Steering Committee Member, Event Organizer & Volunteer Coordinator
Dirk is President of the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club and Vice Chair of Callaghan Valley Cross Country, a legacy organization from the 2010 Winter Olympics established to host high-level cross country ski events at Whistler Olympic Park. He was the Chief of Competition for the 2013 Cross Country Ski Nationals and volunteered at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Dirk is the Event Chair for the annual Coast Outdoors P’ayakentsut, one of the largest loppets in Canada. He is a level 5 FIS Cross Country Ski Official and Chair of the Cross Country BC Officials Development Committee. Professionally, Dirk is a Principal Technical Consultant for Epicor. In addition to skiing, he is also an avid mountain biker.
“I am looking forward to my next big challenge, which will promote skiing in the region and promote our beautiful region to the rest of the world – participating in the committee that will host a successful 2023 Junior/U23 Championship event.”
Dirk Rohde
