Speed Skating Canada – Ottawa, June 13, 2017 – Cathy Priestner Allinger from North Saanich, BC, was elected as President of Speed Skating Canada at the organization’s Annual General Meeting last weekend in Toronto.

Priestner Allinger, the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic speed skating medal (a silver in the 500m event in 1976), has been a member of Speed Skating Canada’s Board of Directors since 2016, and has been a pillar of the Canadian sporting landscape for the past 30 years. Priestner Allinger, a force both domestically and abroad, was the Managing Director of Sport, Medical and Doping at the 2002 Olympic Games, Executive Vice President, Sport and Games Operations at the 2010 Olympic Games, as well as a Board Member and Founder of Own the Podium and she is now an international sport consultant.

“I am thrilled to once again be involved with Speed Skating Canada as director this past year and now as president,” said Priestner Allinger. “We have an opportunity to effect cultural change and inspire a positive direction for Speed Skating Canada.”

She says her priority is to continue the momentum from this past Annual General Meeting to lead and implement Speed Skating Canada’s new strategic plan.

Priestner Allinger will lead the Board of Directors which, following last weekend’s elections, will now include Denis Leclerc (Longueuil, QC) as Vice President, Directors Dave McQuaid (Mission, BC), Blair Carbert (Calgary, AB) and Athlete Director Leo Landry (Chelsea, QC), as well as newly elected Treasurer André Beaulieu (Repentigny, QC) and Directors Trevor Corey (Fredericton, NB) and Lisa Kimmel (Toronto, ON).

Beaulieu, from Repentigny, QC, is an actuary and is the National Director, Worker Compensation, Finance and Actuarial services at Morneau Shepell Ltd. He was the president of the Fédération de patinage de vitesse du Québec (FPVQ) for six years and a member of the FPVQ’s Board of Directors for a total of nine years.

Corey, from Fredericton, NB, has served as an executive in two major information technology services companies (Accenture & CGI) for the last 20 years. He has also served as president for the Fredericton Speed Skating Club for eight years.

Lisa Kimmel from Toronto, ON, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Canada, an independent communications marketing agency that helps companies evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. She is a member of the Hall of Fame for Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 by the Women’s Executive Network.

“To conclude, I would like to thank Tony Main (Coquitlam, BC) who stepped down from the board following seven years of involvement. Thank you Tony for everything you did, especially on the financial aspect of the organization,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger. “I would also like to thank Antonio Faiola (Calgary, AB) for his two-year engagement as a board member and for his involvement in strategic planning.”

Led by Priestner Allinger, who passionately proclaimed that she is “proud to be bold for change, for the future, and for this organization”, Speed Skating Canada’s Board of Directors has immense experience both within the sport of Speed Skating and corporate Canada, all of which enriches a skill set leading this organization to success from Grass Roots initiatives through to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and beyond.

Earlier in her career, Priestner Allinger was the first General Manager of the Olympic Oval in Calgary from 1986-96, including the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. She was recognized in 2009 as the world’s fifth most influential women in sport (Pro Sport Magazine) and named to the Power List for Sport (Globe and Mail). She is also a member of the IOC Olympic Programme Commission, who is responsible for analyzing the program of sports for both the Games of the Olympiad and Olympic Winter Games and for forming proposals for consideration by the IOC Executive Board.

Additional details are available on Speed Skating Canada’s website at www.speedskating.ca.

About Speed Skating Canada
Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, the association is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial branches representing more than 14,000 individual members, and counting. SSC believes that sport is an apprenticeship for life and prizes respect for others, integrity, excellence of effort, as well as a safe, healthy environment. SSC recognizes and values its outstanding volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise. It also celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932, as well as the coaches, officials and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey.

Speed Skating Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Premium partner: Intact Insurance

Funding partners: Government of Canada (Sport Canada), Own The Podium, Winsport Canada

Sport Development Partners: Calgary’s Olympic Oval, University of Calgary, Institut national du sport du Québec, Government of Quebec, Canadian Sport Institute-Calgary, City of Montreal, City of Quebec City, Conseil du sport de haut niveau de Québec,

Official On-Ice High Performance Apparel: Li-Ning

Official Suppliers of Nutritional Supplements: USANA

Official supplier: Auclair

Long Track Team Sponsor: KIA

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For information:
Patrick Godbout
Communications & Media Relations Manager
Speed Skating Canada
Email: pgodbout@speedskating.ca 
Phone: 514 213-9897
Website: www.speedskating.ca  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSC.PVC 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SSC_PVC