It is with mixed emotions that the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba announces the departure of Jeff Powell, Executive Director, effective January 31, 2025.
After a decade at the helm of the CSCM, Jeff will be leaving CSCM to take on the Chief Executive Officer position at Rowing Canada Aviron, the National Sport Organization in charge of rowing and para-rowing in Canada.
Jeff is an Olympian and a World Champion rower, winning gold medals at the World Rowing Championships in 2002 and 2003 and representing Canada at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games as a member of the Men’s Coxed Eight team. He retired from rowing as an athlete in 2005 but stayed involved, holding the position of National Team Coach with Rowing Canada Aviron from June 2010 to August 2012. He has remained active in the Manitoba rowing community throughout his time at CSCM, currently coaching and sitting on the board for the Winnipeg Rowing Club. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sport Hall of Fame in 2015 in recognition of an exceptional athletic career.
Under Jeff’s guidance over the past decade, CSCM, a non-profit organization with the goal of helping Manitoba’s top athletes on their Olympic and Paralympic journeys, has worked to upgrade sport science equipment and supports to meet high performance standards required to prepare Manitoba athletes for three Summer and two Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. He oversaw CSCM’s integration into the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network.
During his time with CSCM, Jeff’s work has been critical to promoting a safe sport culture within the organization through partnerships to train and educate the staff. His legacy will include long term contributions to Manitoba athletes through his work founding the CSC Manitoban Olympians & Paralympians Fund through the Winnipeg Foundation.
Jeff has been committed to the CSCM staff, championing professional development and ongoing learning. He has worked with the University of Manitoba to rethink and renovate the CSCM office, training and meeting space to create an improved working environment. He worked with senior staff to formalize internship programs and university apprenticeships, ensuring CSCM Sport Science experts continue to spread their knowledge and experience through the Manitoba sport system.
“It has been both a personal and professional honour to work with the athletes, staff, Board and broader CSCM community over these last ten years.” said Jeff Powell. “I will miss the organization and its people terribly but am confident they are well positioned to thrive and support the next phase of growth at CSCM.”
On behalf of CSCM, Justin Duff, Chairman of the Board, said, “I’d like to congratulate Jeff on his new position at Rowing Canada and thank him for his decade of dedication to the CSCM. Rowing Canada will undoubtedly benefit greatly from Jeff’s experience as a World Champion caliber athlete, a National team coach, and a skilled navigator of the Canadian Sports system. Best of luck moving forward!”
We are saddened by Jeff’s departure, but recognize Jeff’s passion for rowing and believe he will accomplish great things at Rowing Canada Aviron.
CSCM will announce the search for our next Executive Director in the near future.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN SPORT CENTRE MANITOBA:
The Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba (CSCM) was created as one of the many legacies of the 1999 Pan American Games held in Winnipeg. Today, CSCM is the hub for high performance sport in Manitoba. A proud member of the Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, CSCM works to provide a world-class, multi-sport daily training environment for athletes and coaches through integrated services and programs in the fields of physiology, strength and conditioning, nutrition, psychology and support services.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Carolyn Bronsdon, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba
EMAIL: media@cscm.ca