Six elected to the Board of Directors; Two-time Olympian Marie-Huguette Cormier named COC Vice-President
OTTAWA (April 27, 2025) – On Sunday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that four-time Olympian and Olympic rowing silver medallist Tricia Smith was unanimously re-elected as President during the annual COC Session Meeting. Four returning and two new members were also elected to the COC Board of Directors. Two-time Olympian Marie-Huguette Cormier was appointed by the COC Board to serve as Vice-President.
Smith, an Officer of the Order of Canada, has been a leader in Canadian sport for over 35 years, including as a founding member of the COC Athletes’ Commission, Chef de Mission, and COC Director and Vice-President. She was elected President for the first time in 2015, and re-elected in both 2017 and 2021.
“I am incredibly honoured to be re-elected President of the COC,” said Smith. “The work we do at the COC to support Canadian athletes and our national sports is something I am very proud of and I look forward to the next four years.”
In October 2024, Smith was re-elected as a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where she has been an elected member since 2016. Among other distinguished international roles and commissions, Smith is a member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS), Panam Sports Executive Committee and ANOC Executive, and serves as Vice President of World Rowing
“Tricia leads with integrity, purpose, and an unwavering belief in the power of sport. Her impact is woven into the very fabric of Team Canada through her advocacy for athletes, her commitment to fairness and inclusion, and the values she upholds,” said David Shoemaker, COC Chief Executive Officer. “We are so proud to have her at the helm over the next four years as we continue to transform Canada through the power of sport.”
Six members were elected to the COC Board of Directors, including four returning members – Marie-Huguette Cormier, Hubert Lacroix, Jaquie Parchment and Saäd Rafi – and two new members, Lara Mussell Savage and Tim Powers. Cormier was subsequently appointed by the COC Board to serve as Vice-President. Cormier, a two-time Olympian in fencing, was first elected to the Board in 2019.
The COC wishes to sincerely thank outgoing Board members Chris Clark and Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury for their dedication to the work of the COC and the Olympic Movement.
Six Class B (General Members) positions were acclaimed.
Currently, the COC membership comprises 97 voting members from across national sport and multi-sport organizations, athletes, general members and other sport leaders. All board members are also volunteers.
Information on the COC’s governance structure can be found here.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Peter Saltsman
Interim Director, Communications & Media Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-382-6986
E: psaltsman@olympic.ca