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Features | General | Team Reports
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The following memorandum was released by Skiing Australia Chairman Hugh Whan on August 14:
It is with regret that I advise of Steven Pott’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer of Skiing Australia, effective October 31, 2002.
Steven has provided loyal service to the organisation during one of the most difficult periods in its history. The effectiveness of that service is demonstrated in the turn around in its fortunes in that three and a half year period and its readiness to move strongly forward.
When Steven started with Skiing Australia back in 1998, the sport had many financial difficulties and a real need to develop effective development programs to underpin the work of our elite sports partner, the Australian Institute of Winter Sports (now the Olympic Winter Institute (OWI)).
By the time of his departure in October, 2002, Skiing Australia will be back in the black financially, will have just conducted its fifth World Cup aerials event at Mt Buller, and have a program of events that will see at least two World Cups in the country each season until 2006.
Many of our development programs are in place. The freestyle skiing program, run so effectively with the support of the Victorian Institute of Sport, is producing real dividends, witnessed by Lydia Ierodiaconou’s eighth placing in Salt Lake City in the Olympic final, in the event where Alisa Camplin won our sport’s first Olympic gold medal.
Evidence of the athletes’ appreciation of Steven’s work came at the 2002 Australian Ski Awards which saw so many of the winners thank him personally for his contribution to their success.
Steven has also effectively managed the relationships with all key partners including the FIS, the Australian Olympic Committee, Australian Sports Commission and national and state institutes, most importantly making the vital relationship between SAL and the OWI so effective.
The nature of skiing, with its many disciplines and committees, makes it a complex sport to manage. Yet Steven has worked tirelessly with all groups to ensure skiing has moved forward so it can effectively meet the demands of sport in the early part of the 21st century and beyond. This has often involved many late and thankless hours of work and we thank him, and his wife Kerry, for their incredible patience.
Skiing Australia has also recently undertaken a review of its operations, by its nature a long and sometimes agonising process, but a task that is almost complete thanks to Steven’s perseverance and professionalism. We will be much better off for it.
In the lead-up to October 31 I’m sure Steven will feel that the years have indeed wearied him. I’m equally sure though, as he looks back, he will recognise the great and enduring contribution that he has made to the sport of skiing and its parent body, Skiing Australia.
The boards, committees and athletes of our sport wish him well. His experiences with us will make him an enormously effective operator at the next chosen stop in his working life.
With regard to finding a replacement for this role, a selection panel has been established and the position will be advertised on Saturday 17 August 2002 with responses to the Skiing Australia Office.
Yours sincerely
Hugh Whan
Chairman
Skiing Australia
XC is the official website of the Skiing Australia Cross Country Committee. It is produced with the assistance of the Australian Sports Commission and the Kangaroo Hoppet. The editor can be contacted via info@hoppet.com.au.