- The Utah 2034 Winter Games organizing committee announced several leadership changes Wednesday.
- Abby Osborne was named vice president of impact, engagement and enterprise operations.
- Four-time Olympian Catherine Raney Norman is leaving her role as vice president for development and athlete relations.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah 2034 Winter Games organizing committee announced leadership changes Wednesday, with Olympian Catherine Raney Norman departing the committee and Abby Osborne being named vice president of impact, engagement and enterprise operations.
Osborne currently serves as the chief of staff for the Utah House of Representatives and chairs the board of the Utah Inland Port Authority. She will step down from her role with the House on July 31 ahead of her Aug. 1 start date with the organizing committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, according to a press release.
The organizing committee also announced that Darren Hughes will serve as the vice president of Games delivery, after serving as vice president of operations and planning since last year.
"Since launching the organizing committee, we have continually evaluated how our team is structured to best support our work in preparing for the 2034 Winter Games," said Brad Wilson, the CEO of the organizing committee and a former Utah House speaker. "Both Abby and Darren will bring great value to our organizational structure and will each play a vital role for Utah 2034 over the next seven-and-a-half years."
Osborne's new role will include overseeing "sustainability, impact, and legacy initiatives," for the Games, along with "communications, government and community relations, youth and education programs, and enterprise operations," according to the press release. She currently serves on the organizing committee board, but will relinquish her seat upon starting the new role.
"The opportunity to help lead Utah 2034 is both professionally and personally meaningful," she said. "The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have the power to inspire, unite communities and create lasting impact for future generations. I look forward to working alongside this incredible team to build an organization that not only delivers exceptional Games in 2034 but also strengthens Utah's position as a winter sports capital for decades to come."
Osborne told KSL she will continue serving in her role on the board of the Utah Inland Port Authority.
Wilson said Osborne is "uniquely qualified to help lead that growth and ensure Utah 2034 delivers an impact that extends far beyond the Games themselves."
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, called Osborne "one of my closest and most trusted friends, advisers and partners in public service."
"She has an extraordinary ability to bring people together, build consensus and united teams around a shared vision," he added. "Her drive, foresight and commitment to doing what is best for Utah are unmatched. Abby has helped shape some of the most important successes of the House, and her leadership has strengthened both our institution and the lives of countless Utahns."
He said "her absence will be deeply felt" in the House.
Schultz appointed Jake Glenn, a senior policy adviser to the House Majority Caucus, to serve as chief of staff of the House of Representatives beginning in August.
The organizing committee also announced the departure of Raney Norman from the role of vice president of development and athlete relations. Raney Norman is a four-time Olympic speed skater who competed in each Winter Games from 1998 to 2010.
"Serving the Olympic and Paralympic movement and helping bring the Games back to Utah has been one of the greatest honors of my life," she said. "This work has always been deeply personal to me because at its center are the athletes, their families and the belief that sport can create hope, connection and lasting impact within our communities."
