(Utah News Dispatch)

After the International Olympic Committee chose Salt Lake City to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, Utah finalized another milestone in its preparations for the events — selecting an organizing committee and board, whose leadership includes many known faces.

“We’ve been saying 10 years for a long time. Now it is nine years, and that clock keeps ticking,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said at an event announcing the leadership team. “There’s a lot for us to do, and we have the right team in place to get it all done.”

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Fraser Bullock, a businessman who led the efforts in the Salt Lake City bid as president and CEO, is keeping his spot as president in the Olympic Organizing Committee. But, the CEO title went to former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, who Bullock noted, will work as a volunteer.

“We divide up responsibilities. I focus on the international arena, strategy, policy,” Bullock said in a presentation on Friday. “And then we were fortunate to have Brad do the day-to-day operations, all the stuff that needs to get done to make a game successful.”

The committee was officially formed Friday morning when its representatives signed one last agreement with the IOC.

Both Wilson and Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company, will serve as vice chairs of the Organizing Committee board. And, similar to the structure of the bidding committee, Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall are set to be honorary chairs on the board. Utah Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz were appointed honorary vice chairs.

“We’ve been in these honorary roles leading up to this. And it’s, I believe, an appropriate position for elected people to be in honorary roles,” Mendenhall said. “And the 25 members of the Olympic Committee that are being announced today are not elected leaders, and I think it’s right that way.”

The organizing committee will start a listening tour to understand the vision of different players in the state, and lay the groundwork for future U.S. athletes to excel in 2034, Wilson said.

“We want to do everything we can to help support a healthy pipeline of athletes. And there are young people today that may not even know they’re going to be Olympians in 2034 and we want to help plant that seed,” Wilson said.

The committee also expects to collaborate with Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Summer Games. But, for now there are still nine years to dream about what Salt Lake City could become when it’s ready to welcome the world. In elected officials’ minds, that includes getting creative about transportation issues, expanding infrastructure and even, air taxis.

Other selected organizers

Executive Committee

• Fraser Bullock, Alpine, UT (Executive Chair & President)
• Sarah Hirshland, Colorado Springs, CO (USOPC CEO)
• Chris Kinney, Stockbridge, GA (Team USA Athletes’ Commission, Olympian)
• Steve Starks, South Jordan, UT (Vice Chair)
• Gene Sykes, Los Angeles (USOPC Chair)
• Lindsey Vonn, Park City, UT (Olympian)

Organizing Committee Board

• Mindy Benson, Cedar City, UT
• Fraser Bullock, Alpine, UT (Executive Chair & President)
• Muffy Davis, Sun Valley, ID (IPC Governing Board, Paralympian)
• Anita DeFrantz, Santa Monica, CA (IOC Member, Olympian)
• Spencer P. Eccles, Salt Lake City
• Allyson Felix, Los Angeles (IOC Member, Olympic Champion)
• Sophie Goldschmidt, Park City, UT (National Governing Body Council)
• Manny Guerra, Jr., Plymouth, MN (Paralympian)
• David Haggerty, London (IOC Member)
• Sarah Hirshland, Colorado Springs, CO (USOPC CEO)
• Kathleen Holding, Sheridan, WY
• Jack Hollis, Dallas (USOPC)
• Brett Hopkins, Salt Lake City
• Sarah Hughes, New York City (Olympian)
• Chris Kinney, Stockbridge, GA (Team USA Athletes’ Commission, Olympian)
• Crystal Maggelet, Salt Lake City
• Oksana Masters, Louisville, KY (Paralympian)
• Abby Osborne, Salt Lake City
• Dexter Paine, New York City (USOPC)
• Steve Price, Salt Lake City
• Ryan Smith, Provo, UT
• Steve Starks, South Jordan, UT (Vice Chair)
• Gene Sykes, Los Angeles (USOPC Chair)
• Lindsey Vonn, Park City, UT (Olympian)
• Brad Wilson, Kaysville, UT (Vice Chair and CEO)

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.