Most Influential Women 2009

2009 Canada Games Host Society Women
Volunteers: Barb Dunphy-Gotell, Vice President, Media, Community Relations & Communication;
Deborah MacMurdo, Vice President, Sport;
Katherine Kelly, Vice President, Ceremonies, Protocol & Hospitality;
Mary Lou Turner, Chair, Project Management Committee;
Myrtle Jenkins-Smith, Vice President, Volunteer Services
Senior Staff: Edna Flood, Chief Administrative Officer; Nicole Phillips, Senior Manager Media, Community Relations and Communications

These women gave countless hours and over three years of their lives to make the Province-wide 2009 Canada Games in PEI an event that would inspire dreams and build champions. The women of the Canada Games Host Society helped the island province host the summer edition of the Games from August 15-29, 2009. The Games enjoyed huge crowds throughout the two-week event, which was supported by more than 6,000 volunteers. The first week was centred in Summerside with events staged throughout the western half of the province and the second week was based in the eastern half and Charlottetown. Volunteer Services, Ceremonies and Protocol, Sport, and Community Relations and Communications divisions fell on the shoulders of these tireless women. They ensured that the athletes, coaches and managers left the island knowing that they were the priority and the raison d’être for the Games themselves. This is the first time for these women to be named to the MIW list.

Photo Credit: Gonzalo Machado

Kimberley Amirault, Calgary, Alberta
Throughout 2009 Dr. Kimberley Amirault has been overseeing the development and implementation of each Canadian Olympic Team’s 2010 Olympic Preparation Plan. The Calgary-based Performance Consultant was appointed Olympic Specialist lead of Sport Psychology by the Canadian Olympic Committee, and will oversee the team working to help athletes create world-class performances and medal results. She has coached elite athletes and high-powered executives across North America, and is the first woman ever appointed performance consultant to two of the largest professional sports teams in North America, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. In addition to her work with the COC, she is the Director of Sports Psychology for the Canadian Sport Centre in Calgary and a performance consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is Kim’s first time on the MIW list.

Marie-Claude Asselin, Montreal, Quebec
As CEO of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), Marie-Claude Asselin was the driving force behind the revised Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code which took effect on January 1, 2009. Her primary ambition with the SDRCC is to reduce the risk of disputes by helping members of the sport community develop and implement sound policies and decision-making practices. When disputes do arise, she encourages the use of resolution mechanisms that preserve the relationships between parties involved. In 2009, the SDRCC achieved a record high of over 40 % of sports-related (non-doping) disputes solved by settlement agreement. She has also introduced leading-edge technology to the SDRCC operations. In addition to volunteering in community sport, she is the leader of the Committee for the Development of Officials in Quebec, which launched in 2009 an innovative multisport training program for officials. This is Marie-Claude’s first time on the MIW list.

Sandra Bezic, Toronto, Ontario
A Canadian champion figure skater in pairs, Toronto’s Sandra Bezic is recognized internationally for her innovative choreography. In 2009, as Co-Creator and a producer of Battle of the Blades she introduced a whole new audience to the sport she loves. The hugely successful CBC television special production paired former NHL male hockey players skating with top female figure skaters in a weekly elimination format. It drew enormous ratings – over two million viewers some evenings, and has been renewed for a second season. In addition to celebrating skating, Sandra’s desire was to draw more people to don skates and be active as a result of the program. She has also served as a figure skating commentator on NBC for 20 years and will be part of their broadcast team for the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. This is Sandra’s first time on the MIW list.

Canada’s Women Ski Jump Team
The same tenacity that drew them to the sport of ski jumping, was evident as the Canadian Women’s Ski Jump Team continued to join the fight against VANOC in court for inclusion of women’s ski jumping as part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In 2009, they took their fight all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court – the highest court in the country. It was to no avail, as the court refused to hear the case. All the while, they continued to train in the vain hope they would be able to compete at the 2010 games in Canada. Despite the ruling, the women drew world-wide attention to their fight and have set the stage for inclusion by the IOC for the 2014 games in Russia.This team was named as “Ones to Watch” on the MIW list of 2008.

Michelle Carinci, Moncton, New Brunswick
Under Michelle Carinci’s leadership, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) has built a tradition of supporting sport, community and families across the Atlantic Canada region. In 2008/09 ALC extended its 33-year sponsorship of the Canada Games with a $1.1 million dollar sponsorship of the 2009 Canada Games. It provided direct support for the 2009 Canada Games, a recognition program for the 6,000 volunteers and support for the Atlantic Canada Games teams. From medal presentations to volunteer thank you luncheons, team pep rallies and volunteer thank you awards, Michelle and her team rallied to make a difference and to provide a wealth of heart and soul within their efforts. In addition to the Canada Games, ALC supports more than 50 community events and activities every year, many of them sport-based. Michelle and ALC have already confirmed their commitment to the 2011 Canada Games in Halifax. This is Michelle’s first appearance on the MIW list.

Charmaine Crooks, Vancouver, British Columbia
The current chair of Olympians Canada, the Vice President of the World Olympians Association and a board member for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, Charmaine Crooks of Vancouver, continues to be an active Olympic force. Since retiring from her medal winning athletics career, she has remained passionately committed to the Olympic movement. She is also currently a member of the IOC Athletes Commission, the IOC Press Commission and the COC’s Executive Board. In 2009, she played a key role as a member of the Board of Directors on the successful bid to host the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games in Toronto. Her active participation in the bid helped secure the first major games to be staged in the GTA in several decades.This is the sixth time Charmaine has been named to the MIW list – previously named in 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003 and the inaugural list in 2000.

Melody Davidson, Calgary, AB
As Head Coach and General Manager, Melody Davidson has been responsible for guiding Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. She was charged with selecting the team to compete for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, making the tough decisions about which players to name to the team. Canada is the two-time defending gold medal team, and will face incredible pressure to deliver another gold medal at home in 2010. Despite what many perceived as a rocky start to the season in the fall of 2009, Melody stayed the course, stayed calm, and kept with her development plan. Her team is poised and ready for the games in February. This is the fourth straight year Mel has been named to the MIW list, beginning in 2006.

Betty Dermer-Norris, Fredericton, New Brunswick
One of the unsung heroines behind the scenes, Betty Dermer-Norris has reviewed every detail of the preparation for Canada’s team to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. As Canada’s Director, Team Operations (Olympic Preparation and Games) for the Canadian Olympic Committee, she ensures the best possible facilities, on-site operations and logistics for Canada’s athletes, coaches, support staff and mission team at the 2010 games – overseeing everything from liaising with VANOC on games time operations, processes and program delivery, to presenting orientation sessions to athletes on what to expect in Vancouver. Betty is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Canadian Olympic Team, ensuring each team functional area (villages, health and science, sport services, outfitting, communications and Canada Olympic Houses) have the necessary resources to deliver the best possible games plan.A former CAAWS Board member, this is Betty’s first appearance on the MIW list.

Cathie Kryzanowski, Regina, Saskatchewan
Based in Regina, Cathie Kryzanowski gives leadership to Saskatchewan in motion, the province-wide movement aimed at increasing physical activity for health, social, environmental and economic benefits. Continuing its vision that the people of Saskatchewan will be the healthiest, most physically active in Canada, Cathie focused on children and youth this year. She developed the idea and assisted Active Healthy Kids Canada with the coordination and development of the 2009 Saskatchewan Supplement to the Active Healthy Kids Canada national report card on physical activity. Saskatchewan in motion also released its first annual ACTIVE Toy Guide encouraging buyers to choose toys that reduce screen time and increase physical activity.This is Cathie’s first appearance on the MIW list.

Nathalie Lambert, Montreal Quebec
Since being was named Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on December, 2007 Nathalie Lambert has devoted countless hours to this volunteer position. A former Olympic medalist in short track speed skating, she has been the face of the Olympic team in 2009, appearing at press conferences, introducing the team uniforms, hosting the torch relay arrival on Parliament Hill and taking care of countless other details and appearances to help Canadians athletes prepare for the games. She provided inspirational leadership at both of the COC preparation seminars held this year in May and in September, and is ready to lead a fully prepared Canadian team into the opening ceremonies on February 12, 2010.This is Nathalie’s first appearance on the MIW list.

Allison McNeill, Surrey, BC
The long-time coach of Canada’s National Women’s Basketball team, Allison McNeill will be taking the team back to the FIBA World Championships in 2010 for the first time since 2006. It took an overtime victory over Cuba at the FIBA Americas Championships for Women in Cuiabá, Brazil to ensure Canada’s spot in the world championships. Alison gave credit to the chemistry developed on the team, and with customary modesty, downplayed her role in developing this group into a solid international threat. In addition, her passion for teaching and working with young people is building a love of the sport at the grassroot level. She continues to consult and provide input, advice and knowledge to the continued development of basketball in British Columbia and throughout Canada.

Anne Merklinger, Ottawa, Ontario
One of Canada’s most respected amateur sport administrators, Anne Merklinger, joined Own the Podium (OTP) as its Director of Summer Sport in October of 2009. OTP is the world-leading program focused on helping Canadian athletes win more Olympic and Paralympic medals. After a highly successful term as Director General of CanoeKayak Canada, Anne now works closely with OTP’s high-performance sport advisors and technical specialists, along with the national sport governing bodies, Sport Canada, COC and CPC in her new role. She will also develop new policies and programs designed to achieve excellence at the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. Anne is also on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada.Anne, a former CAAWS board member, was also on the MIW list in 2005 and 2004.

Kelly Murumets, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto’s Kelly Murumets, President and CEO of ParticipACTION, continued to find ways this year to push Canadians to become ‘the most physically active people on earth.’ Over the summer, ParticipACTION teamed with Sun Life to inspire all Canadians to get active and join the physical activity movement. The Inspire the nation tour swept through 31 cities in Canada, giving participants the chance to receive a free pedometer, get active with tour staff and record videos about how they've added more movement into their lives. ParticipACTION also partnered with Coca-Cola to offer Sogo Active, a national program to inspire youth across Canada to live active, healthy lifestyles. This is Kelly’s second appearance on the MIW list, also being named to it in 2007.

Elizabeth (Liz) Pace, Halifax, Nova Scotia
In 2009 Nova Scotia’s Liz Pace led the charge within the province to develop a coach policy and is in the middle of establishing coach standards at all levels of coach education in Nova Scotia. As the Sport Consultant, Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation, she is working hard to have those standards put in place in the school and community setting. She is helping other provinces to see the value of these standards and presented nationally at the Petro Canada Sport Leadership conference in Vancouver on Building Coach Capacity at the Community Level. This is Liz’s first appearance on the MIW list.

Jagoda Pike, Toronto, Ontario
Jagoda Pike was President and COO of the winning Toronto bid for the 2015 Pan / Parapan American Games. Second in size only to the Summer Olympic Games, the event will be the first major international multi-sport Games in the region since the first Commonwealth Games – the 1930 British Empire Games. Jagoda recognizes hosting will leave a lasting legacy for children for generations to come, and will enable young athletes to fulfill their dreams at home. The 2015 Games will inject more than $700 million of sport and recreation facilities into the region, a significant boost to long-term sport development and community use. Jagoda, who came to the bid from her role as publisher of the Toronto Star, also led the Hamilton bids for the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games. For the Toronto bid, she built on her valuable relationships with the international Games voters, and was critical to rallying a dynamic team of sports advocates and government, community and business leaders, who all worked together to develop the winning plan.

Carla Qualtrough, Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver’s Carla Qualtrough has continued her leadership in Canadian sport in 2009 in a variety of roles. She is the new chair of the board for the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. She is entering her second term as President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), where she has led an organizational review, and implemented a new leadership model that has positioned CPC to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She consulted regularly with VANOC on Paralympic Games issues, including the development of plans for the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. She also participated in the successful Toronto-area 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games bid, presenting the parasport components of the bid to the evaluation committee in Guadalajara and was subsequently named to the Board of the Host Organizing Committee for Toronto 2015. In her professional life, as Director of Sport Initiatives for 2010 Legacies Now, Carla is leading the development of a new disability sport model for British Columbia. Carla has previously appeared on the MIW list in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2003.

Sara Renner, Canmore, Alberta
Olympic medallist, Sara Renner, continues to be an advocate for climate change, in addition to also training to compete in cross-country skiing at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Along with her husband, Thomas Grandi, Sara is encouraging Canadians young and old to stem the climate crisis. In October 2009 the two led Canmore’s 350 movement as part of the International Day of Climate Action. They began leading Canmore’s 350 movement in support of climate change last year with a 20-kilometre recreational bike ride within the community to draw attention to and encourage global action in support of climate change. They are also encouraging other Canadians to start their own 350 action events in their community.This is Sara’s third straight appearance on the MIW list.

Beckie Scott, Canmore, Alberta
This retired athlete remains extremely active and involved in a wide variety of projects. This year she joined the Culture, Education, Sport, and Ethics Program (CESEP) ™ as an Olympic Athlete Ambassador Program. Long a drug-free sport advocate, Beckie will work with the program that was introduced so Olympic competitors from many sports over the past 30 years could join forces with CESEP’s Drug Free Sport initiative to assist in getting the message to students. She also remains Canada's representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Athlete Committee, is half-way through her for an eight-year term on the IOC Athlete’s commission and serves on the board of directors of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Organizing Committee, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and the Canadian Olympic Executive committee. Beckie first appeared on the MIW list in 2003, and has also been named in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In Memoriam

Dr. Gene Sutton, Hamilton, Ontario
Member of 2003 MW list
Canada lost one of its finest sports administrators and volunteers this year. Named as one of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity for her work as the Chef de Mission for the Canadian team at the 2003 Pan American Games, she continued to work tirelessly in the sports field. Right up until her death this past summer, she was serving as the Technical Chair of the 2009 Canadian Gymnastics Championships, and was a part of the 2015 Pan Am Bid Committee for the Hamilton area, and active in a myriad of other organizations and activity. Gene is sincerely missed by the entire women, sport and physical activity community.

Ones to Watch

Woodstock High School Lady Thunder ice hockey team, Woodstock, New Brunswick
After two teammates made it public knowledge they were lesbians, the team from Woodstock, New Brunswick took a positive approach to anti-lesbian homophobic taunts, messages posted on Facebook, and the refusal of another team to shake hands after games. In a striking display of solidarity, they approached the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and all 18 team members wore rainbow-striped pins, with the words "No Homophobia," to their games. The move also opened up the opportunity for dialogue with other teams in the province and resulted in the pins being shared with a team from northern New Brunswick. The Woodstock High School Lady Thunder hockey team received the CAAWS Grace Under Pressure Award and the 2009 New Brunswick Human Rights Award from the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission