April 7, 2008 - The Pacific Sport Institute Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of the Institute’s new Chief Executive Officer (',CEO), Mr. Michael Wright.

Wright is an accomplished leader in sport management and marketing across North America and comes to the PSI from Blue Equity in New York City where he was Senior Vice President.  Blue Equity is a private equity firm that invests in business enterprises and opportunities in media, financial services, real estate and sports and entertainment. 

“We are extremely pleased to have Michael leading the Pacific Sport Institute,” said PSI Board Chair Jim Reed.  “We were searching for someone who could lead our operations and create strategic revenue opportunities while at the same time cultivate essential, mutually-beneficial relationships with our primary partners, sport associations, schools, community agencies and provincial, national and international organizations.”

Previously, Wright worked for 20 years with IMG USA and IMG Canada, a worldwide sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm with an international staff of 2,000 and over 60 offices in 25 countries.  IMG represents hundreds of sports figures, artists, celebrities and prestigious organizations around the world.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join such a dynamic organization,” said Wright.  “There is something fulfilling to me personally about helping young people develop not only their physical skills, but, by extension, their life skills.  I like the fact that the Institute is made up of an extremely diverse and talented group and I will work to bring all our stakeholders together and help tell our story locally, nationally and internationally.  Perhaps most importantly, we are poised to play a leadership role within the Canadian sport community in the area of research as it relates to athletic performance; allowing us to contribute to overall wellness and fitness while stoking the competitive spirit across our nation.”

The Toronto native most recently served as Senior Vice President for IMG USA in New York for 10 years, initially heading up the Corporate Consulting Division and Olympic Sales and Marketing, where he was involved in strategic consulting, program management and brand development.  Between 2001 and 2005, Wright was responsible for IMG’s Olympic New Business Development activities and worked on behalf of the US Olympic Committee and their Olympic teams for the Salt Lake, Athens, Torino and Beijing Games.                                                                                                    

Wright got his start in sports marketing and event management with IMG Canada in 1986.  He is interested in other cultures and once took a year long sabbatical to travel and volunteer across Europe and North America.  He is active in many sports including cycling, basketball, tennis, squash, football and hockey and is currently training for the 2008 New York City Marathon.

Wright assumed his new role in late March and the media will be invited to meet him at a special event at 5:30 p.m. on May 14 at the site of the Institute on Camosun College’s Interurban campus, more details to follow.

The Pacific Sport Institute is a visionary partnership of Camosun College, the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and PacificSport.  The Institute is a Canadian first and brings together excellence in sport and exercise education, world-class athlete performance services, community health and wellness and sport technology research and under one roof.

Phase I of the 117,570 square foot facility opens in September 2008.  It includes classrooms, fitness and strength training facilities, a double gymnasium, a lit all-weather multi-sport playing field, sport medicine and rehabilitation services, high performance sport services, sport technology research facilities, multi-purpose rooms, library and food services.

A proposal has been made to the Federal Government under the Building Canada Infrastructure Program to fund Phase II of the building which will include a third gymnasium (',to allow for national and international competitions), additional specialized labs, an outdoor training track and additional equipment and fittings.

The Institute will serve students, high performance athletes and coaches from across the country and thousands of the region’s children, youth and adult community members each year.

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1 backgrounder attached

For more information:

Susan Haddon                                                   Joanna Fox
Director, College & Community Relations      Manager, Communications
Camosun College                                              CSC Pacific
(',250) 370-4231 – office                                     (',250) 744-5537
(',250) 588-9298 – cell                                         (',250) 882-5426

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it                                     This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.pacificsport.ca
www.camosun.ca

April 7, 2008

The Pacific Sport Institute

BACKGROUNDER

The Pacific Sport Institute is a visionary partnership of Camosun College, the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and PacificSport Victoria.  The Institute is a Canadian first and brings together excellence in sport and exercise education, community health and wellness, sport technology research and world-class athlete performance services under one roof.  The $27.75M first phase of the two-phase, $42M Institute will open in September 2008 on the Interurban campus of Camosun College. 

The Canadian Sport Centre Pacific delivers sport performance programs to help athletes and coaches win medals for Canada.  Working in support of Canada’s national and provincial sport partners, it is creating a stronger system for the development of athletes, coaches and performance enhancement teams, driving the development of sport performance facilities.

Camosun College is one of the largest comprehensive educational institutions on Vancouver Island, serving more than 18,000 full and part-time learners from its two campuses.  Its over 100 different program offerings lead to applied degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and trades certification in fields such as business, health and human services, arts and sciences, computer and engineering technologies, apprenticeship and entry level trades training and sport and wellness education.  The College offers over 300 university transfer courses in the arts and sciences and applied degree programs in Business Administration – Accounting, Marketing and Communications and Human Resources Leadership.  In addition, Camosun offers a wide range of adult upgrading and college preparatory programming and hundreds of continuing education courses each year.

PacificSport Victoria is a program builder.  Focusing on partnerships with national sport organizations, PacificSport Victoria supports National Training Centres located in the region.  PacificSport Victoria is the programming legacy of the 1994 Commonwealth Games.

Pacific Sport Institute Board of Directors

Jim Reed – President, Synachor Management Inc.  (',Chair)
Dr. Liz Ashton – President, Camosun College
Susan Brice – Board Member, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
Wayne Dalby – Board Member, Camosun College Board of Governors
Kim Hesketh – Chair, Camosun College Board of Governors
David Johns – Board Member, Camosun College Board of Governors
Don Manning – Chair, PacificSport Victoria Board
Dr. Gord Sleivert – VP Sport Performance, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
Ian Taylor – Board Member, PacificSport Victoria
Malcolm Webster – VP Marketing/Communications, Thrifty Foods

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