January 30, 2006 – Due to resource limitations during the past decade, CCC has not had the benefit of having a staff person employed in the area of high performance. During this period, many of the responsibilities associated with high performance have been performed by the Chairperson of the National Ski Team Committee on a volunteer basis. This is not a sustainable approach if CCC is to develop a world class high performance system, nor is it fair to expect a volunteer to shoulder this level of responsibility and scope of duties. Accordingly, CCC has sought and received funding from the Own the Podium project to enable it to hire a full-time Director of High Performance (DHP).

Click on Job Description for a summary of the position. Note that the DHP will also perform the duties of Chairperson of CCC’s High Performance Committee, a new operational committee that will be instituted shortly.

The competition to hire a DHP was launched in early December. Interviews took place in Canmore on January 9. The Selection Committee recommended Tom Holland to the Board on January 25, and the Board endorsed the recommendation.

Tom Holland is well-known within CCC. He is presently performing the duties of Director of High Performance (Interim) and prior to that was the Chairperson of the National Ski Team Committee. His commitment and dedication to high performance skiing is a matter of record, as evidenced by the many years of service he has provided to our sport as a volunteer. His passion for his work and his detailed knowledge and experience accumulated over the last two Olympic/Paralympic quadrennials are viewed as tremendous assets as CCC “targets the podium” for 2010 and engages in the effort to establish a broader, deeper and more sustainable high performance system.

Notable features from Tom Holland’s resumé include the following:

Nordic Sport Manager – Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) -1990 to 2006 – responsible for management of the Bill Warren Training Centre and the Haig Glacier operation.
Chairperson of National Ski Team Committee – 1998 to 2005 – responsible for planning and operation of the National Ski Team program (able-bodied and disabled), including supervision of staff coaches and technicians.
Technical Chairperson – Cross Country Alberta – 1995 to 1998 – responsible for direction of technical programs, staff and budget.
Team Leader – Olympic Cross-Country Ski Team – 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Team Leader – Olympic Cross-Country Ski Team – 2006 Olympic Winter Games.
Extensive experience in event officiating, including Technical Delegate duties, Chief of Competition for NorAms and Canadian Championships, Race Secretary for 2005 Canmore World Cup..
Extensive experience in facility development and operation, including membership on the Advisory Committee for the recent upgrade to the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Under Tom Holland’s volunteer leadership, the National Ski Team program has prospered. CCC has now identified him as the right individual to undertake the twin challenges of leading Canada’s best cross-country skiers to podiums in 2010 and building a high performance system of national scope so that more atletes and coaches are engaged in this level of performance in the future.

The transition plan sees Tom Holland completing his commitments to his present employer through the months of February and March, while concurrently fulfilling the DHP’s responsibilities and leading the Olympic Team at Torino. Tom is expected to become a full-time employee of CCC in early April.


CCC would like to formally and publicly thank CODA for having enabled Tom Holland to devote a significant amount of time and effort during the past eight years to CCC responsibilities while working as a full-time CODA employee. CODA has endorsed Tom’s decision to follow his passion and move to work for CCC on a full-time basis, as this is perceived to be in the best interest of both Tom and our sport.