Western Canada Summer Games Names GM

The organizing Committee of the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games is thrilled to announce the hiring of veteran Games organizer, Kim Rizzi, as their General Manager.

Rizzi comes to the 2015 WCSG from the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, where she led the Association as their Executive Director, in a role that primarily prepared Team Canada for various international competitions by building a stronger national program.

A Games and Sport Administrator for 25 years, Rizzi has extensive experience in leadership roles with multi-sport Games host organizations including the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, Canada Games and Arctic Winter Games.

Her call to multi-sport Games came after an illustrious athletic career at Brandon University, where she began work with the Manitoba Games program.

“Kim is joining our organization and will play a pivotal role in the next 33 months organizing, staging and hosting the largest multi-sport event ever brought to Fort McMurray.

Her leadership, games experience and savvy business manner will lead our organization in hosting the best ever games in the Wood Buffalo region,” said Jeff Fitzner, Chair of the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games host organization and community, and to be part of this event. I will use my unique perspective to build on hosting a most successful Games and look forward to engaging the dynamic community of Fort McMurray and showcasing the city, through the Western Canada Summer Games,” Rizzi added.

In 1997, Rizzi was the Director of Sport for the Brandon Canada Summer Games.  Rizzi was the Sport Manager for the 1999 Pan American Games  and the General Manager of the 2002 Arctic Winter Games, the first ever multi-sport Games hosted in the Nunavut Territory.

After the completion of the games in Iqaluit, she was the Director of Economic Development for the City of Iqaluit.

In 2006, she moved to Montreal to be the first Executive Director of the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, where she has since built on the vision and operational plans of the Association, leading them to be one of the most respected and successful organizations in international sport.