Utah 2034 Announces Key Leadership Changes

The Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has appointed several new positions as the Utah region prepares to host the Games for the first time since 2002. Utah 2034 also announced that Catherine Raney Norman, who has served as vice president of development and athlete relations and been a key member of the leadership team, will conclude her tenure with the Organizing Committee.

Key to the new positions is Abby Osborne, who has been named vice president of impact, engagement and enterprise operations. She will join Utah 2034 on August 1, 2026. Osborne has been chief of staff for the Utah House of Representatives since 2019. There, she has served as a key architect of organizational strategy and an advisor to state leadership on policy and operational priorities.

In the new role, she will oversee Utah 2034’s impact, engagement and enterprise operations portfolio, a position that will help shape the long-term legacy of the Games while building the organizational capacity required to deliver them. She will also oversee Utah 2034’s sustainability, impact and legacy initiatives, as well as communications, government and community relations, youth and education programs, and enterprise operations.

Darren Hughes, who has served as vice president of operations and planning since the organizing committee formed in early 2025, will become vice president of games delivery. Hughes has worked on over 20 major international events, including every Winter Games since 2002.

 “Since launching the organizing committee, we have continually evaluated how our team is structured to best support our work in preparing for the 2034 Winter Games,” said CEO Brad Wilson. “Both Abby and Darren will bring great value to our organizational structure and will each play a vital role for Utah 2034 over the next seven-and-a-half years.

“As we transition from a startup organization into one that will eventually support thousands of employees and volunteers, we need leaders who can build both culture and capability,” said Wilson. Abby is uniquely qualified to help lead that growth and ensure Utah 2034 delivers an impact that extends far beyond the Games themselves.”

Wilson also thanked Raney Norman for her contributions.

“Utah 2034 extends its sincere gratitude to Catherine for her successful leadership through the bid process and her dedication to creating the groundbreaking philanthropic program known as Podium34,” he said. “Her contributions have helped set a strong foundation for the Organizing Committee.”

“Serving the Olympic and Paralympic Movement and helping bring the Games back to Utah has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Raney Norman. “This work has always been deeply personal to me because at its center are the athletes, their families, and the belief that sport can create hope, connection, and lasting impact within our communities. I’m incredibly proud of what we built together, from the vision of Podium34 to creating new opportunities to support athletes and their families through an athletes’ families program.”

Olympian Julie Letai Joins Effort

In addition, two-time Olympic short track speed skater Julie Letai has been named to the new role of athlete experience coordinator. Letai joined the national team in 2019 and competed in Beijing and Milan Cortina. She will draw on her background as an Olympian and academic success as a recent graduate of the University of Utah to support the Organizing Committee’s planning and ensure athlete engagement.

“Athletes are at the center of what we do as an Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee,” said Wilson. “Julie will have an opportunity to engage in our planning process now to help us best innovate on behalf of athletes for the Games in 2034.”