'New girl' Katrina Ammer joins 2015 staff

The “new girl” in the Vail Valley Foundation offices should not need much time to get acclimated. Olympic veteran Katrina Ammer has returned to the Vail and Beaver Creek to assume a major organizational role in the upcoming 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

Ammer returns home after more than two years in Sochi, Russia, serving as the managing expert for the Mountain Cluster, responsible for sport and venue management for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Prior to her Sochi tenure, she served as alpine venue general manager for the 2010 Winter Games and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

“We are very excited to not only welcome Katrina back to the Vail Valley Foundation as Vice President of Operations,” said Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation and president of the 2015 World Championships organizing committee, “but to have her take the reins for the competition side of 2015. She will truly be able to hit the ground running and make an immediate contribution to the event.”

Born just over Vail Pass in Dillon, Colo., Ammer first joined the Vail Valley Foundation in 1994 to assist with the operations and competition aspects of the 1994 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships, along with the organization’s annual events.

During her 13-year tenure with the Foundation, she took on additional responsibility from an operations standpoint, representing the organization at numerous FIS and UCI meetings and events, including working with the alpine television production during the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.

In addition to the 1994 Mountain Bike World Championships, Ammer also played key roles in the 1999 FIS Alpine World Championships and the 2001 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships.  She left her role of Executive Director of Events for the Vail Valley Foundation in 2007 to take on her Vancouver responsibilities.

“Katrina is an extremely valuable asset for our 2015 effort,” said Michael Imhof, senior vice president of sales and operations for the Vail Valley Foundation and director of the 2015 World Championships, “not only because of her obvious professional experience, but also due to her extensive network of relationships throughout the FIS and the international skiing community.”

Ammer began her second stint at the foundation on May 20. In addition to her role with the 2015 World Championships, she will also oversee the operational aspects of all VVF annual athletic events, including the GoPro Mountain Games, the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge, the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup and the Korbel American Ski Classic.

For additional information on the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek, click here.