The Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games announced the formation of its inaugural Utah 2034 Education Committee on August 4, 2026. The 16-person advisory group aims to develop statewide initiatives that connect students and educators to the opportunities created by the upcoming Games, building upon the sport legacy established during the 2002 Winter Games.
Strategic Educational Mission
The committee is tasked with creating a statewide education strategy that utilizes the excitement and values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement. According to Utah 2034, the mission includes launching a statewide classroom education program designed to strengthen student literacy, increase school attendance, and track measurable student outcomes.
Amy Garff, President of Ken Garff Philanthropies, will chair the committee. In her inaugural meeting held on July 29 at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, members participated in collaborative discussions with school district superintendents and Olympians and Paralympians to identify ways to integrate Games values into educational settings.
Building a Lasting Legacy
Utah 2034 President and Executive Chair Fraser Bullock stated that a key vision for the organization is to elevate communities. He noted that the new Education Committee brings together a diverse group of leaders to impact youth through classroom programs across the entire state, serving as a model for how education and sport can work together.
Amy Garff noted that the formation of this committee is an important milestone in building the educational legacy of the 2034 Winter Games. She emphasized that by engaging passionate leaders, the committee is creating opportunities for students to connect with Olympic and Paralympic values in ways that will extend well beyond the actual Games.
Diverse Leadership Roster
The committee features a diverse roster of leaders from the fields of education, business, nonprofit, and athletics. Among the members is Olympic champion and Utah native Nathan Chen, who will serve in an athlete role. Other members include Utah 2034 CEO Brad Wilson, who serves on the committee, and Mindy Benson, President of Southern Utah University and Utah 2034 Board member.
Business and nonprofit leaders on the committee include Doug Bowser, former President of Nintendo of America and Hasbro board member; Sheri Dew, Executive Vice President of Deseret Management Corporation; and Andy Cooley, Vice President of Technology Services at Kornerstone. The group also includes Lexi Cunningham, Executive Director of the Utah School Superintendents Association, and Kathi Garff, Chair of the Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation.
Educational and Policy Experts
The committee's leadership includes Syd Dickson, the former Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction, serving as vice chair. Other educational leaders on the committee include Molly Hart, Superintendent of the Utah State Board of Education, and Geoff Landward, Commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education.
Landward, who was appointed Commissioner of Higher Education in March 2024 after serving as Interim Commissioner since September 2023, brings extensive experience in public policy and administrative law to the group. The committee also includes educators such as Alisa Olsen, a teacher at Nibley Elementary in the Cache County School District, and Andrea Seminario, a principal at Northwest Middle School in the Salt Lake School District.
Philanthropic Partnerships
The committee's work is supported by the Podium34 program, an initiative intended to translate philanthropic participation into statewide impact. The Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation serves as a founding captain in this program.
Utah 2034 CEO Brad Wilson noted that the Ken Garff for Good foundation has provided pathways to education for Utah students for more than 20 years. The foundation will provide leadership in developing the educational tools necessary to bring Olympic and Paralympic values into classrooms across the state.
About Utah 2034
The Utah 2034 Organizing Committee is an independent Utah non-profit responsible for organizing the 2034 Winter Games. The bid for the 2034 Games was officially awarded in July 2024.
Based in Salt Lake City, the organization's vision focuses on elevating sport, communities, and the Games experience. The committee's work is part of a larger governance structure that includes a 26-member Board, a Steering Committee, and various subcommittees.
