The Peru Gazette

The Effort Brings Together Leaders from Government, Business, Sports and Community Organizations to Assess the Potential of Bringing the Olympic Flame Back to New York State

Albany, June 22, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the formation of the Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee, a statewide effort tasked with evaluating the feasibility of a future Winter Games concept linking Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy with New York City’s global platform. The committee will assess whether a modern, regionally coordinated Winter Games model-built around existing venues, sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement could support the State’s broader economic, tourism, infrastructure, and regional development goals.

“The time is now to return the Olympic flame back to New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Milano Cortina showcased the immense possibility that comes with a dual city Olympic Games. It’s clear we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy, New York City’s global platform, and the strengths that make our State unique. That’s why I’ve assembled some of the best and the brightest in sports, government and community leadership to take the steps necessary to ensure New York is in the best possible position to make the dream of a Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games a reality.”

About the Exploratory Committee

The exploratory process is expected to unfold over approximately one year. Through focused workstreams, stakeholder engagement, and public input, the Exploratory Committee will evaluate whether a future Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games concept, with events centered in Lake Placid and New York City, could responsibly advance New York State’s long-term priorities. The formation of the Exploratory Committee does not represent a commitment to pursue a formal Olympic or Paralympic bid. At the conclusion of the process, the committee will submit its findings and recommendations to State leadership for review. Future actions will be determined after completion of the exploratory process and evaluation of its findings.

The Exploratory Committee effort will be guided by a Leadership Group chaired by Ashley Walden, President and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, and composed of leaders from state and local government, economic development, and public service. The full membership of the Exploratory Committee Leadership Group includes:

• Ashley Walden, President and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (Chair)
• Karen Persichilli Keogh, Secretary to Governor Kathy Hochul
• Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development
• New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su
• Village of Lake Placid Deputy Mayor and Trustee Jackie Kelly
• Assemblymember Robert Carroll
• Jarred Jones, New York State Director for U.S. Senator Gillibrand
• Martin Brennan, New York State Director for U.S. Senator Schumer

Supporting the Leadership Group will be a series of subcommittees, each led by two co-chairs, including: 

• Community Engagement Subcommittee: co-chaired by James McKenna, Vice Chair and CEO of the Uihlein Foundation, and Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City.

• Finance Subcommittee: co-chaired by Serge Abergel, Chief Operating Officer of Hydro-Quebec Energy Services, and Peter Land, Media Consultant and Adjunct Professor at the NYU Stern School of Business.

• Games Operations Subcommittee: co-chaired by Andrew Weibrecht, two-time Olympic medalist and Operations Manager at the Mirror Lake Inn, and Marissa Shorenstein, Chief External Affairs Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment.

• Legal Subcommittee: co-chaired by Anthony W. Crowell, New York Law School Dean and President, and Director, Center for New York City and State Law, and Robert Landau, Executive Vice President for Business Operations at NBCUniversal.

• Senior Advisors Subcommittee: co-chaired by D. Billy Jones, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Workforce Development at Clinton Community College, and Joe Martens, Board Chair of the Olympic Regional Development Authority.