Hughes succeeds Erin Warren; additional board members, representatives elected

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. –USA Luge today announced its Executive Board has elected Robert “Bullet Bob” Hughes as President. Hughes succeeds two-time Olympian Erin Warren, who has served in the role since 2018. The national governing body announced Hughes had been elected to a two-year term, which will expire following the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

Hughes (St. James, N.C.) has a strong history with USA Luge having served as a National Team Coach and Olympic Team Manager during the 1984 Winter Games. He then moved to Marketing Director for the organization, a position he held during the 1990s. In addition to his career with USA Luge, he co-founded Carr-Hughes Productions, a sports broadcast production company.

“What USA Luge may lack in size, its staff, athletes and volunteers more than make up in passion and dedication,” said Hughes. “Under Erin’s leadership, we achieved an Olympic podium and the premiere of women’s doubles on an international stage. I want to thank Erin for her steadfast stewardship over the past six years. She certainly set a high standard for me to aspire, and I look forward in continuing her work.”

In addition to Hughes, the following individuals were elected to a two-year term to the board:

Walter “Ty” Danco (Burlington, Vt.) was elected Treasurer. A two-time Olympian, Danco is a retired financial technology entrepreneur. In 1979, Danco was a Founding Officer of the United States Luge Association and has served on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Athletes Advisory Committee as well as the boards of the U.S. Olympic Foundation and the Amateur Athletic Union. He now spends his time managing a 501(c)3 organization, playing guitar and chasing after his grandchildren.

Rob Pokelwaldt (Kitty Hawk, N.C.) was elected Secretary. He is a seasoned corporate executive with more than 35 years of managerial and leadership experience having held senior positions in engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, and the C-suite. During his career, Pokelwaldt’s expertise and knowledge guided strategic plans related to the restructuring of organizations and developing new teams to sustain lasting improvement. In addition to his professional work, he taught courses in strategic management, organizational behavior and leadership, and operations management as an Adjunct Professor at the Craig School of Business and California State University at Fresno. Pokelwaldt has served on numerous boards and currently serves on the board for his college fraternity.

Jennifer Wesselholf (Park City, Utah) serves as the President and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. In this role, she is responsible for the marketing and management of Utah’s premier luxury tourism destination, promoting such attractions as the Sundance Film Festival, Utah Olympic Park, Park City Mountain, and Deer Valley Resort. She previously led the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, where she guided the chamber’s accreditation as a Destination Management Organization and led the development of Arizona’s first Sustainable Tourism Plan. Under her leadership, the region saw tourism grow to become Sedona's largest industry, with a $1 billion annual impact and 10,000 tourism-related jobs. Wesselholf is a Certified Destination Management Executive through the Destination Marketing Association International. She is also founder of Tourism Experts International, a tourism consultancy, with clients from Arizona to Saudi Arabia.

Jeff Young (Park City, Utah) has been involved with luge since a young age as a member of the Adirondack Luge Club. He is currently a member of the Wasatch Luge Club in Michigan, where he volunteers as a race official alongside his father and brother. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he has worked in law enforcement and security and owned and operated a private investigations agency as well as an outdoor gear store. Young held various roles in ski patrol, risk management, and resort safety and security operations at Nordic Valley, Powder Mountain, and the Powder Mountain/Summit Mountain Holding Group. He is currently the Executive Officer for the Wasatch Shooters Association, oversees the operations of a shooting facility for the Davis County Sheriff's Office, and manages over 130 Range Officers. He is an active volunteer as a Search and Rescue (SAR) K9 handler, drone operator and Swiftwater Rescue Specialist. Young and his K9 are certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) for cadaver, tracking, and area live find searches.

The newly elected board members join current board member Bruce Norman (St. Augustine, Fla.).

The following individuals were elected as Representatives:

Zack DiGregorio (Medway, Mass.) was elected Athlete Representative for a four-year term. Upon discovering the sport of luge at age 10, the 2022 Olympian DiGregorio moved to Lake Placid to train full-time, first as a men’s singles athlete and then joined Sean Hollander (Lake Placid, N.Y.) in men’s doubles. DiGregorio/Hollander won the 2023 U23 World Championships, stood atop the podium at the 2023 Lake Placid World Cup, and have earned six World Cup team relay medals. He is currently studying at Southern New Hampshire University.

DiGregorio joins current Athlete Representatives Summer Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa.), Chris Mazdzer (Salt Lake City, Utah), and Tucker West (Ridgewood, Conn.).

Larry Dolan (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) was elected to a two-year term as Eastern Club Representative. The 1998 Olympian is the current President of the Adirondack Luge Club. He began his luge career as a men’s doubles athlete but moved to singles at the end of the 1994 season. Dolan placed eighth at the 1995 World Championships, tenth overall for the 1994-95 World Cup season, earned two silver medals at the 1995 World Championships, and the gold medal at the Norton National Championship in 1998. He served as Head Coach for the Junior C and D teams in 2013 and was named Head Coach of the Junior National Team in 2018. Dolan also taught history and anthropology as an Adjunct Instructor at SUNY Plattsburgh and Clinton Community College. A musician, Dolan currently owns and operates The Granary, a recording studio where he writes music and produces records for artists.

Michael Thomas (Park City, Utah) was elected to a two-year term as Western Club Representative. Thomas is an educated, trained and published fine art dealer and historian, specializing in the late 19^thand 20^th century and contemporary American, European, and Japanese fine art. He served as an art consultant for private and corporate collections alike. A collector himself, he takes great consideration in combining curation and fiduciary responsibility. Since 2014, Thomas has served as a luge oﬃcial and has been actively involved with the Wasatch Luge Club. 

The entire board of directors can be seen here.

The nine-circuit World Cup season will kick-off in Lillehammer, Norway, November 29-December 1, 2024, with the 53^rd World Championships scheduled for February 6-9, 2025, in Whistler, Canada.

Hughes elected President to U.S. Luge Association Executive Board

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