Newly appointed Chairperson Kelly Cummings made the introductions. She and four others nominated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo were recently approved by the state Senate: Sen. Betty Little, Elinor Tatum, Diane Munro and Thomas Keegan.

“I’ve been coming to Lake Placid and the North Country my whole life,” Cummings said at the meeting, noting that she had trained in Lake Placid as a figure skater as a child and young adult and had visited during the 1972 Winter World University Games and 1980 Olympic Winter Games. “I’m also an avid skier at Whiteface and Gore.”

Cummings is the director of state operations and infrastructure in the governor’s cabinet. She previously served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the governor, during which she over- saw the governor’s major infrastructure projects and priorities, including the Moynihan Train Hall, the Long Island Rail Road Double Track and Third Track expansion projects, the new Kosciuszko Bridge and the modernization of six upstate airports.

“The Olympic Regional Development Authority is a critical piece to the revitalization of both the North Country and the Catskill regions,” Cummings said in a statement. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Country and New York state continued to set historic tourism records, in large part thanks to the work of ORDA. As chair, I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this economic engine and look forward to working with the board as we continue to drive this momentum forward.”

This is the latest rendering of the Mountain Pass Lodge, which is currently being built at the Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg. (Provided photo — ORDA)

Cummings succeeds former Chairman J. Patrick Barrett, who died on Sept. 2, 2019. Vice Chairman Andy Lack has been leading the meetings in the interim.

Little, a Republican from Queensbury, has represented this region in the Senate for more than 15 years, and previously in the state Assembly, and she will be retiring at the end of the year.

Tatum is the editor-in-chief and publisher of the New York Amsterdam News, the oldest and largest Black newspaper in New York City. She has served on several philanthropic, nonprofit, and cultural institution boards, and she has also served on the New York State Tourism Advisory Council.

Munro is currently the vice chair of the Coalition for Belleayre Mountain. She has an extensive background in educational leadership that ranges from physical education to senior administration.

Keegan has been a business leader and entrepreneur in the Hudson Valley for more than 17 years. As the owner of Keegan Ales, he has received numerous awards including the 2009 Ulster County Small Business of the Year.

“I am looking forward to working with the new board members as they bring a wealth of knowledge and a tremendous amount of insight to our organization,” ORDA President and CEO Mike Pratt said in a statement. “The new leadership at the board level will set us up for an even brighter future.”

There are 12 members on the ORDA Board, including three designees for the commissioners of the state Department of Environmental Conservation (Jeff Stefanko for Commissioner Basil Seggos), Empire State Development (Steve Hunt for Commissioner Eric Gertler) and state Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (Chris Pushkarsh for Commissioner Erik Kulleseid). The other board members are Bill Beaney, Cliff Donaldson and Art Lussi.

Leaving the ORDA Board are Jill Broderick and John Parete.

Improvements to the ORDA-operated venues continue, including at the Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface ski centers, Olympic Jumping Complex and Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Cummings called it a $147 million “modernization.” Most of the new and improved infrastructure in the Lake Placid area is needed in order to host the 2023 Winter World University Games and other internationally sanctioned sporting events.

“These brand new state-of-the-art facilities will attract more visitors to the North Country and even more international competition,” Cummings said at the meeting.

Much of the construction is currently taking place at Mount Van Hoevenberg, including the new alpine coaster, which follows the 1980 bobsled run down the mountain, and the new lodge, which includes a start practice facility for USA Bobsled and Skeleton and replaces the James Lamy Lodge.

Pratt announced the names of the two structures during the Aug. 7 meeting: the Cliffside Coaster and the Mountain Pass Lodge.

“The stagecoach from Keene to Lake Placid went right by there, and it’s something that we think with all the stakeholders — from hikers to the Nordic people, sliders, recreational enthusiasts and spectators — the Mountain Pass Lodge works well,” Pratt said.

The Cliffside Coaster honors the 1932 Olympic bobsled run at the mountain; the first big corner was called Cliffside.

In other business, the ORDA Board approved two spending resolutions.

One resolution calls for spending $882,325 to replace the roof and make masonry repairs to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center on Old Military Road. The work will be performed by Titan Roof Inc. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, based in Colorado Springs, rents the building from ORDA.

The other resolution approves the spending of an additional $873,000 for the construction contract at Mount Van Hoevenberg, bringing the total estimated cost of work to $28,608,355. Upgrades at the Olympic Sports Complex include building the lodge, alpine coaster, Nordic stadium, biathlon shooting range, trailhead access, snowmaking capabilities, expanded ski trails and parking lot improvements. The extra funds were needed for changes to some of those improvements, including the onsite wastewater collection and treatment system, two Nordic ski bridges, additional vehicle-charging stations, and alterations to the biathlon shooting range to bring it into compliance with the International Biathlon Union homologation standards.

In his report, Pratt unveiled an economic impact analysis for ORDA for the 2019-20 fiscal year. The key findings show that ORDA attracted 968,900 visitors, competitors and spectators while spending $49.1 million in operations.

That resulted in 2,285 direct jobs and $70.8 million in direct personal income supported by ORDA operations and visitor spending; and $160.5 million in direct spending on ORDA operations and by visitors at ORDA facilities and for off-site purchases on retail, lodging, transportation, food and beverage and recreation.

The total impacts were 3,052 jobs directly and indirectly supported by ORDA operations and visitor spending; and $110.8 million in personal income, including direct, indirect and induced personal income impacts; and $273.6 million in business sales, including direct, indirect and induced output.

“The Governor has committed nearly $240 million in funding to support the state’s Olympic Regional Development Authority properties since taking office,” a press release issued Aug. 7 stated. “These unprecedented investments are improving the infrastructure of ORDA facilities to ensure they attract and support large-scale, global events as year-round attractions.”

The study was prepared for ORDA by Tourism Economics.