Julia Loparco Appointed Executive Director of Athletics New Brunswick

Athletics New Brunswick (ANB) is pleased to announce that Julia Loparco has been selected as its new Executive Director effective immediately.

“On behalf of the ANB Board of Directors, we are very pleased to welcome Julia as our Executive Director”, states ANB President Marc Lalonde. “Her appointment follows an extensive review by the Selection Committee of a multitude of high-quality applicants. Julia, who joined ANB two years ago as Youth Program Director, had led ANB as the interim Executive Director over the past four months, a difficult time for our sport with the lockdown in the Province. During this time, she certainly demonstrated her leadership qualities through the development of the return to train guidelines, in launching our new Safe Sport program, all the while keeping our members, volunteers and staff engaged. Her personal growth and success were certainly important factors in the committee’s recommendation to the Board. We all look forward to working with Julia and to her leadership over the years to come.”

Julia brings a range of experience and certainly passion as a past-athlete, as a coach, program developer and manager and more recently as ANB’s Interim Executive Director. A Saint Mary’s University graduate in International Development Studies, Julia is also the head coach of the Saint John Amateur Speed Skating Club, and recipient of the 2018 Women in Sport Encouragement Award with Canadian Women & Sport.

A Saint John NB native, Ms. Loparco will be joining an elite ANB staff of professionals in Steve LeBlanc, its Director of High-Performance and Chris Belof, its High-Performance Coach.

“I certainly welcome this great opportunity offered to me by ANB”, states Julia Loparco. “I’m excited to continue my journey with ANB and RunNB and to be working with such a supportive and high-caliber staff, Board of Directors, as well as the many coaches, athletes, administrators, officials, volunteers and supporters of both organizations, including the Sport and Recreation Branch of our Provincial Ministry of Tourism, Heritage and Culture.  With the return to sport certainly trending in the right direction, I look forward to helping grow the sports of athletics, road running and trail running in our Province over the years to come”.

For further information please contact:

Marc Lalonde – President – Athletics New Brunswick

506-381-0932 – marc.lalonde@anb.ca

 

Julia Loparco – Executive Director – Athletics New Brunswick

506-608-1175 -  julialoparco5@gmail.com