The board of directors of the non-profit group Gainesville-Hall ’96 has selected Mr. Morgan House to be the venue manager for the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue.
Morgan has 18 years experience as a member of Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club and was a contender in countless events at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue. He is an Olympic-levell kayaker. One of his impressive accolades was earned when he served as a High Performance Canoe/Kayak Coach for the Lanier Canoe Kayak Club.
During his kayak career, Morgan participated at more than 20 world-class venues in roughly a dozen countries. As a coach, he has implemented yearly training programs and one-on-one sessions with athletes as well as Web page development and club event organization. Prior to his coaching position, Morgan served as district executive for the Boy Scouts of America and participated in fundraising, campaign management, scouting membership recruitment and camp activities.
Morgan said, “My belief is that the Lanier Canoe Kayak Club and the Lake Lanier Rowing Club can be stronger and have a larger impact on the success of the venue if the two clubs are more closely aligned. Together we can preserve the legacy of the 1996 Olympics and put the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue on the map both regionally and globally.”
“My passion for the venue is ever growing when I look at the life changing programs that both the Kayak and Rowing Clubs have to offer. As the High Performance 1 Coach at the Lanier Canoe Kayak Club, I enjoy seeing the impact I have on young and aspiring athletes who are following the same path as I did in 1995,” stated House.
Mimi Collins of The Longstreet Clinic is chair of the Gainesville-Hall ’96 Board (a public/private partnership) and VISION 2030 Lake Lanier Olympic Venue program. She welcomed Morgan by saying, “Our hope is to see the venue become host to national and international sporting events including triathlons, canoe/kayak, rowing and other water sports. Our goal is to celebrate the history, honor the legacy and build a future for the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue. We are excited to have Morgan join the team.”
Other aspects of Morgan House’s career — BA in Marketing and Public Relations from Ashford University in Iowa; serving as a member of the Youth Development Board at Peach State Bank & Trust; and, serving on the Branch Advisory Board at the J.A. Walters YMCA — will help make him the perfect fit for this new challenge.
VISION 2030, a program of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, is a community group of volunteers that went through a year-long visioning process and identified “Big Ideas” throughout Gainesville-Hall County resulting in a comprehensive plan for the future. www.vision2030.org
The Lake Lanier Olympic Venue is supported by Gainesville-Hall ’96profit entity. The mission is to serve as a catalyst and to unify community efforts relative to participation in the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and other events, which will have significant impact on our community before, during and after the 1996 Games. The organization seeks to foster the healthy development of the sports of rowing and canoe/kayak on Lake Lanier, provide financial resources for the operation of programs at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue, and provide oversight coordination, communication and input from and with local governments, community and neighbors.
