Colorado Springs, Colo. – September 28, 2016 — The United States Olympic Museum recently announced $4 million in new fundraising moving the project significantly closer to the goal of breaking ground in early 2017. With approximately $6 million dollars left to raise for construction, and $18 million remaining for the total project, museum supporters are confident in the new energy heading into the final stage of fundraising. “We are close.” said Dick Celeste, United States Olympic Museum Chairman. “We have renewed enthusiasm from many stakeholders and we’re confident that the construction process will begin in the next few months.”
Amidst this new momentum, the Museum Board met last week to approve the appointment of Robert Cohen as the newest member of the Board of Directors. Rob is Chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group in Denver and has a long history of leading major efforts within Colorado as well as the United States. He has led fundraising and capital campaigns for a number of non-profit organizations including but not limited to Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation, Colorado
Succeeds, Denver Zoo, Downtown Denver Partnership, and Visit Denver, as well as MSU-Denver where he was the chair of the Board of Trustees through numerous capital projects. In addition, he has a particular interest in amateur sports and the Olympic movement. He is the founder of the Denver Sports Commission and is on the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation. He also serves on the board of a number of for profit companies including Atlas Advertising, Commerce Bank, Dovetail Solutions, and Southern Hospitality.
“Rob is a proven leader both in the Denver community and in the world of amateur sports. We are delighted that he has agreed to join the effort in support of the United States Olympic Museum and we look forward to his engagement in this exciting project. His connectivity in Denver and throughout the United States is another great victory for us.” – Dick Celeste, US Olympic Museum Chairman
Additionally, the Board of Directors approved the appointment of Peter Maiurro to the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer. Peter is an executive on loan from El Pomar Foundation and will commit 20-30 hours per week in support of the U.S. Olympic Museum project. Peter is Vice President at El Pomar Foundation where he is Director of Penrose House and El Pomar’s other legacy properties, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and The Penrose Heritage Museum. Peter has
been involved with numerous community organizations such as Discover Goodwill, Big Brothers Big Sisters Colorado, the United States Olympic Endowment, and The Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU).
“The Trustees of El Pomar believe strongly that The United States Olympic Museum will be an important asset for the Pikes Peak region and we are pleased to make Peter available to support the next phase of the Museum’s development.” – William J. Hybl, El Pomar Chairman and CEO.
