Nina Kemppel was announced Tuesday as the new president and CEO of the Alaska Humanities Forum. Kemppel will begin her job on Aug. 27, after fulfilling her role at the 2012 London Olympics on the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee.
Kemppel will be moving back to Alaska with husband, Michael Smith, from Portland, Ore., where she was a principal at the consulting firm Coraggio Group.
"The board is extremely pleased to bring Ms. Kemppel on board – and back home to Alaska," board Chairman Talis Colberg announced. "She has the skills and talents to take the forum to the next level of service for the entire state."
During an international racing career spanning 13 years, Kemppel competed in four Winter Olympics as a cross-country skier. She won Seward's Mount Marathon race eight consecutive times, and nine total. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College and a master's from the Tuck School of Business. In 2009, she was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. Before working at the Coraggio Group, Kemppel spent four years consulting for Fortune 500 companies in Boston at Oliver Wyman.
According to the press release, Kemppel is "excited about the opportunity to be part of an organization that provides great projects and programs in Alaska."