Our Leadership Team & Advisory Board of Directors

With over 200 years of combined experience spanning elite sports, high-level government & private sector roles, corporate finance, and global project management, our board and leadership team is a powerhouse of talent and expertise uniquely equipped to guide Ottawa Sports forward.

Together, the Ottawa Sports Advisory Board of Directors and Leaders bring unmatched strategic insight and an unwavering dedication to fostering an inclusive, premium-quality sports & education experience accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re a business leader, potential sponsor, or Ottawa Sports member/parent, we invite you to explore each bio and discover the individuals who embody our values and drive our success.

Discover the team behind Ottawa Sports' leadership excellence.

Academic & Sports Director

Nicholas J.R. Hammell

  • Nicholas Hammell is the Academic & Sports Director at Ottawa Sports, and a passionate leader in sports and education. As a former competitive skier, Nicholas has been actively working in the ski community since 2014. He became a CSIA member in 2017 and is now a CSIA Course Conductor, delivering Level 1 courses to new instructors. This season marks his fourth year as Head Coach at Mount Pakenham, overseeing over 120+ athletes and 15+ coaches. He is dedicated to professional growth and is currently pursuing his CSIA Level 4 certification with the goal of joining a future Canadian Inter-Ski team. Nicholas holds coaching credentials from Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA), and the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).

    In 2020, Nicholas founded Ottawa Sports with a vision to create an inclusive and collaborative toxic free environment for athletes, employees, and students. Today, Ottawa Sports features a Traveling Ski Race Team, Snow School, Equipment Services, Motivational Clothing Lines, and specialized academic SHSM programs in Health & Wellness and Sports across Ontario & Quebec. His commitment to quality is reflected in the organization’s motto: "Train Smart, Train Hard, Train Together, Be the Exception". He believes in providing premium services at affordable prices while offering an industry leading compensation package for staff.

    Nicholas has also coordinated programs for Snowhawks Ottawa, further contributing to the local ski community. He holds a Powerlines Technician Diploma from Algonquin College and has a background in hydro utilities. He is actively involved in emergency storm work across Canada and the U.S., including during Hurricane Helene in Ashville, North Carolina.

    He has received numerous awards, with the most recent being the Alpine Ontario, 2024 Coach of the Year Award. Other awards also include the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award, Ottawa Catholic Trustee Student Service Award, Mount Pakenham Coach of the Year Award, and the OCSB Physical & Health Education Department Award. Additionally, he holds unique certifications in Infection Control, Ambulation, Lifting, and Transfer, and Stress Management from the Ottawa Paramedic Services and the Ottawa General Hospital, all of which contribute to his holistic approach to athlete development.

    As the President of the Ottawa Sports Board of Directors, Nicholas leads with a collaborative approach. While the Chair actively runs the board and facilitates its operations, Nicholas maintains a strategic oversight role, ensuring the organization’s vision and interests are upheld. This structure promotes a collaborative environment, enabling the board to provide valuable guidance and support to the entire Ottawa Sports community, ensuring its continued success in fulfilling its mission. With just over 30 dedicated team members, Nicholas is committed to expanding Ottawa Sports’ reach, enhancing industry staff treatment, and building teams that reflect inclusivity, professionalism, and affordability. Nicholas remains the sole owner & founder of Ottawa Sports.

Tonya Hughes

Chair & Business Relations Manager

  • Tonya Hughes, P.Eng.
    B.A.Sc. Engineering, University of Waterloo
    M.A.Sc. Management Science, University of Waterloo

    When she’s not pursuing her sports passions, Tonya oversees a complex Capital Construction portfolio at the Department of National Defense, managing teams of architects and engineers across Canada to support all three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. With expertise in international negotiation and governance, particularly in Export Controls and ITAR, she brings a unique skill set to her work. In addition to her public service role, Tonya has worked in the private sector, focusing on production and process engineering and successfully building a consulting firm from the ground up.

    As a young athlete, Tonya competed at the Regional, Provincial, and National levels as a rower in Single and Double Sculls. While she still enjoys recreational boating, she has shifted her competitive focus to sports on frozen water. Tonya is an avid skier and serves as an Official with Alpine Canada Alpin. She is a dedicated volunteer, actively supporting the alpine community with her time and expertise. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for Ottawa Sports, where she contributes her leadership skills and passion for the sport.

    Beyond her passion for competitive sports, Tonya has dedicated over a decade to service with Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada, demonstrating her commitment to fostering leadership and community spirit among young people. This dual focus on sports and service highlights her belief in the importance of teamwork and personal growth, both on and off the slopes.

Coach Representative & Director at Large

Dave Senior

  • Dave Senior is a highly experienced telecommunications executive with decades of expertise leading global teams for a Europe-based multinational equipment manufacturer. Now retired from corporate life, Mr. Senior has extensive experience managing large, international product development teams across North America, Europe, and Asia, supporting one of the industry’s most significant global routing and optical networking product portfolios. For the six years leading up to his retirement, Mr. Senior managed his company’s Corporate Real Estate function across North America, South America, and the Caribbean. He was responsible for over a hundred product development, sales, marketing, and customer support locations, as well as multiple large-scale construction projects, overseeing an annual budget of approximately CAD $250 million.

    An engineer by training, Mr. Senior has gained substantial experience in mergers & acquisitions, product management & marketing, software verification, finance, contract negotiation, and corporate real estate. He also brings prior Board of Directors experience, having served on the board of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a California-based non-profit, where he held roles as a board member, VP of Marketing, and Treasurer. Mr. Senior holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University (1985) and is a licensed professional engineer (P.Eng) in the Province of Ontario.

    An avid alpine skier for nearly 40 years, Mr. Senior is a fully trained and accredited Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) Level 2 Ski Instructor and an Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) Entry-Level ski coach. With nearly 20 years of ski teaching experience and close to 15 years of coaching young ski racers in both recreational and competitive programs, Mr. Senior currently serves as the Coach Representative on the Advisory Board of Directors with Ottawa Sports.

Conflict Resolution Chair & Officials'

Isabelle Brulotte

  • Isabelle Brulotte serves as the Officials and Conflict Resolution Chair on the Ottawa Sports Advisory Board. Isabelle is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA) and holds a Bachelor's degree in "Sciences Comptables" and a Certificate in Superior Studies specialized in accounting from Université du Québec en Outaouais. She has also completed the In-Depth Tax Program from CPA Canada. With experience working in accounting firms and industry sectors in Ottawa, she joined the Federal Government in 2014.

    Isabelle was introduced to alpine skiing by her children, one of whom became a ski racer, inspiring her to become an ACA Official. Prior to her involvement in skiing, Isabelle was active on fields and in gymnasiums, playing soccer, basketball, and ultimate frisbee. She was also certified by the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), underscoring her commitment to youth sports and athletics.

Parent Representative - Governance

Nancy Miqdadi

  • Nancy is an accomplished Harvard executive with extensive experience in driving change and leading transformational projects within Fortune 500 companies. With a background in finance, she has worked with the largest Canadian financial institutions as well as international banks, demonstrating a proven track record of managing diverse teams and fostering innovative solutions that enhance organizational effectiveness. Nancy is also certified in Risk Management and Compliance & Ethics, reinforcing her commitment to best practices in governance.

    In addition to her corporate experience, Nancy has worked and volunteered with various non-profits and charities, where she has applied her expertise to strengthen operational frameworks and support sustainable growth. Passionate about training and development, she is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential.

    Nancy’s unique blend of corporate, financial, and non-profit experience positions her to contribute effectively to the board, driving impactful strategies that align with the Ottawa Sports’ mission and values.

Athlete Representative & Director at Large

Matthew Hughes

  • Matthew’s foray into the world of racing began at the age of 8, when he first slid into the Clifford Racing program at Mt. Pakenham. His early experiences laid the foundation for a deep-seated passion for alpine skiing, leading him to become the very first athlete to join the Ottawa Sports Alpine Club. Over the years, Matthew's dedication and hard work have taken him from his initial club races to the U19 podium, marking significant milestones in his athletic career.

    With a decade of training and competitive racing behind him, Matthew is beginning the transition from athlete to coach. He is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with younger racers, fostering their skills and helping them navigate the challenges of the sport. Matthew’s mentorship is fueled by his desire to inspire the next generation of athletes to excel in alpine skiing and have fun doing it.

    Beyond the slopes, Matthew is a student at Carleton University, where he is studying Architectural Engineering. Balancing his academic pursuits with his love for skiing, he embodies the spirit of dedication and resilience. Whether he’s racing down a mountain or tackling complex engineering challenges, Matthew is driven by perseverance and a commitment to growth—both personally and within the alpine skiing community.

Scale up Steering Committee Chair

Elijah Jeffery

  • Elijah currently coaches for the Ottawa Sports Alpine Club and the Clifford Race Program at Mount Pakenham. He also serves as a supervisor for the Ottawa Sports Snow School and was recently honored with the 2024 NCD Coach of the Year award for his dedication and achievements in alpine coaching with Ottawa Sports.

    In his final year of a degree in Environmental Science at Carleton University, Elijah holds Standard First Aid certification through the Red Cross, is certified by ACA and CASI, a mountain bike instructor, and a former lifeguard and swim instructor. He also holds a Leadership Certificate from Laurentian University, focused on project management, collaborative work, and team-building. Elijah is currently pursuing his CSIA Level 3 certification to enhance his ability to teach and mentor young athletes and skiers of all ages.

    As the Chair of our Scale-up Steering Committee, Elijah is instrumental in driving Ottawa Sports forward with groundbreaking programs, developing new teams, innovative models, and continued growth for the Ottawa Sports Alpine Club and Snow School. Elijah draws on nearly 10 years of experience as a ski instructor, alongside formal coaching experience across various sports and as a long-time volunteer camp counselor.

    These experiences have given him a wealth of knowledge in teaching and coaching methodologies that he applies to help Ottawa Sports athletes develop valuable skills for success both on and off the slopes.

Curriculum & Mental Performance Manager

Alexandre Rocheleau

  • Alexandre Rocheleau is an avid skier and coach in the Ottawa area. Having grown up in the region, Alexandre is familiar with the local skiing community and its needs.

    Alex began working in the ski community within the CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance) in 2016. He has since achieved his Level 3 and Trainer designations, becoming a Course Conductor for the organization. He has also completed his ACA (Alpine Canada Alpin) Entry Level certification and has been coaching for eight years. Dedicated to his professional growth, he is currently working towards further certifications within the CSIA and ACA. Alex holds a position on the coaching staff of the University of Ottawa’s FIS Alpine Race Team and regularly leads Level 1 courses under the CSIA.

    Alex earned his Bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics with a specialization in Education and Coaching (2023) and his Master’s degree in Sport Psychology (2024) from the University of Ottawa. He currently helps individuals and groups in sports and music contexts reach their performance goals through education in mental and life skills. He also collaborates with educators and coaches to maximize their educational impact through a mental performance lens. Alex is a practicing Provisional Mental Performance Consultant within the CSPA (Canadian Sport Psychology Association) and is pursuing certification to become a CMPC (Certified Mental Performance Consultant).

    Within Ottawa Sports, Alex brings a mental performance perspective to the organization. He works with athletes and coaches on developing mental skills to support success in their short- and long-term goals. Having built the pillars of his practice on the importance of self-awareness, Alex believes that to be successful, we must understand and surpass ourselves as performers and as people, as both must operate in conjunction. He also regularly builds and refines educational curricula to promote the quality and modernization of programs offered by Ottawa Sports.