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VANOC senior vice-president quits

The Vancouver Organizing Committee’s senior vice-president of human resources has resigned.

Jeff Chan will be returning to Ontario for personal reasons according to VANOC.

Hired just five months ago, Chan was a former executive with American Express and Allied Signal (now Honeywell).

"We have commenced recruitment for that position," said VANOC spokesman Sam Corea. "In a project of this nature that will last a long period of time there will be many arrivals and departures."

Chan was responsible for determining which contract employees would be offered full time employment. To date there are 55 people employed with VANOC, nine of those are on contract. Corea said he expects the number of employees to be up to the 80 to 90 mark by the end of the first quarter next year.

VANOC is also actively seeking a senior vice-president of technology. Project managers are also being sought and put in place for venues, and VANOC is seeking sport directors as well.

Those hired to work in sport will help make sure that athletes have everything they need to compete, while those hired on the venue side will ensure the facilities are ready to go. Some of those who apply for these types of positions will be people who have worked for Olympic Games previously said Corea.

"They move from event to event," he said. "We want a combination of people with previous experience and also people who are knowledgeable of the local conditions of Canada."

VANOC is also recruiting for a senior position on sustainability. "It appears to be a first in the area for an organizing committee," said Corea.

The person in this position will look at sustainability, First Nations, and inclusivity. And its not enough to just look at "Green Games" initiatives anymore, said Corea.

"You can’t just put a couple of recycling bins somewhere and collect rainwater and say you are a sustainable Games," he said. "You have to be environmentally sensitive but there is now sensitivity around the people part of it, and sustainability of the venues, and so on."