By Dana Peck
Special to the AFRO
My tenure with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) extended from November 1995 through August 1996 and beyond. This period was not only professionally enriching but also personally rewarding, as it allowed me to forge lasting friendships and gain two godparents for my children. The experience significantly enhanced my skills in language, negotiation, administration and supervision, and undoubtedly advanced my career.
Joining the ACOG National Olympic Committee (NOC) accreditation team under the guidance of senior policy advisor Claire Potvin marked a pivotal moment in my career. After graduating from graduate school and managing NOC accreditation for the 1993 World University Games (WUG) in Buffalo, N.Y., I relocated to Atlanta with aspirations of eventually working for President Carter at his center. The fast-paced, international environment of the WUG had ignited my passion for special international events, where I could leverage my language and program management skills.
As the NOC accreditation project coordinator, I served as the primary liaison between ACOG’s Accreditation Department and the 197 participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs). My responsibilities included managing the distribution, receipt and verification of registration materials in three languages for over 20,000 constituents. I was tasked with hiring, training and overseeing a team of eight paid staff members and more than 300 volunteers. Additionally, I prepared and delivered presentations on NOC accreditation procedures. The long hours often meant working around the clock during peak times, grabbing brief naps at our desks or in the conference room. But our team’s efforts led to the implementation of policies and procedures that set a new record for the highest accreditation form receipt in Olympic history up to the 1996 Games.
One of my fondest memories is reconnecting with NOC leaders and athletes from the WUG in Buffalo. We stayed in touch over the holidays, and I was thrilled to see them again in Atlanta. Many of these relationships continued as pen pal connections long after the Games.
This experience taught me a valuable life lesson: the importance of listening and building rapport. Negotiating with delegation heads required a deep understanding of their needs while firmly managing what we could deliver. This role honed my skills as an active listener, which is crucial for effective negotiation and mediation.
As a person of color, I often felt a sense of representation on the global stage of the Olympics. In my role, I interacted directly with chefs de mission (heads of delegations) to negotiate their rights, accreditation levels, and access to the Olympic Village. I took pride in representing the competence of people of color and showcasing our capabilities to international leadership.
Transitioning to a traditional 9-to-5 role was challenging. After my time with ACOG, I worked with a temp agency for several months before securing a position at The Carter Center. The shift was difficult as employers were hesitant to match the “inflated” salaries from the Olympics, and the job market in Atlanta was flooded with unemployed individuals. Many of us had to start over, but despite this obstacle, I would gladly re-live my Olympic experience.
I cherished working with a dynamic team of young, talented individuals and utilizing my communication and technical skills. Over the years, I have celebrated weddings, births, and mourned losses with the many friends I made during my time with ACOG. Staying in Atlanta allowed me to continue working with some of these incredibly talented individuals in other organizations. The camaraderie, energy, and fast-paced environment I experienced with ACOG continue to inspire my approach to all my subsequent roles.
I am grateful to the “Just Us Friends” group for their commitment to keeping the ACOG staff of color connected and engaged. Thank you for the opportunity to share my experiences from the 1996 Games.
Wyatt J. Ware, Cultural Olympiad
My employment with ACOG spanned from August 30, 1993, to August 30, 1996, three years to the day.
The Cultural Olympiad was responsible for the cultural prelude and games-time arts programming for the 1996 Olympic Games. Major programs included: The Arts Festival of Atlanta-Celebrate Mexico (1993), Celebrate Africa (1994), Nobel Laureates of Literature (1995) and the Southern Crossroads Olympic Arts Festival (Games-Time Summer 1996).
During the summer of 1996, I produced and curated the folk-art exhibition I’ve Known Rivers. This exhibition consisted of folk art, photographs and quilts from photographer Roland Freeman. This event stretched me because it took me out of my comfort zone as this should have been a visual arts program production, but I was asked to step in and make it happen.
For the actual summer games Olympic Arts Festival, I managed and compiled the performers’ database that was utilized to spearhead and draft the executed contracts and remit the performer fees to 1,000 performers during the Olympic Arts Festival. The festival theme was a southern arts genre entitled the Southern Crossroads Festival.
As part of the Cultural Olympiad, I took the initiative to solicit gospel groups and musical performers in the Atlanta area that could lend their talents and be a part of our festival. The submissions received provided a taste of southern gospel from local talented choirs and musicians from Atlanta which was truly our theme for the Southern Crossroads festival.
What was so interesting about this job was is that we the ACOG employees, were like one big family. We were like a team of football players that were committed to work hard for the Gipper. or as the Nike slogan goes and “Just Do It”.
The team culture was as if we all were a part of a big apple pie. Each department of ACOG was like one slice of the pie. Each slice knew that for us to be effective, we had to all do our part. That is what fueled us. The hours were long. The days were intense because for three to four years we were planning and coordinating the Olympic Games for the world to see. We had nineteen days to host the WORLD and we did just that!
My Olympic work experience was very challenging and rewarding. I met many good people who are my friends to this very day. I can honestly say that it was the best job of my life. We were a congruent body–a functioning unit that had a purpose. Everyone knew their role and did their best to fulfill it. I am so grateful to have the Olympic games experience with the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
Dana Trammell Peck is The AFRO’s digital solutions director. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.