Central Cross Country Ski Association

We provide an organization which enables athletes, coaches and officials to achieve excellence in cross country skiing through: EDUCATION, COOPERATION, COMMUNICATION, and COMPETITION.

Central Cross Country Association (“CXC”) is recognized by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (“USSA”) as the Regional Organization governing cross country skiing in the 10 state Central Region of the United States. CXC provides an organization which enables athletes, coaches and officials to achieve excellence in cross country skiing through: EDUCATION, COOPERATION, COMMUNICATION, and COMPETITION. CXC oversees youth programs; supports the Junior Olympic Qualifying system, Central Collegiate Ski Association, and Senior/Master skiing; provides athletes’, coaches’ and officials’ education; coordinates competitions; manages a full spectrum adaptive program for all individuals with physical disabilities; trains Olympic caliber athletes; and is the Midwest pipeline to the U.S. Ski Team and the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team. CXC is a 501c3 non profit corporation and gratefully accepts tax deductible donations for program enhancement.

Central Cross Country Ski Association includes the following states: South and North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. Solvang is a native of Norway and arrived in the United States in 1979 to study at the University of Utah, earning a BS in Engineering, while also becoming an All-American XC skier and member of the NCAA championship team. He also coached the team for two years with another NCAA championship result. Mr. Solvang subsequently received his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mr. Solvang is a co-owner of Hillcrest Builders, a real estate development and construction business. Before founding Hillcrest, Mr. Solvang was a Partner of Lubar & Co., where he founded Lake Express, a high speed ferry service between Milwaukee and Muskegon, MI. He was also an officer of C2, Inc. since its inception in 1999. Prior to joining Lubar & Co., Mr. Solvang was President of Cleary Gull, a Milwaukee based investment bank. Prior to Cleary Gull, Mr. Solvang was President of Scinticor, a manufacturer of cardiac imaging devices. He previously managed a business unit of Applied Power, Inc. supplying hydraulic systems to OEM customers. Before that, he worked in institutional sales and equity research at Robert W. Baird and Co. He serves as a Board member of several private companies.

Jim Michler is an innovative, dynamic international business executive with over 20 years of software sales, marketing and general management expertise including senior assignments resident in Japan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and India. Mr. Michler has had executive positions with Computer Land Corporation (CL), Autodesk Inc, JD Edwards (JDE) and SAP.

Mr. Michler is accomplished in major account and executive level solution selling having built strategic relationships with numerous Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies. Jim has personally sold over $250 million in software during his career and thoroughly understands the nuances of sales and marketing in today's competitive marketplace.

Jim is a proven high impact marketer and visionary with a proven ability to quickly grasp new markets, industries and technology and develop strategic plans to gain significant market share and sustainable competitive advantage.

Jim’s avocations include cycling, bike racing, cross country skiing and golf. Jim raced his first Birkebeiner in 1978 and completed the original 100km Finlandia in 1982. He has raced bicycles both in the US and Europe and has competed in the National Senior Olympics. Jim has also managed base camp for a successful expedition to Mount Everest in 1996.

Jim and his wife Cheryl reside in Whitefish Bay, WI. They have 2 sons, Ross, a junior at Marquette University and Stuart, a junior at Whitefish Bay High.

John has lived in Central Wisconsin for 21 years raising 3 children Ellyn 19, Ben 17, Mark 16, and professionally working as an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon. He is also director of The Aspirus Spine and Neuroscience Institute. He has been involved with cross country skiing since moving to Wausau area both as a master skier, and over the past 6 years coaching Wausau Nordic Skiers. John has also been an avid marathon canoe racer for many years. He has enjoyed watching CXC develop these past few years as a parent and limited volunteer, and is very committed to youth development programming in the Midwest.

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