The Calgary Herald newspaper has released its annual list of “Compelling Calgarians” and a trio of sports-related people made the cut.
The index consists of 20 people it describes as “influential individuals making a difference in our city” and “remarkable people to watch for in 2025.”
Among those recognized from the world of athletics are:
Marco Carducci, Cavalry Football Club goalkeeper and captain
Carducci helped lead the Cavalry to a Canadian Premier League (CPL) championship in 2024.
“It was incredible,” he told the Herald. “We’d been so close in the past. To finally get it done with this group was amazing. To be the one to lift the trophy … was a special moment.”
Carducci is a KidSport Calgary ambassador and the president of the CPL players’ union.
Craig Conroy, general manager of the Calgary Flames
Conroy took on the GM role in 2023.
In his time at the helm, he’s orchestrated major trades, big player signings and the New York native has also had to navigate team tragedies, including the passing of assistant GM Chris Snow and former Flame Johnny Gaudreau.
“It’s not even about the hockey. To see the way the city responded,” Conroy told the newspaper.
“Johnny hadn’t been here for a couple of years but you would never have known it. It makes me proud to be a Calgarian.”
Nancy Southern, chair and CEO of ATCO Ltd.
She’s a business leader who learned all about horse power at her family’s landscape-changing Spruce Meadows facility.
Southern, who was a competitor in equestrian sports, was inducted as a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2024 and she was the recipient of the Patriot Award for supporting Canada’s military, veterans and their families.
“Spruce Meadows was really good to me in terms of honing my business experience, everything from sales and marketing to logistics and management. I know that it was the best grounding as a businessperson that I could have had,” she said in her Alberta Order of Excellence bio.
Southern serves as the executive vice president of Spruce Meadows and co-chair of tournaments. The world-class facility – which is home to the Cavalry FC – will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025.
The entire list of Compelling Calgarians and full bios may be viewed at the Herald website: https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/compelling-calgarians-20-remarkable-people-2025.