Kristen (“Kris”) Thorsness is originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and has been living in the Rochester area since 2002. She is an attorney with the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, where she focusses on higher education and sports law. She is also an arbitrator for the international Court of Arbitration for Sport, and served as a CAS arbitrator at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She also serves as an arbitrator for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Kris competed on the US National Rowing Team between 1982-1988, winning the United States’ first Olympic gold medal in women’s rowing in 1984 and won three World Championship silver medals (’82, ’83 and ’87). Kris was the first Alaskan to win an Olympic medal, was inducted into the US Rowing Hall of Fame, was co-recipient of US Rowing’s Woman of the Year award and was recently named the winner of US Rowing’s second highest award, the Jack Kelley Award. She previously served on the Board of Directors of US Rowing and on its Referee Committee.