Browse Our Archives

DAWN OF NEW LEADERSHIP FOR NSAA

NSAA board chair Chip Seamans.With the retirement and impending departure of president and CEO Kelly Pawlak, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) is looking for a new leader. And Windham Mountain Club (N.Y.) president Chip Seamans, as the new chair of the NSAA board, will play a key role in both selecting a new NSAA CEO and helping said leader chart a path forward for the organization. SAM, in the persons of publisher Olivia Rowan and contributor Rick Kahl, Zoomed with Seamans to get his take on where NSAA is headed. 

SAM: How do you view the roles of the NSAA board and the chair, in particular, since that’s now who you are? 

Seamans: Obviously, our first task—to replace Kelly—is an important one. Hugely important. 

We just put together the search committee. It consists of Pat Campbell (Vail Resorts) and Stephen Kircher (Boyne Resorts) and myself from the executive committee, plus Rick Schmitz (Nordic Mountain, Little Switzerland, and The Rock Snowpark, Wis.) and Daren Cole (Leitner-Poma). So we have supplier representation with Daren and the Midwest with Rick. We’ll see how the job posting goes and how many applicants we get. 

I’m looking forward to talking to applicants. It’s an incredible opportunity and an important time. Kelly’s done a great job in the seven years that she’s been in her position and she’s made the priorities very clear. Somebody can come in and really have the opportunity to build on that.

We’d like to have the new CEO in place by fall. 

SAM: Former NSAA president Michael Berry felt there are two ways you can run an association: You can either have a strong organization for which the board provides oversight, or you can have an active board that sets the agenda and drives the program. During his tenure, he built a strong staff-led organization. Kelly continued in that vein. Do you see that continuing? 

Seamans: There’s an extremely strong staff at NSAA, no question. Michael built the core. Kelly added to that, I think in a great way. And they do a great job. Kelly regularly reaches out to the board as a sounding board and for advice. She presents situations and both sides of an argument and asks, ‘what’s your input?’ And we’ll make recommendations. But ultimately a lot of the decisions have been hers, along with the staff. 

The staff at NSAA is key. Kelly jumped in with her resort background and provided direction and some new initiatives. Her big challenge was Covid, of course, which was handled amazingly well. And she had a team behind her to pull it off. The board was involved in that, but the team really led the charge. 

The other thing that Kelly’s done well is draw on the state associations. There’s a meeting every two weeks or so with all the directors of the state associations. They have input and they bring information back to their organizations, as well.

SAM: Have you thought about changing priorities? We were forced to make decisions during the pandemic that maybe weren’t part of the plan. Did that inspire any new ideas?

Seamans: What has been discussed is continuing some of the great initiatives that Kelly’s brought. She has really identified the goals for the staff and for the organization. There’s a focus now on sustainability, on DEI, and lift maintenance and lift operations, from a safety standpoint and from a training standpoint. Those things have come a long way. And everyone wants to make sure we continue to focus on education and being a resource for resorts. Then there’s the legislative piece, advocacy in Washington, D.C.

We have talked a lot about how important a ski area background is, or a ski industry background [for the NSAA CEO]. There’s obviously a clear desire to have somebody who can relate to members. 

SAM: How do you see your role as board chair over the next few years?  

Seamans: My focus is to keep the organization moving in the direction that’s been so valuable to me over the years. I first started attending [regional and national conferences] as a patrol director, and there was value in not just the meetings, but the information and resources that are available. So that’s important to continue and to upgrade. You may have seen the announcements about advances in training programs online. The availability is much better. The Mountain Foundation has provided opportunities for people that wouldn’t otherwise be there, and that continues to grow and should be a priority. 

The next generation of leaders is important. A lot of my peers have or are retiring. I think transition is exciting; it brings new ideas, new people, new ways of doing things. And the organization needs to move with that, to grow and make sure that we’re not stuck in the ways of the past, while preserving the things that have worked really well. 

SAM: With consolidation, there’s essentially two camps, the multi-area companies and the independents. And there’s a widening gap between the two. The search committee includes representatives from both camps, but how do you balance their different needs? 

Seamans: That’s something that’s changing in the industry, and the organization needs to continue to adapt to that. It’s a concern and also an opportunity. When you have an organization like Vail Resorts, that has so many great minds and is putting so much together, as long as they’re still willing to share and come together as an industry, there’s real value there. And it will be important for the new CEO to understand and appreciate that.

The attendance of the multi-resort groups at conferences is important. Those companies do a lot of education on their own, so we need to provide value for them to continue to be part of the larger organization.

SAM: There are reasons for the big players to stay in touch with the smaller resorts, too. There are things they can learn from the smaller areas.

Seamans: Absolutely. It is important to bring everyone together and remind them that the industry is one family. The leaders that I have relationships with at Vail have been very positive about continuing involvement with NSAA. The industry’s evolving; we all need to pay attention and make sure we can create the most value for resorts of all sizes.

Networking relationships are the probably the biggest thing that comes out of our conferences. And that’s the special part of this industry to me—being able to pick up the phone with anybody anywhere, and talk about whatever’s going on, asking, “I know you went through this, how did you handle it?” 

SAM: As the leader of an independent resort, you understand the challenges independent operators face. Can you also relate to some of the smaller areas in the Midwest or other regions that don’t have the same high-end clientele that you do at Windham?

Seamans: Definitely. That’s the case on a smaller scale in the state of New York, where there are more ski areas than any other state. We hear a lot from the small ski areas. They can’t afford the cost of new lifts and need to be able to buy used lifts to continue to grow and survive. I’ve been pretty involved with the smaller independents, from the SANY (Ski Areas of New York) side of things, on a state level. 

SAM: What sort of environmental commitment can NSAA make given the uncertain direction of the federal government over the next few years?

Seamans: Climate has been a challenge and will continue to be. And NSAA is probably the organization that can be most helpful from an advocacy standpoint, helping resorts understand what they can do individually. The organization continues to get better at providing that information and offering suggestions and solutions.

The NSAA team, Geraldine Link and the rest of the crew, have done a remarkable job of advocating and spending time in D.C., and figuring out better ways to do that. Advocacy is going to be critical regardless of whoever’s in office and whatever parties are in office. We need to work together to do that.

Participation needs to be strong. We can’t sit back and wait to be told what’s happening. We need to be part of the process. One key task for Kelly’s successor is maintaining and creating relationships with other organizations, as Kelly’s done with Protect Our Winters and others. 

SAM: What about bringing more newcomers into the sport? At the convention this year, many people acknowledged that there was no plan for future-proofing participation going forward. What direction can NSAA take on that? 

Seamans: It’s kind of coming back into focus again. After Covid hit, suddenly we were all talking about parking problems and lift lines and overcrowding and trying to solve that. And growth seemed to slip off the radar. 

For most resorts, though, overcrowding happens only a few days a year. There’s plenty of opportunity for growth on five or six days a week for most of us. At the convention in Texas there was a resurgence of thinking, “Hey, we gotta bring young people into this sport.” When you saw the demographic numbers and the statistics, it got people’s attention.

Paid parking or reservations or capacity on peak days—those are great problems to have. But we can’t lose sight of kids and families. How do we make it easy for them? The good news is that we’ve all worked hard on lessening the hassle factor and making it easier to get into the sport. And we’ve got to keep moving with those initiatives. That’s what’s really going to make a difference. 

It was nice to see those discussions coming back. And I think we’ll get to a balance again.

GLOBAL-LEVEL SHARED GOALS

By Olivia Rowan, Publisher, SAM

In April, SAM, NSAA, and a small group of North American operators joined about 180 resort representatives from 23 countries on a trip through the French Alps to learn from and share with each other. The gathering was coordinated by Cluster Montagne, a French organization whose mission it is to bring together the collective intelligence of the global ski industry to take action around futureproofing our shared mountain environments. Our visit started with tours and presentations at ski resorts La Rosière and Les Arcs and ended at Mountain Planet in Grenoble, where 20,000 international visitors gathered for the trade show’s 50th anniversary. 

The opportunity to talk with resort owners and operators from countries such as Norway, Japan, Germany, France, and Azerbaijan about staffing, sustainability, summer ops, growing our pipeline of participants, advances in technology, and more, was eye opening. 

Climate. The group expressed collective concerns about the future of our mountain environments and communities. In Europe, the shared responsibility to combat climate change is paramount.

“Climate change feels much more real as a topic of focus in Europe,” said Hugh Reynolds, CMO for Snow Partners (owner of Mountain Creek and Big Snow, N.J.) and a fellow Mountain Planet attendee. “Several of the operators I spoke with shared how their snowpacks and the glaciers on which they operate have changed and receded over just the last 10 years. The realities of climate change seem to be hitting those European operators much more immediately than what we’re seeing in the U.S., and as such, it is a much, much more urgent problem for resort operators to tackle.” 

It was an eerie portent of the future, driving through the Alps and seeing abandoned chairlifts—no longer in use because the snow line has receded too far up the mountain. And that future may not be so far off for other parts of ski country given that 2023 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850, and the 10 warmest years on record have all occurred during the last decade. 

North America’s role. Walking around Mountain Planet and in conversations with other suppliers and operators, it was clear that North America is seen as the biggest ski region in the world—and other global operators want to know how we do things. 

North America’s success with season passes and the often high cost of our day tickets were key topics of discussion, followed by questions about our collective plan for developing the pipeline of new skiers and riders. If we are selling to the core and charging day ticket prices that keep new participants away, what does that mean for the future of the sport?

International gatherings like these provide a chance for us to lean into this global community and take part in the conversation around the shared challenges and opportunities facing the snowsports industry in a meaningful way.  

“For me, [the event] was a reminder of how important it is to always strive to provide activities that show the importance of reconnecting with nature—something that is so obvious, but yet sometimes gets lost in the quest for ROI,” said Lori Philipps, GM of Ski Big Bear, Pa., who also went on the trip.

For SAM’s part, we will continue looking beyond our borders to gather stories and insights because there is much we can learn from the international ski industry community.  

Click the link here to see the Mountain Planet Mountain Innovation Book, which showcases sustainability efforts 

SUPPLIER NEWS

PARTEK will no longer build new lifts but will continue to provide parts and supplies and perform retrofits and modifications.

DEMACLENKO added Charles Blier and Michelle Vona to its North American snowmaking system and equipment sales team. Blier will focus on the U.S. Southeast and Eastern Canada. Vona will focus on the U.S. Western Rockies. 

Tim Larsen is the new senior vice president at AXESS RESORT SOLUTIONS.

SAM MAGAZINE welcomed Karolyn Towle as its new director of marketing and audience development.

PEOPLE

In the East, Tait Wardlaw joined the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which operates Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Belleayre Mountain, N.Y., as vice president of sales, marketing, and communications. … Shanta Hoff is the new mountain operations director for Mt. Abram, Maine.

In the West, Dee Byrne, president and COO of Palisades Tahoe, Calif., is retiring after 40 years in the industry. … Eric Clark was appointed president and COO of Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain, Calif. ... Dave Scanlan resigned as general manger of Eaglecrest Ski Area, Alaska. 

Dave Hunter was named president and COO of Steamboat Resort, Colo. … Mike Lewis was promoted to vice president of mountain operations for Park City Mountain, Utah. 

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort chief financial officer Matt McCreedy retired after more than three decades at the resort. Corporate controller Braden Turner succeeds him. … Silver Mountain Resort GM Jeff Colburn was elected president of the Idaho Ski Areas Association board of directors.

Kelly Pawlak is stepping down as president and CEO of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), and Chip Seamans has been appointed as chair of the NSAA board of directors.

AWARDS

Schone Malliet, president and CEO of Winter4Kids, was named U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion. … Jessyca Keeler, president of Ski New Hampshire, was awarded the NH Travel Council’s Sustainable Business Advocate Award. 

Dave Tragethon was honored with the Far West Ski Association (FWSA) Environmental Award. … Maine Audubon named Saddleback as the recipient of its inaugural BirdSafe Maine Award.

NSAA recognized the following individuals: Russ Coloton and Kenny Hess each received a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award; Kate Wilson of Vail Mountain, Colo., and Mike Nathan of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., received the Hero of Sustainability Award; Kolina Coe of Keystone Resort, Colo., was named Safety Champion; and Ski Saint Bruno, Quebec, won the 2024 Conversion Cup. Numerous other resorts were recognized with Golden Eagle Awards for Sustainability, marketing awards, and safety awards for their efforts in the 2023-24 season.

The Canada West Ski Areas Association honored Charlie Locke, owner and president of Lake Louise Ski Resort, Alberta, with the Jimmie Spencer Lifetime Achievement Award; Doug Macfarlane, vice president of mountain operations for Whistler Blackcomb, B.C., with the Jim Marshall Leadership Award; Dean Roberts, lift maintenance manager at Sun Peaks, B.C., with the Rod Chisholm Operations & Maintenance Award; Anders Svenson, business manager and partner at Mission Ridge, Saskatchewan, with the Lars Fossberg Excellence Award; and Zoe Sloan of Edmonton Ski Club, Alberta, Charles Albrow of Sun Peaks, Anna Boyd of Whistler Blackcomb, and Shannon Johnston of Asessippi Resort, Manitoba, with Peak Performance awards. 

OBITUARIES

The “original hotdogger,” Bobbie Burns, died in April. He was 85. Burns was a 2020 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee. He personified freeskiing culture and is remembered as both a world-class skier and ski designer. Burns grew up in Ogden, Utah, dancing ballet and practicing diving and gymnastics. He began tuning skis in the late 1960s and went on to design skis for K2 and star in a number of ski movies.

Janek “Yan” Kunczynski died in March. The lift industry legend was 80 years old. He got his start with Poma before going on to establish Lift Engineering in 1965. By the late 1980s, the company was one of the largest ski lift suppliers in North America. Although Lift Engineering ceased operations in 1996, nearly 200 “Yan” lifts still operate around the world, according to liftblog.com’s Peter Landsman.