Kurt Simard named Gould Academy’s director of on snow programs

BETHEL, Maine — ​Gould Academy recently announced the promotion of Kurt Simard to director of on snow programs. Simard has served as the school’s alpine program director and head alpine coach since 2007, and recently took on the additional role of interim director of on snow programs after the search for a new director was announced this past August.

“Kurt’s breadth of experience as a competitor, coach, and leader is exactly who we want championing our on snow programs,” says Matt Ruby, head of school for Gould Academy. Effective immediately, Simard will oversee and develop all competitive and non-competitive on­ snow programming for Gould Academy, an extensive job that includes:

• the Gould Academy Competition Program (GACP) — a full­time and weekend ­only partnership program between Gould and Sunday River that supports high­level alpine, Nordic, snowboarding and freeride/freestyle athletes looking to compete throughout the United States (full-­time) and regionally (weekend­ only);
• the Gould Academy Prep Alpine, Prep Snowboarding, and Prep Nordic teams whose full-­time student­-athletes compete throughout the state of Maine and New England;
• a host of noncompetitive programming for full­-time students that includes the Rugrats instruction program, the Maine Adaptive instruction program, a learn to ski and snowboard program, and the only nationally recognized high school ski patrol program in the country;
• and the Winter Term program for seventh­ and eighth ­grade students whose students compete at their highest levels in alpine, Nordic, snowboarding and freeride/freestyle from November through March.

Coach Simard brings a versatile coaching perspective to Gould, having worked with gifted athletes of all ages, from the junior development level to Division I collegiate level to placement on the U.S. Ski Team. During his eight-­year tenure as head coach for the University of New Hampshire’s Division I women’s alpine team, he coached the Wildcat women to an NCAA National Giant Slalom Championship in 2006 and the entire alpine team to a second­place overall finish that same year. His athletes also attained an impressive 19 All­-American Award honors as well as placements to the U.S. Ski Team. Simard recently worked with the U.S. Ski Team during the Beaver Creek World Cup races this past December.

Originally from Auburn, Maine, Coach Simard grew up ski racing. He participated in the U.S. Ski Team’s development program, graduated from Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont, and captained the University of New Hampshire’s Division I men’s alpine team. After college he began his coaching career at Sunday River with Gould Academy. Noted for his enthusiastic love of athletics and ability to lead, his accomplishments have been recognized by his peers as he has been twice named the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Coach of the Year (2005 and 2006). In 2007, Coach Simard’s return to Gould was both a homecoming and milestone. He met his wife, Lauren, at Sunday River, and together they have three daughters: Madeline ’16, Cameron, and Sophie.

Gould Academy began the search for a director of on snow programs by enlisting the help of a search committee whose members included noted alumni, leaders within the ski industry and Gould Academy Competition Program, as well as a school trustee and parents. Candidates from all over the United States applied. In addition to reporting to the head of school for Gould Academy, Simard will also report to the VP of skiers services for Sunday River for all matters pertaining to the GACP weekend ­only program.

Release courtesy of Gould Academy