U.S. Ski & Snowboard Announces Board of Directors Leadership Change

During its November 20 Board of Directors meeting, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the United States of America, continued to transition its leadership with the election of Kipp Nelson as incoming Chair of the Board of Directors and Eric Resnick to the role of Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.

Nelson, a current member of the Board of Directors and a long-term supporter of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, will succeed current Chair, Dexter Paine, who has held that role since 2006, at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Board of Directors meeting on May 18, 2019. This winter-long transition will facilitate the transfer of roles and responsibilities between the two Board members, as Paine steps down as Chair after 12 years and 16 years as a Board member leading the governance of the organization, including the transition of its CEO in 2013. Nelson has served eight years on the Board of Directors and this will extend his leadership within the organization as Board Chair. Nelson has also served on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation Board of Trustees since 2005, and Paine since 1996, where both have been passionate advocates and supporters of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athletes and teams over many years. Paine will continue to represent the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board at the international level in his role as an International Ski Federation (FIS) Council Member, a position he has held since 2014 and to which he was re-elected at the May 2018 FIS Congress.

“I am delighted to be handing over the reins as Chair of the Board of Directors to Kipp Nelson,” commented Paine. “Kipp has the vision, experience and passion for all our sports to help U.S. Ski & Snowboard continue its growth and its establishment as one of the USA’s greatest sporting organizations. While I have loved the role of U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board Chair, now is the right time for this transition to take place, and Kipp is the right person to take on the responsibilities that come with this role.”

“This is an exciting time of the year for everyone involved in U.S. Ski & Snowboard.” he continued. “The months of hard work put in by our athletes and all the U.S. Ski & Snowboard staff come to fruition as the season starts and it serves as the perfect reminder for me of how honored I am to have served our athletes and our organization for many years. I am proud that I will continue to serve as an active member of our Board and at the international level with FIS, and I want to thank every single employee, volunteer and athlete who has helped make my time as Chair such an incredible experience. I look forward to continuing to work with Kipp and Tiger to grow our whole organization and build on our historical athletic success.”

“Dexter Paine has been a wonderful Chair for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and is far too humble to say just what a significant contribution he has made to our athletes for such a long time. Under his leadership the organization has gone from strength to strength and is now in the healthiest position it has ever been, structurally, athletically and financially,” added Nelson. “I know I have big shoes to fill, but I am excited about what lies ahead. We have some of the world’s greatest athletes competing today, we have a rich and storied history and we have some incredibly exciting, talented athletes coming through the pipeline who will continue to set new standards for years to come. I am also keenly aware that there are major challenges facing athletes of all levels and across all sports, both at home and around the world, and we will be working ever harder to create and sustain environments in which athletes can train and compete, free from the scourge of hazing, bullying and abuse of all kinds. We will continue to place the needs of athletes at the heart of everything we do, working together with our clubs and regions, supporting our athletes and with a singular focus on helping them achieve their dreams.”

These changes to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard leadership structure complement prior leadership changes which include Resnick, who was elected to the role of Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the September 2018 Board meeting. Additionally, Steve Strandberg was elected President of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation, together with three Vice Presidents – Dani Virtue, Rich Tutino and Jeremy Bloom – at the Foundation’s Board meeting in December 2017.

“The last year since I took up the role as President of the Foundation Board of Trustees has gone by far too quickly, but it has been an incredible year for our Foundation and the whole team,” said Strandberg. “Our revenues continue to grow, we have just staged our most successful ever annual New York Gold Medal Gala fundraising event, and we are seeing increasing numbers of people joining our organization, all focused on helping U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes achieve their goals. This is due to the hard work and dedication of the Foundation team in Park City and across the country, our Trustees and the army of supporters who give so generously to support U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. I am extremely proud to be part of this team and I am excited to continue to build on the successes of the last year, and to embrace what lies ahead.”

Both the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of Trustees have a variety of committees and sub-committees that serve the various needs of the organization which represents nearly 200 elite athletes competing across seven different winter sports, which stages over 35 domestic events each year and which is integrally involved in the development of future winter sports champions through grass roots programs across the USA.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard would like to thank all members of its boards for their tireless support and leadership guiding and supporting the athletes, teams and the entire organization.

Release courtesy of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.