Holiday Valley Resort September 15 – 17, 2025
Speakers at the 2025 SKI NY-SKIPA EXPO
Brooke Alba – Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SMI Snow Makers
Brooke is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SMI. She has over 10 years of experience with SMI Snowmakers, working closely with resorts and mountain operations teams to deliver reliable and efficient solutions that keep snow on the slopes and seasons running strong.
Paul Appleby – Supervising Labor Standards Investigator
Toby Bonham – Director of Mountain Operations, Greek Peak Mountain Resort
Toby Bonham is an experienced operations leader with over 30 years in resort management and lift maintenance. As Operations Manager at Greek Peak Mountain Resort since 2014, and a Lift Mechanic from 1995 to 2014, he oversees daily resort functions, ensures safety compliance, and drives operational efficiency while enhancing guest experience.
Toby is also a Lift Maintenance Instructor for Ski Areas of New York (SANY), training technicians on safety standards, ANSI B77 requirements, and best practices. His career began as a lift mechanic, advancing through leadership roles to become a trusted expert in safety, operational logistics, and team development.
Dave Byrd – Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs, NSAA
For 17 years, Dave Byrd has been the Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs for the National Ski Areas Association. A former journalist and attorney practicing litigation defense, Byrd handles a range of risk management and legal issues that impact the ski resort operations, including risk management, safety, releases of liability, state ski statutes, employment law, immigration, and crisis communications, as well as regulatory and compliance issues.
Jeanette DiPasquale – Senior Investigator, NYS Department of Labor
Jeanette DiPasquale is a Senior Investigator with the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and forensic Investigation and has a range of law enforcement experience including labor law compliance and enforcement, police administration, and assisting in high profile investigations for the New York State Attorney General. Ms. DiPasquale finds value in giving back to her community and volunteers her time with a local non-profit that supports women within western New York.
Paul Falchi – Supervising Safety and Health Inspector, NYS Department of Labor
Not long after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management Paul Falchi started his career with New York State in June of 2006. Spending 3 years in various jobs with the Office Mental Health before coming to the Department of Labor in 2009. Originally hired with the Division of Employment and Workforce Solutions Paul assisted unemployed workers with there return to work. In early 2013 Paul transferred to Safety and Health as a Safety and Health Inspector trainee. Over the past decade Paul has worked his way through the ranks to his current title of Supervising Safety and Health Inspector, responsible for overseeing the Utica and Albany office.
Charles Gfeller – Partner, Gfeller-Laurie LLP
Charles (“Charlie”) Gfeller practices primarily in the areas of complex civil and commercial litigation, insurance coverage, products liability, and risk management. Charlie represents and/or has represented numerous ski areas and resorts (locally, regionally, and nationally); ice arenas (locally, regionally, and nationally); NHL, NFL, MLB, and MLS teams and facilities, stadiums, stadium operators, and stadium concessionaires; zip line operators; indoor rock climbing facilities; marine-based recreational operators; fitness centers (including franchisees); equine facilities and race tracks; auto race tracks; golf courses and golf clubs; schools, colleges and universities; fairs, festivals, and carnivals; other recreational facilities, and manufacturers of recreational products, providing both risk management and litigation services. Charlie manages and personally handles the litigation for several national insurance programs, which insure sports and recreational facilities and operators, such as ice arenas, auto race tracks, parasail and jet ski operators, and fitness centers. In fact, Charlie has played an integral role in launching some of these programs, by working with insurance brokers, managing general agents, and both domestic and London-based insurers. Charlie is the former President of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys (ASDA).
Brian Greeson – Senior Loss Control Consultant, Lawley Insurance Services
Brian Greeson is a Senior Loss Control Consultant with Lawley Insurance Services. With 30 plus years of experience Brian specializes in risk management, loss control, and health & safety to assist clients reduce their overall cost of risk. Originally from Chicago IL, Brian relocated to Western NY in 1994 where he discovered Holiday Valley and acquired his love for skiing that he shares with his two children (and anyone else that will listen).
Anthony W. Hinkle, Esq. – Partner, Cipriani & Werner, P.C.
Mr. Hinkle is the firm-wide chair of Cipriani & Werner’s General Liability Practice and leads the firm’s Sports and Recreation Liability Practice Group. He has been a member of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys for over a decade and has tried over 60 cases to verdict in Pennsylvania’s state and federal courts. He has also defended trial court decisions favorable to the ski industry in the Superior and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Estelle Kester – Investigative Specialist, NYS Department of Labor
Estelle Kester holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Texas at Dallas and began her career with the Department of Labor as a full-time Labor Standards Investigator July 31, 2025. Estelle is currently an Active Duty First Sergeant in the United States Air Force, stationed at the 914th Security Forces Squadron in Niagara Falls, New York, where she manages and trains both military and civilian police. Her Active Duty orders will end August 31, 2025, which at that time, she will transition into the Air Force Selective Reserve. Her next assignment will be at the 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, where she will serve as the Law Office Superintendent for the Wing Judge Advocate General (JAG) one weekend a month, 2 weeks a year. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the non-profit organization, Whirlwind Veterans and Warrior Retreat headquartered in Eden, NY. She has served in the Armed Forces for over 24 years and brings to the Department of Labor a unique skill set of helping to better people and their organizations.
Brian Koch – Supervising Safety and Health Inspector, NYS Department of Labor
Brian Koch began his career at the DOL in 2003 with the Industry Inspection Bureau in the Division of Safety and Health- Buffalo District. Hired as a Safety and Health Inspector Trainee, he completed his probationary period and was promoted to Safety and Health Inspector. Subsequently, he has been promoted to Sr. Safety and Health Inspector, then Associate Safety and Health Inspector prior to his current appointment as Supervising Safety and Health Inspector. In this role, he oversees both field inspectors and clerical staff for the Buffalo and Rochester District offices, participates in projects for the Bureau, and represents the DOL as a member of the training committee for the Ski Areas of NY organization. Prior to joining the DOL, he was the Safety and Maintenance Manager for a household cleaner and automotive additive manufacturer and worked for several years in residential construction. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and an Associates Degree in Fire Protection Technology.
Brian also has 34 years of service as a volunteer firefighter, with 25 years in leadership roles, including Fire Chief. Additionally, he has been a NYS EMT for 26 years. Outside of work, he enjoys being in the kitchen preparing delicious meals and spending time fishing and exploring the Niagara River.
Michael Lane, Director of Technical Services, National Ski Areas Association
Mike received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University. Before entering the ropeway industry, his past work experience consists of construction, structural engineering, mining, mine design, and mine feasibility studies. Mike then worked as a project engineer/manager for Doppelmayr for almost nine years and was involved in over 100 major ropeway installations. Mike then moved to the Forest Service as a member of the National Ropeway Services Team for nearly 18 years managing the ropeway programs in regions 1, 2, 3, and 9. Mike is now at the National Ski Areas Association as the Director of Technical Services.
Mike Lannen – Founder, Eternity Marketing
Mike Lannen is the Founder of Eternity, a web and digital marketing firm in Burlington, Vermont. As an Eagle Scout, Mike is wholeheartedly committed to making the web a more user-friendly space. He takes pride in building close relationships with all of his clients while keeping a watchful eye on team culture and employee satisfaction. In his downtime, Mike cherishes moments spent with his loving wife and indulging in LEGO-building adventures with his two daughters. Additionally, Mike is deeply passionate about the world of smart homes and the ever-evolving realm of artificial intelligence.
Ryan Lavoie – CSP, Director Of Risk Management & Education, MountainGuard
Ryan joined the MountainGuard team in December of 2020 as the Assistant Director of Risk Management & Education, and in April, 2021 was promoted to Director of Risk Management & Education. He is responsible for the development and delivery of the educational content and consultation to our insureds and to continue the development of our loss control service for MountainGuard’s Workers’ Compensation line. Ryan entered the ski industry with the American Skiing Company, as the Risk Manager for Mount Snow in Vermont. Shortly thereafter, Mount Snow was acquired by Peak Resorts where he soon served as their Director of Risk Management and was eventually promoted to the Vice President of Risk Management overseeing the risk management programs for 17 ski areas in 7 states and nearly 8,000 employees. Ryan holds a B.S. in Industrial Safety and has been practicing in the field of occupational safety for nearly 20 years. He is a member of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, holding the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation, and is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. He is a member of the NSAA Education/Insurance and Risk Management Committee and a subcommittee chairman on ANSI B77.1. Ryan continually shows his passion for the ski industry by presenting at a variety of NSAA conferences and conventions
Bob Piede – Mountain Host/Safety Patroller, Holiday Valley Resort
Bob Piede has been a part of Holiday Valley for the past 20 years, first as a Mountain Host/Safety Patroller. After 40 years in healthcare as a clinical Audiologist, Compliance and Privacy Officer, he segued into a Guest Services Office Manager position at Holiday Valley. Recently he also has been directing our on-hill RFID ticketing system along with chairing our Safety Committee. Bob lives in Frewsburg, NY with his wife, June, also a Mountain Host at Holiday Valley.
Aaron Madison – Northeast Sales Manager, Technoalpin
Aaron has been with TechnoAlpin for 6 years and has over 25 years of experience in recreational property management. His background includes work as a golf course superintendent and involvement in major events such as the U.S. Open and PGA Tour. Aaron also brings extensive construction experience in golf course development, irrigation systems, and utilities. Aaron has been passionate about the ski industry his entire life, and has spent the past 25 years working in and around it. Snowmaking and automation are areas of focus and enthusiasm for him.
Dave Meeker – Editor, Ski Area Management Magazine
Dave Meeker is the editor for SAM magazine, the B2B resource for the North American mountain resort industry. He’s been in the industry for 20 years, spending more than half that time on the resort side serving in sales, marketing, and communications roles. Dave was marketing director at Mount Snow, Vt., prior to joining the SAM team in 2015 as senior editor. He became editor in 2021.
Brett David Miller – Principal, CutPeak Energy
Brett is the founder of CutPeak Energy, a developer of battery-backed snowmaking and microgrid systems for rural, family-owned, and independent ski areas. His work helps resorts capture their property’s energy value, unlock summer grid revenue, cut costs, extend ski days, and replace diesel backup with second-life and U.S.-sourced storage products—delivered with no upfront cost or credit required.
Previously, Brett protected UN missions and foreign communities by employing internally displaced people to secure critical infrastructure in post-conflict regions including East Timor and Myanmar. His customers included the UN, U.S., and foreign governments, F1000, and INGOs. He later advanced battery storage at Generac Industrial Power and helped commercialize the nation’s leading techno-economic software for microgrids—placing him at the center of U.S. efforts to decentralize the grid against cyber threats, extreme weather, and rising demand.
He lives in Beacon, NY, at the foot of the former Dutchess Ski Area, is an avid skier, a rookie volunteer ski patroller, and a second-year race coach at West Point’s Victor Constant Ski Area, where he trains 10-year-olds GS.
Andrew C. Minier – Snowsports Director, Holiday Valley Resort
Andy Minier has been Holiday Valley’s Snowsports Director since the 2023-2024 season. He is also the current Vice President the New York State Ski Racing Association. Andy’s career has spanned over 25 years in the ski industry during which he has been involved in lift operations, tubing, snowmaking, group sales, marketing, direction and coaching of race programs and mountain operations. Andy has held diverse roles at areas including Winter Park, Eldora, Kissing Bridge and Holiday Valley. In addition to his roles in ski area operations and management, Andy also spent ten years as a member of the US Telemark Ski Racing Team World Cup Team.
Karen Neri – Investigative Specialist, NYS Department of Labor
Karen Neri holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Buffalo State University and has been with the Department of Labor since 2017. Since 2022, Karen has served as an investigator, beginning with Unemployment Insurance and identify fraud cases, where she worked to protect program integrity and prevent fraudulent activity. In 2025, Karen transitioned to enforcing wage and hour laws and child labor protections, helping to ensure fair treatment for workers and compliance with labor standards. With a background in both fraud prevention and labor law enforcement, Karen brings a broad perspective and practical insight into the challenges of protecting workers’ rights.
Mark Petrozzi – ARM – Founder and President, AlpenRisk Safety Advisors, LLC
Co-Founder and Principal, LVL✭UP Academy, LLC
Mark is the founder and President of AlpenRisk Safety Advisors, LLC, a risk management and safety consulting practice serving the mountain resort, outdoor and hospitality industries throughout North America. Mark is also the co-founder of LVL✭UP Academy, LLC, the creator and distributor of eLearning courses specifically developed for the mountain resort industry. Mark has over 40 years of experience in ski area operations, recreational risk management, insurance, safety process, loss control, regulatory compliance and employment practices. He has been involved as an author and editor in creating many of the risk management, incident investigation, mountain safety and terrain park guidelines and resources used throughout the mountain resort and snow sports industries today. Mark’s decades of service to the NSAA, the National Ski Patrol, the NH Passenger Tramway Safety Board and his extensive forensic work has benefited the industry and the skiing public as a whole. Mark’s passion for safety, our mountains and mountain sports is reflected in everything he does. He can be reached at mark@alpenrisk.com.
Ladora “Lori” Phillips – General Manager, Ski Big Bear
Ladora “Lori” Phillips is the general manager of Recreation Management Corporation which manages Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain and Costas Family Fun Park. Lori is a current member of the NSAA board, vice-chair of the NSAA Small Resorts Committee and president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Association. She considers herself very lucky to work with a great team of individuals that allow her to be able to be involved. She is always looking to learn and advocates for outdoor recreation and independent ski areas whenever she can.
Lori is currently building a teardrop camper from a kit and welcomes any advice, expertise or volunteers😊.
Adam Portz, Director, Landscape Architecture – SE Group
Craig Raphaelson, Northeast Sales Manager, DemacLenko of America
Craig is the North East USA Sales Manager with DemacLenko. He has been working for DemacLenko for 10 years. Prior to joining DemacLenko Craig worked in mountain operations for over 30 years with positions at Vail/Beaver Creek, Winterplace Resort WV and Gunstock Mountain Resort in New Hampshire.
Kate Rauber – Skier Services Director, Holiday Valley Resort
Kate Rauber is the Skier Services Director at Holiday Valley Resort. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Safety, Risk Management and Ski Patrol Departments as well as Food & Beverage, Snowsports and Special Projects. Prior to joining Holiday Valley, Kate worked as a litigator handling commercial and regulatory matters. A native of Ellicottville, Kate is an avid skier and has trained as a ski patroller.
Ellie Roche – Assistant Director of Snowsports, Holiday Valley Resort
Ellie Roche is the Assistant Director of Snowsports at Holiday Valley. This will be Ellie’s 6th winter working with the Snowsports Team at Holiday Valley. Ellie accepted her position at Holiday Valley after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and Marketing from Gannon University. She grew up ski racing out of Peek N’ Peak Resort and eventually began ski instructing there as well. Over the years, Ellie has earned her PSIA Level 2 Alpine, CS2 and her Adaptive Level 1 certifications.
Samantha Rufo – President, nxtConcepts, Ltd
Samantha Rufo (Sam) is a modern marketing sherpa and president of nxtConcepts. For over two decades, she has been at the forefront of digital transformation, mastering everything from traditional marketing, SEO/AEO and SEM to cutting-edge eCommerce systems. Samantha specializes in bridging the gap between traditional tactics and the digital future, equipping ski areas with the integrated strategies they need to thrive in today’s dynamic landscape. Sam’s expertise extends from developing cutting-edge website and eCommerce systems to leading discussions on emerging technologies at over 100 events as a keynote speaker, author, and panelist. Her background encompasses diverse sectors, from ski to travel and leisure to technology and retail, making her a versatile voice in today’s dynamic marketing landscape.
Earl Saline – Director of Education Programming, National Ski Areas Association
Earl has been the Director of Education Programming for NSAA since 2014, and prior to that, Earl served as the Education Manager for PSIA-AASI from 2009 to 2013. In his role at NSAA, Earl organizes educational content for NSAA winter regional conferences, national convention, the NSAA Downhill Bike Park Summit, and Mountain Technology Symposium. In addition, he works with NSAA members and others developing ski area and guest education resources and safety initiatives for NSAA.
Charles Santry – President – HKD Snowmakers
Charles Santry co-founded HKD Snowmakers with his father-in-law, Herman K Dupre in 1991 and has spent the last 34 years growing the business and focused on developing and installing energy efficient Snowmaking technology throughout the Ski Industry. Charles has led HKD with a singular focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the ski industry through efficient snowmaking technology, automation, and procedures. Since inception, HKD has worked closely with over 600 resorts. Santry holds numerous patents and amongst other responsibilities, oversees the Manufacturing and R&D teams at the company’s Quebec City factory.
Gordon Santry – Northeast Sales & Tech Support – HKD Snowmakers
Gordon has been with HKD Snowmakers since 2017. Gordon is committed to supporting the New York market through personal service and the representation of HKD’s line of products that promote safe, efficient, and effective snowmaking.
Jon Spaulding – Director of Marketing, Greek Peak Mountain Resort
Jon Spaulding serves as the Director of Marketing at Greek Peak Mountain Resort, where he has led brand strategy, digital innovation, and guest engagement initiatives for the past four years. With a background in marketing leadership and a passion for blending creativity with technology, Jon has played a key role in advancing the resort’s visibility and customer experience. Of late, he has been especially focused on how emerging tools like A.I. can enhance marketing, operations, and guest interaction within the ski and hospitality industry. At the SKI NY/PA conference, Jon brings insights into practical applications of A.I. that drive both efficiency and innovation at mid-size mountain operations like Greek Peak.
Mike Taylor – General Manager/Owner, Holiday Mountain
Mike Purchased an almost closed Holiday Mountain Ski Area (Monticello, NY) in Spring 2023. A long-time ski patroller and good friend of Laszlo Vajtay at Plattekill Mountain, he figured why not buy this ailing ski area less than 2 hours from metro NYC and keep it from becoming another housing development which is happening rapidly in the Southern Catskills. Sounded easy enough!
Mike’s background has been in the family businesses distributing propane gas, heating oil, welding supplies/ compressed gases, beverage carbonation / bulk CO2, liquid chlorine / swimming pool service and self-storage. Far cry from running a ski area but being a passionate skier with his family, they built lots of work facilities and ‘local’ to Holiday Mountain since his great grandmother sold the land to the Town of Thompson in 1957 for the original ski trails, Mike and the team tackled the rebuilding full speed.
In his spare time, he loves skiing, worked as a paramedic nights & weekends for 25+ years, an avid off-road ‘Jeeper’ and is involved with lots of local organizations. He lives in Monticello, NY with his wife Joanna, daughters Drew (who works at Holiday) & Harly in college and son Ross – the family winter snowmaker.
Ryan Triffitt – Vice President of Business Development, Snowcloud.io
With close to 25 years of experience in tourism, the ski industry, and marketing, Ryan brings an insider’s perspective to the management of all technology projects. He not only understands how resorts structure their season pass pricing, but also knows how to build the software to sell it.
He began his career making late-night updates to Sunday River’s SnowPhone and has evolved alongside the ski industry’s shift toward digital. As Marketing Director for the Mt. Washington Auto Road, he led a successful overhaul of their marketing strategy with a strong focus on digital channels. His background spans project management, website UX/UI, digital marketing, business development, and resort operations.
Erin Visco-Chapman – General Manager, Bear Creek Mountain Resort
Erin is the General Manager for Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA. An accomplished hospitality leader with more than 27 years of experience, Erin has had multiple leadership roles including Director of Catering, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing and General Manager. Moving into resort industry in 2007, Erin served as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Bear Creek and earned the role of General Manager in 2018. In addition to her resort duties, Erin serves as Treasurer for the PA Outdoor Recreation Association, formerly the PSAA, and also serves on the boards for the PA Tourism Coalition and the PRLA . When not working and contributing to various Boards and committees, Erin enjoys cycling, yoga, and hiking.
James J. Walsh, Esq. Partner, Cipriani & Werner, P.C.
Mr. Walsh is a partner in Cipriani & Werner’s Sports and Recreation Liability Practice Group and devotes a considerable part of his practice to defending ski areas against liability claims arising from their four-seasons operations. He is a member of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys and has significant jury trial experience. Mr. Walsh learned to ski in the U.S. Marines, was a member of Penn State’s Alpine racing team, and previously served as a ski instructor and collegiate Alpine racing official.
Tim Wang, Senior Project Engineer, Ratnik Industries, Inc.
Tim has been working with Ratnik Industries since 1991 in various levels of engineering for ski area projects and snowmaking product development, primarily in mechanical and electrical design.
He has worked on numerous snowmaking systems in New York, across North America and some international areas. Specialties include water pump station design including prefabricated skids, Compressor stations and associated cooling systems, pipeline system design and snow gun development. Tim as well as Ratnik Industries are native to New York State and are proud to serve and support New York ski areas along with other North American and international customers.
Justin Whalen – Learning and Development Manager, Holiday Valley Resort
Maryjo Zweig – Zweig Law Team
Maryjo has been practicing law for over 27 years. Before moving to Colorado in 2007, she was a partner in a large Buffalo, New York, law firm. A seasoned trial attorney, she has successfully defended ski areas, river rafting outfits and other recreational facilities in state and federal courts throughout New York and Colorado.
Maryjo has advised ski resorts throughout New York and Colorado in all areas of their operations. She regularly speaks before ski industry and other groups on risk management issues, including the National Ski Areas Association and has also been a featured speaker for the Colorado River Outfitters Association. She is a member and former President of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys.
Maryjo loves to teach. She worked with TrialRun, a trial and litigation consulting and advocacy training firm. Maryjo has taught learning by doing programs to counsel for the United States Navy in Norfolk Virginia, evidence programs to counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington D.C. and Boston, deposition programs to a top 250 national law firm, and advanced trial advocacy programs for the SEC in Chicago and San Francisco. Maryjo was also a featured presenter in a TrialRun webcast to counsel for the Navy in effective deposition techniques that was broadcast live across the country.
Steve Zweig – Zweig Law Team
For 39 years, Steve has worked as a trial lawyer. He has defended ski areas, other recreational facilities, and recreational product manufacturers and distributors throughout New York in state and federal court. He has also prepared and argued more than 25 appeals in state and federal court.
Steve is a former President of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys. He was recently selected again by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019 (Copyright 2013 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.) in the field of Insurance Law. Steve has been named a Super Lawyer in Upstate New York for Personal Injury Defense: General, by Super Lawyers magazine, since 2009.
Steve is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in New York and the federal courts in Colorado.
Steve frequently presents on risk management and other issues to industry groups, including the Ski Areas of New York and the National Ski Areas Association. He is an avid skier, hiker and snowboarder. Steve splits his time between New York and Colorado with his wife and law partner, Maryjo, and their combined six children.