Lake Placid Conference Center – September 21-23
Dave Belin – Snow Partners
Dave Belin is a team member at Snow Partners, where he oversees SNOW Pass and Snow Triple Play products. These multi-mountain ski ticket products provide access to a broad variety of ski areas and encourage exploration and adventure for skiers and snowboarders. Dave is an experienced snowsports industry executive and an active member of several NSAA committees, including the Economic Committee and the Growth Committee, where he has served as chairperson for the past two years. Dave is also on the board of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, where he chairs the finance committee. On winter weekends, Dave is a PSIA certified ski instructor at Eldora, Colorado.
Kelly Brush – Kelly Brush Foundation
Kelly Brush lives in Charlotte, Vermont where she was born and raised. She attended Middlebury College (’08) and later the MGH Institute of Health Professions (’13) in Boston where she received a master’s degree in nursing. In February 2006, while ski racing for Middlebury, Kelly fell, striking a lift tower, sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI) and leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. Kelly started the Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF) shortly after her injury to empower others with SCI to lead active and engaged lives through sport and recreation and working to improve safety in alpine ski racing.
Kelly currently lives in Charlotte, VT with her two daughters. She works as the founder of the KBF and worked for 10 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Kelly is also the ultimate weekend warrior, always finding ways to be outside and active with her family.
Kathleen Brennan – CEO – PSIA, Eastern Division
Kathy Brennan is CEO of PSIA-AASI Eastern, serving more than 10,000 snowsports professionals across the Eastern U.S. A lifelong skier and 30+ year PSIA-AASI member, Kathy has served as an instructor, trainer, examiner, development team coach, and snowsports school technical director. Her experience with seasonal workforces extends beyond snowsports; prior to joining PSIA-AASI Eastern, she held leadership roles with Whale’s Tale Waterpark and Alpine Adventures, a zipline and outdoor adventure company. Throughout her career, Kathy has been passionate about developing people, creating strong teams, and helping employees find the connection and purpose that keeps them engaged and growing.
Dave Byrd – Director of Risk & Regulatory Affairs, NSAA
For 18 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.
Jackie Cerra, Marketing Director, Mountain Creek
Jackie Cerra is the Marketing Director at Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon, New Jersey, where she leads marketing for the resort’s year-round experiences, including skiing and snowboarding, the Bike Park, Waterpark, Adventure Park, Weddings & Events. With over 15 years in the ski industry and more than a decade at Mountain Creek, she’s passionate about creating meaningful connections with guests through storytelling, digital marketing, and creative campaigns. Jackie loves collaborating across departments to ensure marketing not only inspires people to visit but also helps educate guests, supports safety initiatives, and creates the best possible experience both on and off the mountain.
Officer James D’ambro – NY State Police Troop B School and Community Outreach Officer
Paul Falchi – Safety & Health Program Manager 1, NYS DOL
Lauren Garfiled, Sales and Marketing Manager – Whiteface/SKI3Alpine Marketing Coordinator – ORDA
Lauren Garfield is the Sales & Marketing Manager for Whiteface Mountain and the SKI3 Alpine Marketing Coordinator at the Olympic Authority, where she has built her career over two decades, starting as Group Sales Manager in 2005 before advancing to her current role. She works closely with a broader team on digital advertising, season pass campaigns, and product marketing across Whiteface and the SKI3 program, which unites Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre under a shared strategic vision. During a break from the Olympic Authority, she held the Director of Sales and Marketing role at the Golden Eagle Resort in Stowe, VT. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. Lauren has also helped host major industry events, including the U.S. National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, reflecting her deep ties within the ski and snowboard community. She lives in Wilmington, New York, with her husband, Rich, and their four dogs and two cats, embracing the Adirondack mountain lifestyle that shapes her work every day.
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).
Dave Gibson – President, Propeller Media Works & Accessibility Works
Dave Gibson founded Propeller Media Works in 1997 and launched Accessibility.Works in 2016. For nearly three decades he’s worked with hundreds of brands, with a particular focus on the mountain resort industry, building web experiences that work for every user and every platform: people with disabilities using screen readers, search bots, and now AI agents. Accessibility just went from legal requirement to competitive requirement in the agentic web era.
Dave is a pragmatic futurist, obsessed with using AI to do more (and better) with less. He’s based in Shelburne, Vermont, and can usually be found on a snowboard, behind a camera, or on Lake Champlain.
Brian Koch – Supervising Safety & Health Inspector, NYS DOL
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.
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.
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, occupational safety, regulatory compliance and employment practices. He has been involved as an author and editor in creating many of the guest safety initiatives and campaigns, as well as the risk management, patrol, mountain safety, aerial lift, incident investigation, terrain park and bike 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 New Hampshire 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.
Michael Reitzell – President, NSAA
Leon B. Resnick and Terrance K. Resnick are partners in Resnick Succession Group (formerly Resnick Associates)
A nationally recognized business succession, estate planning, and life insurance advisory and implementation planning firm with offices in Kansas City and Philadelphia. Lee and Terry have presented to more than 250 organizations throughout the United States, including MSAA. Numerous media outlets, including NSAA Journal, and other print, radio and television outlets have featured and interviewed Lee and Terry on the topics of business succession, estate planning and liquidity issues for the privately held business owner. Resnick Succession Group is a co-founder of the Elizabethtown College Family Business Center, one of the largest college-based family business centers in the United States. You may visit RSG at: www.resnicksg.com
Hugh Reynolds, Partner & Chief Marketing Officer – SNOW Partners
Hugh oversees marketing and sales across SNOW Partners’ portfolio of businesses, bringing more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience to the team. Prior to joining SNOW Partners in 2014, he served as Director of Marketing & Sales at Mountain Creek, where he began his career in the ski industry in 2009.
Hugh currently serves on the Board of the Ski Areas of New York and is a frequent speaker and writer on topics including marketing, guest experience design, process improvement and growing participation in the ski industry.
When he’s not working or speaking, you can usually find Hugh on snow, on a bike or fishing with his son.
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.
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.
Tiffany Whitcomb – Founder, Educator – The Pipeline Project
Tiffany Whitcomb is a former Career & Technical Education teacher who founded The Pipeline Project after recognizing the disconnect between the technical skills students develop in school and the workforce needs of the ski industry. By combining her background in education with her passion for mountain communities, Tiffany created The Pipeline Project to help students discover the unique careers while supporting the long-term workforce needs of resorts and industry partners.
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.
Ayden Wilber – VP of Operations, Greek Peak Mountain Resort
Ayden is the Vice President of Operations at Greek Peak Mountain Resort with over 15 years of experience in the ski industry. Having a passion for snowmaking ignited during his tenure at Greek Peak, he is currently at the helm of a transformative effort to modernize snowmaking and elevate mountain operations at Greek Peak.