PSIA-AASI Celebrates Award Recipients Leadership
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (May 19, 2020) – The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) recognizes eight individuals for their commitment to snowsports education and acting as inspirational leaders.
Jae McKeown and Shannon Schiner were honored with the 3 C’s Award, Stevie Lund was recognized with the Angus Graham Rising Star Award, Dee Byrne received the Distinguished Service Award, Lane Clegg and Kim Seevers both were awarded the Educational Excellence Award, and Mark Dorsey and Stephen Over were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“PSIA-AASI is successful because of our members dedication to learning, and helping others learn,” said Nicholas Herrin, PSIA-AASI’s Chief Executive Officer. “This group of award recipients has worked together over the years serving as leaders in their snowsports schools and for PSIA-AASI – they have truly helped shape our community and strengthen this organization.”
“It’s great to recognize members and their contributions,” said PSIA-AASI Awards and Recognition Committee Chair Kent Lundell. “It’s a celebration of our community. Just getting nominated for an award is an honor.”
3 C’s Award
The 3 C’s Award recognizes members who have demonstrated positive leadership in their snowsports school by using collaboration, communication, and cooperation with guests and peers. McKeown, an alpine instructor with his PSIA-Level II certification and Freestyle Specialist 1 and Children’s Specialist 2 credentials, based at Snow Creek Ski School in Missouri, leads a special six-month certification clinic to help other instructors pass their certification exams. He even created a custom flash card application with PSIA-AASI tactics. Schiner, who has worked as an instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School since 2013, has attained her PSIA-Alpine Level II certification, Children Specialist 2 credential, achieved a Master’s in Education, and joined the Mountain Sports School training staff. Her nomination letter from the Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School said that she embodies the qualities of PSIA-AASI’s commitment to collaboration, communication, and cooperation.
Angus Graham Rising Star Award
Lund, an instructor at Angel Fire in New Mexico with her PSIA-Alpine Level III certification and Freestyle and Children’s Specialist 2 credentials, was honored with the Angus Graham Rising Star Award which recognizes young standout members who have demonstrated positive leadership within the snowsports industry. Examples of her leadership include staying late at her ski school to offer free workshops and night skiing sessions to other instructors preparing for their PSIA certification exams.
Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes dedicated long-term members who have made important contributions that have added to the success of PSIA-AASI and its initiatives. Byrne, the Vice President of Snowsports at Squaw Valley/Alpine, has served two terms on the PSIA-AASI National Team, volunteered on the Education Advisory Council, and worked as both an instructor and snowsports school director. Her nomination letters – from U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Member Horst Abraham, PSIA-AASI Rocky Mountain Board Member Jane Tarlow, and PSIA-AASI Rocky Mountain Chief Executive Officer Dana Forbes – explained that Byrne has mentored countless individuals over the years who credit her for giving them the confidence to purse excellence and build a career in the industry.
Educational Excellence Award
The Educational Excellence Award recognizes those exceptional few members who have authored PSIA-AASI educational materials over the years. Clegg and Seevers have both significantly added to, and changed, the educational direction of PSIA-AASI.
Clegg was instrumental in the creation of AASI in 1997 and later served as a coach on the PSIA-AASI National Team. He also helped write multiple AASI-educational manuals before shifting gears to help adaptive athletes. His efforts have helped drive research and development of new equipment including projects with Burton Snowboards for adaptive athletes. In his nomination letter Eric Sheckleton said, “There are few people who have contributed so much to the development of snowboard instruction as Lane Clegg. His impact on the sport has been tremendous.”
Seevers worked as the Education and Programs Director for the PSIA-AASI Eastern Division, the National Director of Education and Programs for PSIA-AASI, and served as the first PSIA-AASI Adaptive Team coach. Her many accomplishments include creating the Eastern Division’s Master Teacher Program (over 200 Eastern Division instructors have completed this program to date), helping to develop the association’s video analysis platform “The Matrix,” and helping standardize adaptive teaching materials and standards.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes exceptional members who have designed and implemented programs, projects, and procedures affecting the association on a national level. This season, PSIA-AASI recognized Over and Dorsey, two former Executive Directors, with the award. Both were part of the association in 1997 and helped facilitate the creation of AASI. They showed the industry that snowboarding was more than a trend, it was a sport that would transform the industry.
Over served as the Executive Director for both PSIA-AASI and the National Ski Patrol. During his tenue he supported incorporating what at the time were new trends, like snowboarding and free-ride (later freestyle), into PSIA-AASI’s educational offerings. By developing a technique based approach to these new disciplines, PSIA-AASI remained at the forefront of the industry.
Dorsey, a PSIA-Alpine Level III instructor, served as the organization’s Marketing Director, Assistant Executive Director, and later the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer. While with PSIA-AASI, he expanded industry partnerships and worked collaboratively with other brands to encourage more guests to take lessons.
To learn more about PSIA-AASI, or how to become a member, visit thesnowpros.org. Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award, Educational Excellence Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award are due December 31, 2020. Nominations for the 3 C’s Award, Angus Graham Rising Star Award, and Top of the Course Award are due April 30, 2021. If you want to learn more about PSIA-AASI’s National Awards, or nominate a member, visit Awards and Recognition on thesnowpros.org.
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Editor’s Note
For photos of the award recipients, or interviews with Nicholas Herrin or Kent Lundell, contact Katrina Brinkerhoff at 720.963.4825 or .
About PSIA-AASI
PSIA-AASI is a nonprofit education association with a membership of more than 32,000 men and women dedicated to promoting snowsports through instruction. The association establishes certification standards for ski and snowboard instructors and develops education materials to be used as the core components of most ski and snowboard school training. The PSIA-AASI National Team is a hand-selected team of 30 individuals that are the “best of the best” ski and snowboard instructors and help promote the organization’s educational programs. Learn more at thesnowpros.org or via PSIA-AASI’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages.
