Board of Directors Election

Greetings! Here are the candidate statements from four NRM members running for three open seats on the Board of Directors. Please check your emails and spam for an electronic ballot from Election Buddy. You will have one secure, secret ballot. The election closes April 5th!

Thank you for you continued support of Northern Rocky Mountain.

Tara Wegner

I've been a member of NRM Rocky Mountain Division and have coached Alpine Skiing at Big Sky since 2015. I love working with people and sharing this incredible skiing with all levels and mindsets.

Being a voice for both large and small resorts alike is important to me and something I understand directly. I grew up skiing at a small local valley ski area in the Midwest, so I understand the valuable, but different needs of a smaller resort along with a larger one.

Outside of Mountain Sports, I'm a small business owner of a residential house painting company, which is going into its fourth operational season this year and a venture I'm super proud of. Prior to joining Big Sky Mountain Sports, I coached figure skating part time. I also participate in an adult hockey league, which has been an awesome experience and fun way to connect actively with people.

I received my Alpine Level 2 in 2018 and currently in training towards my Level 3. Additional certifications include Children's Specialist 2, Telemark 1 and Freestyle 1. I'm also a graduate of Concordia College, MN.

I hope to be part of NRM as an approachable, reliable and collaborative team member with the goal of listening to and supporting our amazing, hardworking members.

Joshua La Forest

Hello. My name is Joshua La Forest and I would like to be considered as a candidate to serve on the Northern Rocky Mountains' Division of Board of Directors.

This is my 15th year as a member in good standing within the Professional Ski Instructor's Association. Similarly, it is my 18th year as an instructor and my 20th year working within the ski industry in one professional capacity or another. I have tuned skis, rented them, sold them, endorsed them and have used them to make furniture. I simply love what we do and it's my life goal to continue to share my passion for snow and teaching with others.

Recently, I read an article in 32 Degrees which really opened my eyes. According to the NSAA, only 17% of people who take a beginner lesson and/or try skiing or snowboarding for the first time actually return to continue skiing and riding or book more lessons. I found this number shockingly low. In addition to pursuing higher levels of certification, it was then that I decided I wanted to become more involved and give back to the industry that I love.

Currently, I am training within the IT program to become an Examiner/Clinician in our division and recently I obtained my AASI Snowboard Level 1 certification. Also, I am a Supervisor within the Snowsport's School and a member of the training staff on my home hill. I'd love to continue to develop personally and professionally through this opportunity to serve while learning how to better create lifelong adventures through education for myself, my peers, our organizations' members, and the future of our industry.

Thank you for taking the time to consider me for this position.

Respectfully,

Joshua La Forest
PSIA Alpine Level III
Children's Specialist Level II
AASI Snowboard Level I

Ben Brosseau

Hi fellow NRM members!

My name is Ben Brosseau and I am pursuing a 2nd term on the board of directors for our division of PSIA-AASI. Your vote for my re-election is greatly appreciated. Just as important, your participation in our election process is greatly appreciated and fundamental to our progress.

I have served 3 years as a board member. My goal to join our board was to gain a broader view of our organization and help shape the future of it. As a board member, I have been trained in our governance process, contributed on our committees, welcomed new board members and served as Secretary of the board. I hope to continue that journey and keep developing as an active board member.

I am an 18 year member of PSIA-AASI Northern Rocky Mountain division. Most of my snowsports education career has been spent at Big Sky Resort where I am a Level 3 alpine instructor, staff trainer, in addition to working as an examiner for our NRM education team. Prior to Big Sky, I was the general manager of my home ski area, the Bottineau Winter Park in North Dakota. There, I performed and supervised all of the mountain operation duties while keeping connected with employees and guests on a daily basis.

My time in the snowsports industry has led me to roles in education, operations and governance. I have learned first-hand the importance and needs of our ski areas and our snowsports schools, both large and small. Most importantly, I will continue working with our dedicated board of directors to serve, connect and meet the needs of our members.

Thank you for your consideration!

Ben Brosseau

Bob Morcom

I am submitting my statement of interest to be considered for one of the PSIA-AASI NRM board seats that will become vacant the spring of 2022.

I greatly appreciated the recent opportunity to serve our division over the past two years by filling out Shelby Rogala's BOD term when she became PSIA-NRM's national representative. Having served in the NRM division in various positions for over 46 years has given me a unique view of the many changes that have occurred. That coupled with completing my current term on the board, I feel I can continue to add perspective to help with continued development of the strategic direction of NRM.

As with any organization we need to keep flexible to react to the changing conditions in our industry. I am excited that we have many outstanding individuals in the Division that we need to continue to provide opportunities for them to serve. I feel my background serving on the Board of Directors and in management positions of other organizations and companies can add insight to help create these opportunities. I believe in servant leadership that listens to individuals and issues to develop a collaborative direction upon which to proceed.

The division has done an outstanding job in adopting the governance policy framework. This enables the Board of Directors to set the strategic direction for the organization and empowers the chairs of the various disciplines, staff, committees, and management positions to do their jobs to the best of their abilities to implement the strategic plan. This is a dynamic relationship, which requires all parties to be accountable and continually identify issues/constraints that need to be resolved to allow individuals to work effectively and the organization to succeed.

The NRM division has a unique footprint with major destination ski areas and smaller ski areas located great distances apart. This creates unique challenges and opportunities to implement changes and provide opportunities for all members. I am excited for the opportunity to help address these challenges.

Sincerely,
Bob Morcom
PSIA -AASI NRM - Member since 1976; Lifetime Membership Award-2017; BOD since 2020; Alpine and Senior Education Teams; Level III Alpine; Level 1 Snowboard; Senior Specialist; Children's Specialist 2; Terry Peak Ski Area- Trainer/Instructor- Since 1972