At the recent online CWSAA AGM, the organisation conveyed its deep appreciation to those that have served and recently left the Board, and to those returning or who have just joined the Board.

Doug MacFarlane of Whistler Blackcomb served the Board over 2 terms.  His vast expertise and perspectives were consistently thoughtful and full of wisdom.  Past Chair Andre Quenneville served as Chair and past Chair through the last four years and now leaves the Board.  His leadership was critical to industry response and the continued operation of the ski sector through the pandemic.  The same can be said of Fernie's Andy Cohen, now past Chair.  CWSAA governance retains the knowledge of the Chair through an immediate past Chair non-voting position on the Board.

CWSAA is guided by member priorities, an approved strategic plan, and a Board of Directors now Chaired for the next two years by Jason Paterson from Marmot Basin in Jasper AB.  Jason, like former Chair Steve Paccagnan, is a graduate of the SROAM program at Selkirk College.  Jason has worked at small community ski areas as well as international destinations such as Marmot.

Kim Jones, Katherine Seleski, Dorothy Gould and Eddie Wood - CWSAA Directors

Alberta-Saskatchewan-Manitoba and BC Yukon Division Chair roles are now served by Kim Locke of The Lake Louise Ski Resort and Eddie Wood of Mt Seymour respectively.  Both bring extraordinary skills and lifelong industry experience to the Association.

The balance of  Directors such as Winsport’s Kim Jones and Pass PowderKeg’s Katherine Seleski, represent a diverse cross section of industry knowledge.  Each serves various CWSAA functions and offers wide perspective.  In addition to the returning Directors, two new Directors were elected at the AGM.

Geoff Buchheister

Geoff Buchheister is the COO for Whistler Blackcomb and brings with him a wealth of deep industry knowledge and insight from across the continent. Johnathan Clarkson of Nitehawk serves as the Director at Large.  He has been pivotal in numerous industry initiatives such as CWSAA Alberta Marketing and small areas assistance fundraising. Most recently Johnathan has demonstrated exceptional leadership by implementing creative solutions to overcome the loss of a lift due to slope movement.

Johnathan Clarkson

All CWSAA Directors and many industry committee members contribute significant volunteer hours beyond their own business responsibilities to advance the greater industry.  It is a strength of CWSAA that it is lead by such an experienced and committed group.  To those that have served or are serving the Board, committees, or initiatives, the CWSAA extends its heart felt thank you.

See more on the CWSAA Board of Director's HERE.

In closing, it is worth sharing a comment on the timing of the AGM as it was moved to a digital format through the pandemic.  The separation of the AGM from the annual conference created helpful benefits for the Association.

1. 1. Of most importance is the time between the Association’s financial year end of March 31 and the conference in the 3^rd week of April. This short time does not provide the external accounting firm sufficient time to conduct the financial audit of the Association.
   2. The regular AGM business is routine in nature and can be conducted efficiently in an online format.
   3. The communication and reporting of Association activity has been exponentially increased by online sessions throughout the year, as well as through the many written communications and the in-person sessions at the spring conference.
   4. Scheduling the AGM outside of conference has substantial positive impact for Board members and staff charged with many detailed responsibilities to execute the annual Spring Conference.

The shift to a digital AGM was advanced by the pandemic, and revealed many advantages.  As always, CWSAA directives are driven by the membership.  If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to contact CWSAA.

Cheers

– Christopher Nicolson