PSIA-AASI Eastern ABOUT US
Click to learn more about the teams that are leading us, and the staff that support our mission every day.
- Board of Directors
Kathleen Brennan
PSIA-AASI Eastern CEO PSIA-AASI Eastern OfficeAbout Me
In October 2021 I stepped into my dream job as CEO of PSIA-AASI Eastern Region. The culmination of a life-long passion for snowsports, an early career in financial services and consulting, and a later career in seasonal business, this job was tailormade for me, and I’m loving every minute of it. I hope to connect with you as I travel around to understand how we may better serve our membership.
Notes
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | Blandford Ski Area |
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What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | Ski Instructor |
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career? | People skills developed as a snowsports instructor are vital to success no matter where your career takes you. |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Golf, cycling, and gardening. |
What would be your personal motto? | If a task is once begun never leave it ’til it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all. |
Katie Brinton
Alpine Examiner Eastern Board Vice ChairAbout Me
Katie is an alpine examiner and at-large member of the PSIA-AASI-East board of directors based in southern Vermont.
Notes
What is an interesting fact about you? | I’m a proud theatre geek. My undergraduate degree is in Joint Honours Drama and English, and I once played Hamlet in a production of Hamlet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. |
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What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | I’m an editor at Ski Area Management magazine and its sister publication, Adventure Park Insider. In the winter, I am also a staff trainer and instructor at Okemo Mountain. |
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | Okemo—so things have come rather full circle from that first day on the Ski-Wee slope. |
What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | Like many before me, I started as a children’s instructor (ages 3-6). Those first seasons involved a lot of hard work and hot cocoa, but there is nothing like ripping glades with a pack of 5 year olds. |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Reading, mountain biking, dog walking, hiking, swimming, water skiing, writing, crosswords, Jeopardy. |
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | Veterinarian, actress, astronaut, singer, zoo keeper. I ran the gamut of childhood aspirations. |
Landon Figg
Eastern Board MemberNotes
What is an interesting fact about you? | I’ve been swimming in the Gulf of Finland – a very, very brief swim! |
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | I’m a health coach with jecoaching.com where we help women learn to live happy, lean and free over 40. I also have a landscape design company. |
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | The Homestead Resort in Virginia under the famous Austrian Sepp Kober. |
What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | Teaching kiddos on the rope tow! Went through a lot of gloves! |
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Telluride! It’s on my license plate 🙂 |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Camping with my family in new places, traveling, creating healthy recipes from old family favorites |
What would be your personal motto? | Just keep going! |
Peter Howard
Alpine Examiner Eastern Board ChairAlpine Steering CommitteeAbout Me
There is always someone better at it ( what ever it is) than you. To be included in this is a fortunate privilege that only a tiny slice of humanity gets to experience. I hope helping people ski better contributes to their enjoyment of life.
Notes
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | Musician |
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What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | Ski instructor/snow maker |
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Zermatt |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Ocean sailing on multihulls |
Who is someone you admire, and why? | Winston Churchill |
Brandon Pearce
Eastern Board MemberAbout Me
Trainer and Curriculum Lead Winter4Kids, Vernon NJ
Former Snowsports Director at Winter4Kids 2020- 2023,
I am an Alpine Level 3, I teach Alpine, Snowboard and Cross Country Skiing at our awesome Nordic Facility.
PSIA-AASI Eastern Board of Directors At-Large.
Eastern Nominations Committee
National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) Snowsports School
Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice Committee 2020
Notes
What is an interesting fact about you? | I teach Cross Country Skiing. |
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | Analyst- Healthcare IT |
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | Winter4Kids, NJ (formerly Hidden Valley) |
What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | Ski Instructor |
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career? | One Group Lesson, is really multiple Private Lessons happening at the same time. |
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far? | Climbing Mt Hood to Heather Bowl |
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Snowbird, UT |
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | Say less, and show something they can feel. |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Hike, Swim, Golf |
What would be your personal motto? | Never try and explain yourself, your friends don’t need to hear it, enemies won’t believe you anyway. |
Name three words that describe you. | Tenacious, Non-Stop, Fun |
Who is someone you admire, and why? | My Dad, he was funny and always Center of the Room. |
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? | Dancer |
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year? | ACE |
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years? | Ed Staff |
Shannon Rucker
Eastern Board Secretary NextCore Action CommitteeAbout Me
Shannon is a multi discipline instructor of 14+ years. Hailing from the Mid Atlantic as a part time instructor, Shannon believes the passion of our Organization’s members is the tie that binds. When she’s not sliding or teaching Shannon is up for everything else: traveling, mountain biking, playing rugby, family, shooting, skateboarding, or hiking.
Terry Xie
Alpine Examiner Eastern Board MemberAbout Me
Born in Southern China, Terry first learned to ski at Wachusett Mountain, and still teaches there to this day. As an adult learner, he firmly believes in taking every opportunity to try and experience different things. In the summer, he is pretty laid back, and enjoys playing softball and whitewater kayaking from time to time. Terry’s native name is Xusong Xie (try it if you can) and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English.
Notes
What is an interesting fact about you? | Outside of skiing, I am not really an outdoor person. |
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Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about? | I was an Architect in China. |
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer? | I am the owner of an outdoor store. But we don’t sell skis. |
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports? | One of my friend took me to ski at Wachusett in 2010. Now that I think about it, he was the first one to teach me how to ski! |
What was your first job in the snowsports industry? | I became a Ski instructor at Wachusett Mountain in Fall 2014. |
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career? | There is no failure in snow sports if you learned something from it. |
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride? | Silverton, CO. It is just different. |
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be? | If you are in this industry anyway, you might as well try to get the most out of it. |
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow? | Occasionally I would go whitewater kayaking with friends in the Summer. |
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year? | Do something I have not done before and get the most out of it. |
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years? | Stay healthy and continue to learn something new every year. |