Nicholas Herrin, a snowsports-industry leader with senior management experience in resort management and snowsports education, will join the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) as its new chief executive officer on July 18, 2016. Currently based in Gunnison, Colorado, Herrin most recently served as the assistant general manager for Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. He also served three terms (2004-16) as a member of the PSIA Alpine Team.
“The CEO is the face of PSIA-AASI and one of its key spokespersons, and we’re thrilled to appoint Nick to this role,” said Ed Younglove, chairman of the PSIA-AASI Board of Directors. “Nick’s business acumen, gained by serving in multiple executive leadership roles within the resort industry, means he understands the operations side of the snowsports industry marketplace. He has all the right skills and leadership qualities required to take our association to the next level. Plus, his qualifications as a former team member means he knows PSIA-AASI’s membership and can work collaboratively with PSIA-AASI’s board of directors, divisional leadership, committee members, industry leaders, suppliers, and other organizations in the snowsports industry.”
“I began teaching at age 14 and caught the ‘ski industry bug’ at Snoqualmie in Washington,” said Herrin. “Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to the profession and I look forward to serving PSIA-AASI’s 32,000 members, providing strategic leadership, spearheading efforts to support the board of directors, membership, and creating non-dues revenue streams.”
Herrin began his career in the industry in 1994, instructing at Ski Acres Ski Area (now Summit East) in John Mohan’s Ski School in Snoqualmie, Washington. He attended Montana State University (MSU) and received a degree in history and a secondary teaching endorsement. While at MSU – and after graduation – he had the opportunity to instruct at Big Sky Resort, run the ski school training program, and work in the sales and marketing departments. In 2006, he began managing and leading educational departments as the assistant director at the Telluride Ski and Snowboard School in Colorado. Most recently, Herrin served seven years in executive management positions at Crested Butte, including working as the director of resort services and the ski and ride school in addition to his most current role.
In addition to his resort management background, Herrin, as mentioned, served three terms as a PSIA-AASI Team member for the alpine discipline. The PSIA-AASI Team is formed every four years following a rigorous selection process that enables PSIA-AASI to select the nation’s best instructors to help support the association’s education outreach and represent the association at the highest level. Serving as further testament to Herrin’s technical skill as an alpine skier, he has earned several top-three finishes in National and World Powder 8 Championships, including a second-place result in the national competition this year.
Herrin replaces longtime PSIA-AASI CEO Mark Dorsey, who stepped down August 2015. At that time, the PSIA-AASI Board of Directors chose PSIA-AASI Chief Financial Officer Tom Spiess to serve as interim CEO and approved a multi-phased approach for conducting a CEO candidate search. The PSIA-AASI Search Committee, appointed by the board of directors, researched options for conducting CEO searches for large member-based, non-profit associations and presented the recommended plan and an associated timeline to the PSIA-AASI Board for approval.
The Committee also recommended select steps to be facilitated and executed by professionals with specific expertise in nonprofit association executive searches. The search firm of Sterling Martin assisted in the PSIA-AASI CEO search process. The PSIA-AASI Search Committee was comprised of:
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. PSIA-AASI supports its membership through research and development of instructional programs in alpine and nordic skiing, snowboarding, adaptive skiing and riding, and children’s skiing and riding. Learn more at TheSnowPros.org or via PSIA-AASI’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
“I began teaching at age 14 and caught the ‘ski industry bug’ at Snoqualmie in Washington,” said Herrin. “Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to the profession and I look forward to serving PSIA-AASI’s 32,000 members, providing strategic leadership, spearheading efforts to support the board of directors, membership, and creating non-dues revenue streams.”
Herrin began his career in the industry in 1994, instructing at Ski Acres Ski Area (now Summit East) in John Mohan’s Ski School in Snoqualmie, Washington. He attended Montana State University (MSU) and received a degree in history and a secondary teaching endorsement. While at MSU – and after graduation – he had the opportunity to instruct at Big Sky Resort, run the ski school training program, and work in the sales and marketing departments. In 2006, he began managing and leading educational departments as the assistant director at the Telluride Ski and Snowboard School in Colorado. Most recently, Herrin served seven years in executive management positions at Crested Butte, including working as the director of resort services and the ski and ride school in addition to his most current role.
In addition to his resort management background, Herrin, as mentioned, served three terms as a PSIA-AASI Team member for the alpine discipline. The PSIA-AASI Team is formed every four years following a rigorous selection process that enables PSIA-AASI to select the nation’s best instructors to help support the association’s education outreach and represent the association at the highest level. Serving as further testament to Herrin’s technical skill as an alpine skier, he has earned several top-three finishes in National and World Powder 8 Championships, including a second-place result in the national competition this year.
Herrin replaces longtime PSIA-AASI CEO Mark Dorsey, who stepped down August 2015. At that time, the PSIA-AASI Board of Directors chose PSIA-AASI Chief Financial Officer Tom Spiess to serve as interim CEO and approved a multi-phased approach for conducting a CEO candidate search. The PSIA-AASI Search Committee, appointed by the board of directors, researched options for conducting CEO searches for large member-based, non-profit associations and presented the recommended plan and an associated timeline to the PSIA-AASI Board for approval.
The Committee also recommended select steps to be facilitated and executed by professionals with specific expertise in nonprofit association executive searches. The search firm of Sterling Martin assisted in the PSIA-AASI CEO search process. The PSIA-AASI Search Committee was comprised of:
- Committee Chair; PSIA-AASI Secretary and Western Division Board Member Neil Bussiere
- Current Eastern Division President Eric Jordan
- Past PSIA-AASI Chairman Eric Sheckleton
- Northwest Division Board Member John May
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. PSIA-AASI supports its membership through research and development of instructional programs in alpine and nordic skiing, snowboarding, adaptive skiing and riding, and children’s skiing and riding. Learn more at TheSnowPros.org or via PSIA-AASI’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
