Set up time and location for the invited exhibiting sponsors of the 2024 VSAA Annual Meeting.
Registration at the Jay Peak Golf Course Pro-Shop is from 12:00pm - 12:50pm. The golf tournament will be a 9-hole scramble format starting at 1:00 pm, shotgun start at the Jay Peak Golf Course. Parking will be available at the course.
RSVP (in your registration email) is required to participate.
Meeting - Guest Speakersinclude: Mike Pieciak, VT State Treasurer; Heather Pelham, Commissioner, VT Department of Tourism and Marketing; Kelly Pawlak, President, National Ski Areas Association; and Chauncy Johnson, Founder and Executive Director of the Snow Angel Foundation.
Sponsor Break.
Concurrent Break-out Sessions (details below).
Lunch, Awards and Keynote Speakers: Kevin Chu, Executive Director of the Vermont Futures Project and Tino Rutanhira, Co-Founder of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network will deliver the keynote and a conversation: Who is Vermont For?
Navigating the AI Landscape: Insights, Tools & Tactics for Ski Areas - Bring Your Laptop!
Geared for Marketing and Communications departments.
Reminder to bring your laptop with ChatGPT already logged in and setup. If you would like to follow along fully with Mike, please upgrade to the $20 version.
Bring your laptop and unlock the potential of AI with "Navigating the AI Landscape: Insights, Tools & Tactics for Ski Areas," led by Mike Lannen, founder of Eternity. This session is designed to demystify AI showcasing multiple practical AI tools for enhancing business operations, customer service, marketing, and content creation.
Attendees will experience an engaging workshop filled with live demos, understand the critical aspects of security and privacy, and learn how AI can be integrated into all departments of your Ski Area. Leave equipped with actionable strategies to drive efficiency and innovation.
Mike Lannen is the Founder of Eternity, a website, digital marketing and AI firm in Burlington, Vermont. As an Eagle Scout, Mike is wholeheartedly committed to making the web a more user-friendly space. He takes pride in building close relationships with all of his clients while keeping a watchful eye on team culture and employee satisfaction. In his downtime, Mike cherishes moments spent with his loving wife and indulging in LEGO-building adventures with his two daughters. Additionally, Mike is deeply passionate about the world of smart homes and the ever-evolving realm of artificial intelligence.
Combatting Diseases of Despair
Geared for Safety and HR departments. Led by Reid Wobby.
The impacts of mental health issues, overdose, and suicide are increasing in our society. This session looks at the national and Vermont statistics, recognizing and responding to a person in crisis, reducing stigma in the workplace and resources to support workplace safety, job performance and worker retention.
Reid Wobby
Certified Instructor, Catamount Consulting
Reid Wobby has over 15 years of combined experience in the US Army, Cannabis, Construction, Mining, and General Industries. He specializes in federal workplace guidelines regarding alcohol, cannabis and drug related issues, workplace safety and compliance, and employee wellness with a focus on suicide prevention and overdose prevention. He has extensive knowledge in safety management within the OSHA, MSHA, and DOT realms. He has worked with multiple local and regional companies, providing on-site and administrative consultation to ensure their workforce is safe and their policies are compliant.
Over the last 2 years, Reid has focused on combatting the Diseases of Despair in the Vermont Construction Industry. During that time, he founded a partnership between VTHC, the Associated General Contractors of Vermont, and the Vermont Naloxone Distribution Program (part of the Vermont Department of Health), called the Employee Wellness Partnership. This cooperative effort focuses on reducing the high rate of suicide and overdose in the construction industry by providing training and resources to help reduce stigma within this community. Since the founding of the partnership, he has overseen the distribution of more than 12,000 doses of Narcan across the state, and more than 30 training courses on recognizing the Diseases of Despair, overdose prevention and suicide prevention.
Decarbonization with Waste Heat Recapture and Geothermal Systems
Geared for Planners, General and Sustainability Managers.
Ski areas have done significant work to enhance operational efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions, but we can do much more to significantly decarbonize ski area buildings and operations. This session will look at the benefits and economics of geothermal solutions, including water and ground source heat pumps -- demonstrated technologies that can capture and move thermal energy onsite from snowmaking ponds, building ventilation and wastewater systems to significantly reduce both heating costs and the resulting carbon emissions.
Will serves as Director of Utility Marketing for WaterFurnace International, a global leader in ground source heat pump technology. His efforts to assist utilities with monetizing the benefits of renewable thermal energy through peak load savings, efficiency programs, and improved load factor have driven numerous incentive programs across North America. Will is also partnering with utilities to advance 3rd party ownership of ground heat exchangers and provide access to renewable heating for all. Will is a graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy with several tours of active duty and over 25 years of advanced product design, development, and marketing in the heating and cooling sector.
Are you a Vermonter? Who gets to decide? People often point at policies or programs to try to explain why things are the way they are. However, what gets written or implemented is just a reflection of the underlying attitudes and beliefs of the people at the table. It's time to invite more people to the table to ask some different questions. In this session, you'll be presented with both qualitative and quantitative data to set up deeper discussions with your peers about the key question: Who is Vermont for?
Kevin Chu, Vermont Futures Project Kevin grew up in Vermont and is looking forward to growing old here, too. He is the son of immigrants and spent most of his early years living and learning in Burlington. Kevin is a graduate of Middlebury College where he studied the environment and education while also competing in track and field. Prior to joining his current employer, Kevin worked at the University of Vermont where he led efforts in recruiting for diversity, academic advising, communications, community engagement and economic development, and strategic planning. He is now the executive director of the Vermont Futures Project, a nonpartisan organization that is working to answer the mission question: How can we use data to support the evolution of Vermont's economy toward a thriving future with opportunity for all?
Tino Rutanhira, Vermont Professionals of Color Network An entrepreneur and creator at heart, over the last five years Tino has produced and hosted his own podcast called "On the Shoulders of Giants"; co-founded, owned, and operated Best In VT Tours and Charter; acted in a play at the Flynn Theatre titled "The Call"; and performed standup comedy at the Vermont Comedy Club. In 2019, he co-founded the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. When not working or creating, Tino enjoys listening to music or podcasts, and watching or playing competitive sports. He loves to play and watch football (soccer), and most Saturdays he can be seen in his beloved Liverpool FC jersey yelling at the TV! Most importantly, Tino is a single parent of the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing 18-year-old daughter. Parenting is by far his biggest source of pride and joy.
Open to representatives from member cross country ski areas. Roundtable discussion will cover:
