Western Division Welcomes Nicholas Herrin – New Chief Executive Officer

We are pleased to announce that over the weekend, the PSIA-AASI Board of Directors named Nicholas Herrin, a snowsports-industry leader with senior management experience in resort management and snowsports education, to join the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors as our new chief executive officer.

Nick will join PSIA-AASI on July 18, 2016. He is currently based in Gunnison, Colorado and he most recently served as the assistant general manager for Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. Nick also served three terms (2004-16) as a member of the PSIA Alpine Team.

Nick will be the face of PSIA-AASI and one of our key spokespersons, and we’re thrilled to appoint him to this role. His 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.

Nick 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, Nick has 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, Nick, as mentioned, has 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 his 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.

Nick 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

Please join us in congratulating Nick on his new opportunity! Also, thank you in advance for supporting him in this important role.