Ambassador Program Year Two: Building Community, One Connection at a Time

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As PSIA-AASI Western Region wraps up the second year of our Ambassador Program, we are celebrating the ways our volunteers are bringing our mission and member-focused policies to life on the ground.  Designed to strengthen connections between new and existing members, support member schools, and elevate the overall member experience, the program is quickly becoming a cornerstone of how we welcome and engage snowsports professionals across the West.

Launched to help bridge the gap between policy and practice, the Ambassador Program’s goals are simple but powerful:

  • Create a warm, personal welcome for new members joining PSIA-AASI Western.
  • Support our member schools by connecting instructors with education, certification, and leadership pathways.
  • Foster a culture of service and volunteerism that reflects Western’s values and Code of Conduct.
  • Build stronger peer-to-peer networks so members feel informed, supported, and inspired to stay involved.

YEAR TWO BY THE NUMBERS

In just its second season, the Ambassador Program has grown into a highly effective member outreach and leadership pipeline:

  • 52 highly engaged ambassadors representing 23 Western member schools across the region.
  • 500 hours of collective volunteer service supporting new members and peer instructors.
  • Nearly 100 new members recruited and onboarded into PSIA-AASI Western through ambassador outreach.

Behind each of these numbers is an instructor taking time outside of their paid role to answer questions, share their own certification journeys, point peers to the right events, and help new members feel at home in our community. That spirit of volunteerism aligns directly with PSIA-AASI Western’s reliance on member volunteers to deliver a high-quality experience for the entire membership.

CENTERING MEMBER VOICES

The heart of the Ambassador Program is the personal experience of each ambassador and the members they serve. In this article, we are featuring reflections from ambassadors sharing why they stepped into this role, what they are learning about leadership, and how they see the program impacting their schools and our broader Western community.

“I am April Rivera and I am a PSIA-AASI Ambassador for Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. This is my second year in this role and I love it. It has given me a role in helping other instructors at my resort with any questions about PSIA-AASI. I like knowing I am helping other people move forward in their journey of certifications and even just furthering their education in the ski industry. Thanks for the opportunity!”

“The Sky Tavern Ambassadors wanted to send an end of season update. We both feel that it was an honor to serve as ambassadors on behalf of Sky Tavern, and we hope we have helped create more connective tissue between our respective organizations this year.  Cheers to a solid 25-26 season, and we are looking forward to an even better 26-27 season.”

Bill Johnston AASI Level 1 Snowboard Instructor | PSIA-AASI Western Ambassador, Sky Tavern

Ali Thomas PSIA Level 1 Ski Instructor | Children’s Specialist 1, PSIA-AASI Western Ambassador, Sky Tavern

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve my colleagues at Dodge Ridge and PSIA as an ambassador. Despite having a short season, I feel like I had an impact with my fellow instructors, especially those who were teaching for the first time.”

Laurie Corson, Dodge Ridge Winter Resort

“I want to say, I’ve enjoyed my first year as a PSIA-W Ambassador for Heavenly Mountain Resort. I’ve had the privilege to work with many of our new instructors here at Heavenly, see them become PSIA members and then mentor them through our training process to become certified Level One instructors. It’s been rewarding! I’m looking forward to next season.” – Pat Medau

“This was my first year as a PSIA-AASI W Ambassador and I really enjoyed the experience. It gave me an excuse to reach all the new hire students I have trained over the last 5 or 6 years, rather than bumping into at lineup. They were all very appreciative of the contact and very receptive and thankful for the I was passing onto them about PSIA AASI. Quite a few of them became new members and went through the certification process to get their L1 certifications. They were grateful for all the information and help I was able to give them about the certification process and what to do in order to pass. I also had quite a few conversations with more seasoned instructors about PSIA-AASI, and I believe I was able provide valuable information and make a positive impact on their opinion about PSIA-AASI.”
Best Regards,
John D’Aintree, Heavenly

“It has been truly an honor to serve as Ambassador to Access Mammoth – Mammoth Mountain’s Adaptive Ski School! I have had the opportunity to meet as a group and one-on-one with many of our instructors. I believe that I have been enriched by the experience, and I believe that the instructors have been grateful to have a forum to ask questions.” – Brant Reed

Their stories highlight a common theme: when members feel seen, supported, and connected early in their journey, they are more likely to continue their education, pursue certification, and contribute back as leaders, trainers, and volunteers.

LOOKING AHEAD: LEARNING FROM SUCCESS

The Ownership Linkage Committee (OLC) is now looking closely at the success of the Ambassador Program and our broader new member outreach efforts as we head into summer strategic planning.  The question is not just “How do we keep this going?” but “What can we learn from this model to inform Western’s next chapter?”

Over the coming months, the OLC will be:

  • Reviewing year-two ambassador data and feedback from ambassadors, new members, and member schools.
  • Identifying practices that could scale to other volunteer roles, task forces, and leadership pathways.
  • Exploring how ambassador-led outreach can further support equity, inclusion, and access to education and certification across the region.

By listening to our ambassadors and the members they serve, PSIA-AASI Western aims to ensure that future strategic initiatives stay grounded in real on-snow experience and the needs of our member community.  Stay tuned for updates later this summer as the OLC shares key takeaways and next steps from this work.