Presenters (White) PNWD Leadership (Blue) Convention Leads (Purple)
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Trux Dole - Keynote Speaker10th mountain Foundation Chairman Ex Officio & grandson of "Minnie Dole" Trux has been working with the 10th Mountain Foundation since the mid-90’s to support the broader 10th Mountain family and to promote the 10th’s wartime and post-war legacy. Having successfully restructured the foundation to have a more programmatic focus, and established a working relationship with 10th Mountain Division leadership he currently leads the foundation’s Outdoor Industry team and is focused on building mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with organizations and companies in the skiing, climbing and outdoor sector to support 10th Mountain soldiers and their families and promote the common love of the mountains and outdoors. In his day to day work, Trux is a results-focused product innovator with deep expertise in developing digital healthcare transparency and fintech solutions. His passion for improving the healthcare experience stems from managing his son’s six-year cancer battle across five health systems and four health plans. In addition to 10 years of leading teams and delivering award winning digital health solutions, he brings to bear an MBA, 12 years of product and channel marketing across both B2B and B2C segments and seven years of international disaster relief project management. https://www.linkedin.com/in/trux-dole-b9b7a/ |
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Kathy AlexanderPNWD Instructor Development Advisor
Santiam Pass Ski Patrol I have been an NSP member since 1986 parolling at Mt. Bachelor until 2010. I am currently an Alpine Patroller at Santiam Pass Ski Patrol. I have served in several positions in the Oregon Region (OEC, Avalanche & Instructor Development advisors) and in the PNWD (OEC and ID advisors). National #7907, I participate in monthly ID National Committee meetings to get updates on LMS and Instructor recertification process, as well as working on updating ID education programs. A retired Paramedic and lifeguard/swim instructor, I enjoy RVing weekends during the winter for patrolling and the summer for teaching OEC at Hoodoo Ski Area. My RV is large enough for my twin sister who I care for and my 2 very active 7-year old Alaskan Malamutes. [email protected] |
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Susan BakerPNWD Co-Awards Advisor 49 Degrees North Ski Patrol NA 7780-- I am one of two Division Awards CoAdvisors (+ Pam Carson) who jumped into the empty position in February. I have always been an eager instructor and mentor, and began helping recognize fellow patrollers as Inland Empire Region Awards Advisor from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2019 to 2023. I have learned a LOT since starting this new position, particularly during the monthly National Awards Committee meetings. Attend Pam’s and Sue’s break out session to find out how to make awards nominations easier and more fun! There will be resources to take home, and treats… Please plan to attend the Saturday Night Awards Dinner. There will be more than a few nice surprises and awards for impressive patroller service and performance; guaranteed to be inspiring! In the rest of my patroller life, I continue to instruct OEC, OET and ID, have held a variety of leadership positions, and am an active alpine patroller on alpine and tele gear. I began patrolling in 1979 at Marshall Mountain in Missoula and have been at 49 Degrees North since 1992. I also enjoy bike patrolling on the Hiawatha and am fortunate to be married to another patroller (Danial) who is just as active as I am. |
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Andy BechdoltOregon Region Director
Willamette Pass Ski Patrol Andy Bechdolt is entering his 21th season as a volunteer patroller. He is a senior, OET Instructor, OET IT, OEC Instructor, OEC IT. Andy spends his time patrolling at Willamette Pass in Oregon. He was selected as an assistant Hill Chief in his rookie year. He spent time in that role for 2 years. He was a Hill Chief for 4 years, Assistant Patrol Director for 4 years, Patrol Director for 4 years, Assistant Oregon Region Director for 4 years and is currently in his second term as the Oregon Region Director. In his day job, Andy is the Instructor Development Coordinator for the State Police Academy in Oregon. He instructs on adult learning theory, mentors new instructors and provides regular feedback to all of the training staff. He is also a senior instructor in firearms, emergency vehicle operations, reality based training, building searches and vehicle stops. Andy is also an instructor in advanced courses such as leadership, instructor development courses and staff in service training. Andy also runs a part time professional photography business and is a full time adventure seeker. In his spare time he kiteboards, backpacks, rides mountain and road bikes and of course skis. |
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Marianne BeckerPNWD OEC Advisor
Lookout Pass Ski Patrol Hello, my name is Marianne Becker. I have been with NSP since 2009. I am a Senior Patroller and currently Patrol at Lookout Pass Ski Patrol. I am an OEC Instructor, OEC IT, ID, ID IT and CPR instructor. I secondary patrol on the Hiawatha Bike Patrol. I have been the Region OEC Advisor in the Inland Region and last fall have become the Division OEC Supervisor. I have gone to all of the Regions in the PNWD for OECMSP this spring. It has been great to go to the different regions, meet people and see how their Senior program is run and how their candidates are prepared. I am seeing a lot of great things and also some areas of improvement. I have enjoyed being part of the patrol as I have met some wonderful people along the way. I enjoy training candidates for OEC and OEC MSP. In my regular job, I am a Team Leader in a very busy Radiology Business in Spokane WA. I have been a Radiologic technologist for over 40 years. It has been a great career for me as there is technology along with patient care. When I started in my career, CT and MRI were just getting started. Also, when I started my career, x-ray images were run through a processor and now it is all digital. So I have seen a lot of advancement and changes in the Radiology field, but also very interesting and fun. I have also worked in Interventional Radiology and Cardiology. Again, two great career builders and a lot of learning experience for me. When I have spare time I enjoy, hiking, biking, quilting, reading, fishing, trap shooting, playing with my dog Sadie and of course hanging out with my husband Dan. [email protected] |
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Eric Brittingham 2024 Convention Chair2024 Convention Chair
Bachelor Ski Patrol - Patrol Director Oregon Assist Region Director Joined MBNSP in 2010. Have served as Alpine Rep, Assistant PD, PD now for 5 years, OET Advisor, OET IT, OET and OEC instructor. I continue to be PD for one more year and also have served as assistant Region Director for the last 2 years Married for nearly 30 years to my wife Terri, 3 girls in their 30s, 1 granddaughter and 3 dogs. Lived in Central Orgon since 1999. Retired telecommunications business owner. Avid SCUBA diver and NAUI instructor. ebrittingham@mtbachelornsp.org |
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Joseph CalbreathWillamette Backcountry Ski Patrol - Training Director
Joseph joined the National Ski Patrol in January of 1991 and has been with the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol. He is a MTR - Instructor & IT as well as a Nordic/Backcountry - Instructor & IT. Received his National Appointment - #10096 In 2019, Joseph became an alumni, however still very active. Reach out to him for more information about the GPS Brewpub fun Walk/Ride. [email protected] |
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Kacy CarlsonPNWD Certified Program Advisor
Mount Ashland Ski Patrol I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in Juneau, Alaska. It was my father’s love of skiing that first brought me to the snowy slopes of Juneau, Alaska’s local ski area, Eaglecrest. It was on these steep and rugged slopes that I found my first and longest love - skiing. As a youth, I tested my skiing ability on the groomers, steeps, parks, and backcountry. It was perhaps my third or so time interacting with the patrol director and the general manager, regarding yet another skiing infraction that I was offered the chance to change my renegade ways and work with the patrol for a few days during the month to earn back my coveted seasons pass. Quickly into my patrol restitution service, I realized I was skiing past the long lines on powder days as I schlepped heavy bundles of bamboo to various parts of the mountain under the watchful guidance of my new patrol mentor. I quickly fell in love with the roles and responsibilities of being a ski patroller and soon after I was starting my formal training as a ski patroller and I have never looked back since. After graduating high school, I attended Southern Oregon University (SOU) to study geology. After several years at SOU, I transferred to the University of Oregon (U of O) where I finished my baccalaureate degree in geology. While in college, I was fortunate to have superb mentors who helped me to become a published student scientist. After graduation, I felt a calling to continue my education but in a different direction - education. I attended graduate school for education and earned a master's degree and teaching credential in integrated science. I have the privilege of serving as the Criteria Coordinator on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Patrollers (APP) as well as serving our division as the Certified program supervisor. In these many professional settings, I turn to the collective wisdom and experience of many to continue to move our profession forward. Thank you to all of whom who serve as my mentor and offer me sound guidance on my endeavors. I look forward to using my experience and skills as we develop our division's Certified program and our profession. |
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Pam CarsonPNWD Co-Awards Advisor
Bogus Basin Ski Patrol For many years in early spring, I would always see a ski patrol recruiting booth at my local hill and say to myself I could do that, but I never did. One day though, at a time when most of my family were giving up skiing, and with a not so gentle push from my husband, I summoned the courage to go talk to them, thinking if I was lucky enough to get picked, I would do it for a couple of years, maybe. 16 years later I’m still very much patrolling at Bogus Basin in Boise as a volunteer ski patroller. I’m an OEC, CPR and ID instructor and have dabbled with but not finished OET instructor training. I have served my patrol as Assistant Patrol leader, secretary, assistant historian, and now as member at large. I’ve been the Awards chair for the past four years, Senior coordinator for Southern Idaho Region since 2019, and I was the co-chair of the PNWD convention held in Boise in 2021. I’m a part of the PNWD Women’s team, representing SIR and in February of this year, I signed on to be Awards Co-Chair for the PNWD alongside Sue Baker. I have been a Registered Nurse for more years than I want to admit, retiring from school nursing just before COVID-19 hit. Whew! I live in Boise with my husband and our two small rescue dogs, Stella and Odi. I have three grown children, and three very tall grandsons! I’m a frequent gym goer, mostly taking functional fitness and yoga classes. I like to read when I can find some spare time, hike, bike and camp. I am thrilled to be here and look forward to meeting and working with all of you! |
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Tom ClarkeMt Hood Nordic Ski Patrol
Joined Ski Patrol in 2019 and currently volunteer with Mt Hood Ski Patrol at Teacup Lake. I am NSP certified Nordic, MTR, Avalanche I, and OEC Instructor. and serve as the lead for Teacup's Team A during the winter months. In addition to ski patrolling, I am an avid long-distance backpacker, mountaineer, and just recently added canyoneering to the outdoor resume. I served in both the U,S, Navy and United States Air Force, where I was a Naval Hospital Corpsman and Military Policeman. |
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Shirley CummingsPNWD Historian & Special Projects
Hyak Ski Patrol National #4852. 58th year patrolling. Joined home patrol Hyak (P008-020) in 1966. Have worked on several national NSP committees, was PNWD Secretary 35 years, Northwest Region Secretary 3 years, Patrol Secretary 1 year. I have been an assistant patrol director for a long time. During those years, I also served in the position of Division Convention Coordinator, Special Projects, and more recently, Historian. I graduated from the University of Washington and have been involved in UW homecoming and reunion committees. For 33 years I was a firefighter/EMT (#4415) with Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (#130015). I began skiing in 1957 and that same year also began my first winter ski job as cashier in the Thunderbird Lodge at the top of Snoqualmie Summit. Often after my work shift, the ski patrol would bring me down the mountain in a toboggan. That began my introduction to ski patrol. Two years later I had a serious accident and was the recipient of more ski patrol services. My big exposure to ski patrol, however, came in 1964 when my husband managed the ski shop for REI at Hyak while we were in college; we skied with the Hyak Patrol, they invited us to their potlucks and to sleep in their building. We were hooked, took the short ARC first aid classes, took the ski test and soon became patrollers. My greatest life interests have been my husband, Gary #4585 (58th year patrolling), my children Kevin and Katie and my grandsons--Connor, Sam, Jack and Sean. We enjoy boating, traveling (grandson #1 lives in Scotland), and we spend a lot of time as seasoned spectators at the many sporting events for all our grandsons as well as cheering at UW football and basketball games. In the future, it looks like my ski patrol and grandson-spectating careers will both probably start to wind down and cease at the same time. I guess I will be doing a lot of knitting. |
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Jeff DoughtyPNWD OET Asst Advisor - Snowboard
White Pass Ski Patrol Jeff patrols at White Pass Ski Resort, where he just finished his 8th season. Known as "Snowboard Jeff", he is the WPSP Avalanche 1 and Snowboard OET instructor. As a physical scientist in his day job, the mechanics of snow science, as well as proper technical skiing/riding are both of immense interest to him. Having completed the requirements for OET Senior this past season, he is also now moving into the role of the Pacific Northwest Division Snowboard Advisor. In this role, it is intended that he improve and formalize the OET training that PNWD snowboard candidates go through to become patrollers. He will also be working toward improving the training and evaluation of snowboard senior candidates wherever possible. Basically, the idea is to give PNWD OET instructors more tools to have for their toolbelt, so that snowboard candidates are not left wondering what they should be doing while the skiers are practicing a drill that may not apply to them. [email protected] |
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Josie EltingPNWD Co-Alumni Advisor
Patrol Advisor Nordic Willamette Backcountry Patrol Josie was born in Spokane Washington and now resides in Eugene Oregon. She has been a member of the National Ski Patrol System for 31 years, joining NSP in 1993 as a Nordic patroller candidate with the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol (WBSP). This began the many years of volunteer service with the USFS and the NSP; first in the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol (WBSP) where she served as Patrol Director, Section Chief, Oregon Region Director, also as Division Registrar for the Pacific Northwest Division (PNWD) and culminated in a two year stint as the National Alumni Coordinator. Josie has served as an Alumni Advisor at every level, in her patrol, region, division and national. She continues as a PNWD representative on the National Alumni Advisory Committee while continuing to have fun as the Patrol Advisor for the Nordic Willamette Backcountry Patrol located in the Willamette National Forest. |
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Joe FerrarroPNWD Outdoor Risk Management Program Advisor
National Ski/Bike Patrol 49 Degrees North and Mt Spokane Ski and Snowboard Areas Retired USAF Commander, 22 years (LtCol). Flight and Ground Safety Officer, Flight Instructor and Evaluator, Quality Assurance Engineer, General Manager, Operation Manager, Maintenance Manager, Risk Manager at Mt Spokane Ski and Granite Point Lake Resorts. 29 years of National Ski Patrol, CPR Instructor, OEC Instructor, Ski Instructor. Coached football, soccer, baseball, cross county, track and field. Absolutely loves living in the Pacific Northwest Inland Empire with a wife of 36 years and two grownup gentleman, that now help manage Mt Spokane. Currently enjoying camping, biking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, swimming, and hang gliding. Will probably ski patrol another 28 years, if I live that long…. |
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Eric GeislerPNWD Nordic / Backcountry Advisor
Payette Lakes Nordic Ski Patrol This is was Eric’s 58th year as a ski patroller. He has patrolled in 4 Divisions of NSP and 2 provinces in Canada. He has been appointed as the Nordic/ Backcountry Program Supervisor three times in the PNW and as Avalanche Program advisor once. Twice, Eric has received the Silver Merit star for runner-up Outstanding National Nordic Patroller of the year. He has his National Appt. He currently resides in McCall, Idaho and is a founding member of the Payette Lakes Nordic Patrol. He recently completed the Nordic Masters Program and was awarded the 18th such certification in the nation. [email protected] |
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Chase HausmanPNWD Bike Patrol Advisor
Mt Spokane Ski Patrol & Silver Mountain Bike Patrol Chase is the PNWD Bike Supervisor and Inland Empire Region Bike Advisor. He’s been a member of NSP and patrolling for 6 years, as an alpine senior patroller with Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol, a bike patroller with Silver Mountain, and formerly patrolled with Hiawatha Trail Bike Patrol. He is also an OEC, OET, ID, Avalanche, and Bike instructor. Professionally, Chase programs roller coasters and other automation systems, safety systems, and operational software tools for theme parks and ski areas. Unprofessionally, he likes to ride bikes down hills, take pictures of cool people and places, and find new places to get lost. He is also a member of the Spokane County Mountain Rescue and Kootenai County Mountain Rescue teams.. [email protected] |
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Jodie JeffersPNWD Safety/Wellness & Patroller Advisor & Web/Social Media Advisor
Santiam Pass Ski Patrol Jodie has been with NSP since 2002, starting with the Mt Hood SP, Wyeast Region and currently with Santiam Pass SP, Oregon Region. She started in EMS as a paramedic in Michigan in 1980 and has been a Critical Care RN since 1990 specializing in Emergency, ICU & Flight Nursing. This helps support her "paw family". Knowing her limitations as an occassional beginner/intermediate skier, she has found other important areas to be very involved with NSP by being active with teaching and all things medical from the onset. Also serving many years at MHSP's First Aid Chief, other leadership positions, & starting their safety programs. Acheived Senior Patroller, National Appt (LCA), MSA, and Purple& Yellow Merit Stars. Her participation with local, region, division and national levels started early in her patrolling years. Her interests and participation included work with OEC & ID, Awards, and more recently with Web/Social Media/History and her many years passionate about promoting SafetyCulture4All & Wellness! National level participation included OEC Refresher Committee Member, Senior Aid Module Revision & National Safety Team Advisor representing PWND. Her latest and ongoing projects include promoting Safety for the public and more recently developed the SafetyCulture4All Workshop Series with the PNWD Safety Team. Expanding with this training, she received multiple training programs on Psychological First Aid with the Responder Alliance and has been with their National Task Force SIG and most recently with NSP Patroller Wellness Task Force. [email protected] |
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Kathy LeePNWD OEC Asst Advisor
Mount Hood Ski Patrol Kathy is a Senior Patroller, LCA #8161, and has been with Mt. Hood Ski Patrol for thirty-nine years. She is an Instructor and Instructor Trainer for OEC, OECMSP, and Instructor Development. She has served in a number of positions in Mt Hood Ski patrol and has been the Wy’east Region’s OEC and Instructor Development Advisor for many years. She also serves as the Division OEC Assistant Supervisor and has held that position for many years. She chaired a committee of Senior Patrollers from PNWD and other Divisions that revised the NSP’s Senior Aid Room Module and held one of the first sessions of the Module when it was released in 2018. She loves to fish, travel, cook, and drink wine! [email protected] |
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Kym Lavell - Convention Committee2024 Co-Convention Chair
Mt Bachelor Ski Patrol Kym serves as the OEC-IOR, OET Instructor, leads the safety program, and initiated the patroller wellness program at Mt. Bachelor. He retired in 2020 following a career in the Medical Imaging field serving in numerous marketing leadership roles. When not on the slopes, Kym enjoys spending time with his wife (Debra), two grown daughters (Haley & Katie), newly acquired son-in-law (Ned), and his beloved four-leggeds, Rosie & Big Fynny. Kym is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle including mountain biking, weightlifting, hiking, water skiing, scuba diving, and an occasional round of golf. [email protected] |
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Dave MillerMt Hood Ski Patrol
Troopiter Founder Dave Miller is in year 18 of his quest for “lifer” status. He is currently a Hill Captain on the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol. By day, he builds custom tech systems for various businesses and is currently working at the convergence of AI and medical records for rural hospitals. Motivated by the shared experience of service, community, camaraderie, and love of the outdoors that patrolling provides, Dave set out to build software to simplify the day-to-day operations of the Mt. Hood patrol. In 2019, Troopiter was launched, enabling the Mt. Hood Patrol to automate shift scheduling, attendance, communications, policy and procedure documentation, CPR, OEC, and OET tracking, along with many other administrative tasks necessary to run the organization. Troopiter is now on the phones and laptops of members of ten patrols across the country and currently holds up-to-date historical records for over 4,000 patrollers. Attend this talk to learn about the system, communicate your administrative chief complaints and distracting injuries to Dave, and determine if transport to a higher level of care with Troopiter is the radio call you want to make after the conference. If another talk conflicts with this one, see Dave at the Troopiter vendor’s table for an assessment. [email protected] |
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Richard MurphyPNWD Web/IT Advisor
Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol Richard, better known as “Murph”, has been on a quest to modernize the Ski Patrol’s relationship with Information Technology. Richard helped various patrols, the NW Region and the Pacific NW Division acquire software making the management of a volunteer organization easier. Richard graduated from the UW’s Foster Business School, with a concentration in Finance, and has been a commercial electrical contractor for 25 years. This is Richard's 11th year with the National Ski Patrol, beginning at Snoqualmie Pass - Summit Central. While at Central, Murph served on the Board of Directors as well as the patrol's bookkeeper. Richard migrated the patrol's finances to Quickbooks online, established a highly automated Docusign processes to handle expense reimbursements and instituted online payments, reducing the reimbursement process from weeks to days. Richard is the Webmaster and IT support for the NW Region and the Pacific NW Division, which includes the Division's main website, the Convention site, and online registration. For the past 3 years Murph has been part of the Crystal Mountain patrol where he has helped the patrol incorporate Microsoft 365 and Teams into patrol operations. |
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Matthew OtonicarAlumni Co-Advisor
I currently live in Kennewick, Washington with my beautiful wife of 43 years, Barbara, and our eldest daughter Brenda. Our youngest daughter lives in Federal Way Washington. I am an NSP Alumni and, until recently, have been an active patroller on five different NSP Patrols. Due primarily to career and family relocations and opportunities, I have been extremely privileged to have patrolled with scores of genuinely great patrollers on both coasts, in all Pacific Northwest States, as well as in The Great Commonwealth of Virginia. My patrols include:
As an NSP member, I have been an OEC Instructor, treasurer, recruiter, and board member. Additionally, and concurrently, I have volunteered for other organizations and agencies including Therapeutic Riding Organization of Tri-cities, the American Red Cross (Instructor and Disaster Response Team), King County SPART team, Tide-Water SAR team, and Lane County Sherriff’s SAR team. |
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Steve PotterPNWD MTR Advisor
Mt Hood Ski Patrol As a member of Mt. Hood Ski Patrol since 2009 I have been active in the Nordic and Associate programs. As a Nordic Patroller I have received the Nordic Patroller of the Year recognition in 2001 and 2014, and Pacific Northwest Division Outstanding Nordic Patroller of the Year for 2020-2021. As an Associate patroller was recognized as the Associate Patroller of the Year in 2015. As a General Patroller I was honored to receive the First Aid Instructor of the Year in 2016. As a Nordic Patroller I have served as the Nordic APC for two seasons in 2016 thru 2017. Following the APC service, I have served on the MHSP Council as Nordic Director for four seasons starting in 2018. In my time as Nordic Director I have strived to coordinate with and follow the leadership of our Council, Region, Division, and the National Ski Patrol utilizing the recourses and guidelines provided for Nordic Training, MTR, and OET. As A Nordic and MTR Instructor and IT I have worked to establish a group of Nordic instructors, added new MTR instructors. Recently I have led in the implementation of a Teacup Lake Nordic specific OET program. In 2021 I was honored with the PNWD Outstanding Nordic Patroller award for 2020-2021 and awarded the NSP Leadership Commendation Appointment No. 8553. I have been active with the Boy Scouts of America for thirty-five years as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, District trainer and committee member. I have served as District Commissioner and District Chairman in two Scout Districts. Within the Scout District and Council organizations I am recognized as a go-to for outdoor travel, camping, and emergency medical training. This involvement led me to Ski Patrol service in 2008. Steve Potter ,MHSP 1630, NSP 236276, NSP LCA 855 |
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Jack RamseyPNWD OET Supervisor
Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol I am the PNW Division OET Supervisor. The last couple seasons I’ve had the good fortune to travel to many of the ski areas in the division and meet some of the finest people in the world. Needless to say I am enjoying this position more than I could have imagined. It is however, a lot of ground to cover. So this season I will be getting help from George White of Mount Spokane. George has been the Inland Empire OET Advisor. Through working with him at several clinics and senior finals it has become quite apparent we have the same vision of the high quality skiing and tobogganing required for the PNWD. We will continue to press that vision forward throughout the Division and perhaps beyond. [email protected] |
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Dave Schweitzer
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Sally SeelyePNWD Woman's Program Supervisor
White Pass Ski Patrol Growing up on Mercer Island in Washington State, Alpental was my ski home. Sunny days or pow days you would find me there rather than in school, whether I had to beg for rides or hitchhike. Oddly enough, my parents were fine with my missing school - so long as it was for skiing. In the mid 80s, pre-OEC and soon as I was old enough, I joined the Alpental Ski Patrol for a few years. Then life happened and skiing fell by the wayside. It took a long while before I finally found my way back, joining the White Pass Ski Patrol just a few years ago. Outside of ski season and when I'm not working selling houses, I can usually be found camping somewhere near water or in the mountains. Preferably both. |
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Hannah Shallice Willamette Pass Ski Patrol
Hannah is as an Alpine Patroller at Willamette Pass and have been for 25 years. She is an outpatient orthopaedic physical therapist and work at the University of Oregon at the Student Health Center. She has 26 years of experience. She graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy NY. Her credentials include: PT, MSPT, OCS, COMT, CFMT, FAAOMPT Physical Therapist, Master's in Physical Therapy, Orthopaedic Certified Specialist, Certified Orthopaedic Manual Therapist, Certified Functional Manual Therapist, Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy |
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Steven StenkampLost Ski Areas
Steve Stenkamp is a lifetime Bend resident retired from a career in education and the Fire Service who has downhill skied for 60 seasons. Steve is an avid wanderer who has hiked into over 225 lakes in Oregon’s wilderness areas. He has numerous outdoor history projects that he works on in addition to Lost Oregon Ski Areas. |
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Matt StrauserPNWD Nordic/BC Assist Advisor
Santiam Pass Ski Patrol He patrols as a Nordic Patroller at Santiam Pass, Hoodoo, OR Region. " It is a pleasure to assist Eric Geisler as assistant PNWD N/BC advisor." He has been a Nordic/BC and MTR instructor for many years. He received the National Outstanding Nordic Patroller with PNWD and was the National Nordic Patroller of the year for 2020. He enjoys snow camping, navigation, mountaineering, and family. [email protected] |
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Nancy Unruh & Sarah McKrolaWillamette Backcountry Ski Patrol
Nancy Unruh grew up on the plains of North Dakota but discovered a love for mountains when she was 18 years old. She worked in Rocky Mountain National Park and Glacier Park before moving West. The rivers of Oregon called to her and she spent 20+ years as a river guide. Nancy is an Alumni Ski Patroller with the Willamette Backcountry Patrol and has been a public school teacher for three decades. She is committed to introducing youth to the wonderful community of snow sports, and raised two daughters that competed in Nordic skiing in high school and college. Sarah McKrola grew up skiing in the Willamette National Forest and is a member of the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol. She has been an educator for more than 2 decades and loves helping a new generation develop the skills to work and play safely in our winter wonderlands. |
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Shelley UrbenPacific Northwest Division Director
Santiam Pass Ski Patrol Shelley is the current PNW Division Director since 2019. She has been with NSP and Santiam Pass Ski Patrol in the Oregon Region for the last 23 years. During this time she has been very active at all levels from patrol, region, division and national levels contributing her experience and knowledge to all whether with Alpine, OEC, Area Management, Policy & Procedures, NSP. To name just a few of her many experiences beyond Division Director: *PNWD Nor Wester Editor for 9 seasons *Santiam Pass Ski Patrol Director for 7 seasons *Assistant Patrol Director for 3 seasons Participation in national-level activities: * A member of the NSP National Leadership from 2010-present * A member of the NSP Business Process Committee from 2019 - present * A member of the National Education Committee from 2019 – present * Chair of the Initiative for Change Task Force from 2021 - present * A member of the NSP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force * Participation at Powderfall Shelley has both her Alpine Senior Patroller & National Appointment. |
Leadership that were unable to attend this year include:
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Brad AckerPNWD Avalanche Advisor
705 Backcountry Ski Patrol Brad Acker is starting his third season as the PNW Avalanche Advisor. He is the past Advisor for Southern Idaho Region and a member of the 705 Backcountry Ski Patrol based out of Boise, ID. Brad is also a Level 2 Ski Guide for Soldier Mountain Ski Area in Fairfield, ID. Brad has been learning about snow science since the mid-1990’s where he helped with research at Montana State University, Bozeman and received his undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. Brad holds a Masters in Engineering and works professionally with energy efficiency, HVAC and high performance building design. Brad splits this time between Boise, ID and Sandpoint, ID, being better positioned to hit the power highway from Sandpoint is a great benefit. Adventure racing, ultra-marathons, and commercial river guiding have all been part of his outdoor life. [email protected] |
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Britt Bachtel-BrowningPNWD Legal Advisor
Silver Mountain Ski Patrol Britt Bachtel-Browning is very active in the community. She is the President of the North Idaho Sports Commission and in that role, led the initiative to bring Ironman back to the region. In addition, she volunteers for Silver Mountain Ski Patrol on winter weekends and serving as the Legal Advisor for the Pacific Northwest Division and is an active leader of the Women’s Program, which provides support and resources for women ski patrollers. She has served on multiple non-profit boards such as Planned Parenthood, Priority Spokane, and Kootenai Environmental Alliance. She also served on the Board of Directors for a subsidiary based in Juneau, Alaska and enjoyed her travels to this beautiful city. Britt’s “day job” is quite different- she is an in-house attorney with over 20 years of experience and currently serves as the Data Protection Officer of 1Password, a Canadian software company. There she leads the privacy department and advises on data privacy, security, and data governance. She adores Coeur d’Alene and lives on the lake with her husband and three Labrador Retrievers. In her spare time she competes in a variety of sports events, including Ironman and gravel cycling. She is also a passionate fan of professional cycling and has traveled to the French Alps to follow the Tour de France! [email protected] , [email protected] |
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Tanja CarterPNWD SPY Advisor
Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol Tanja began her ski career as a teen stocking boots at summer sales for Ski Chalet in Chantilly VA. She immediately fell in love with the industry. After a failed attempt at earning her masters and becoming a "real" business woman, Tanja took off to Seattle and somehow ended up managing a ski shop for a famous ski movie maker (yup, that guy). She subsequently was recruited by K2 skis, more for her trilingual skills than her ski skills… and spent her 20's traveling around Europe managing accounts for 3 brands (K2, Olin, Pre). This subsequently led to many years living in the Alps and managing international accounts for Tecnica/Lowa and other positions with Gore-Tex, Skins Compression Gear etc.. After retiring from almost 30 years in the industry, Tanja had the "brilliant" idea of investing a few weeks annually as a ski patroller…after all "how hard could it be?" Almost 4 years later, at Crystal Mountain, WA, she was awarded Rookie of the Year, is helping instruct OEC, is developing the Crystal Mountain SPY program and was recently appointed the Divisional SPY advisor. Her extensive coaching background (National's feeder programs as well as youth and adults) has been instrumental in developing a fresh new perspective on the SPY program which promises to change the way we "SPY!" |
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Carl HeinePNWD Asst Medical Advisor
Mt Spokane Ski Patrol Carlton Heine Md PhD is a practicing emergency medicine physician and the associate dean for clinical education Spokane at the WSU College of Medicine. He joined the NSP in 1997 completing his candidate training at Snowbowl in Missoula MT. He then went on to patrol at Mt Hood in OR, Wintergreen in VA, Mt Baker in WA, and Eaglecrest in AK before landing back in WA at Mt Spokane. He served as the medical director at Eaglecrest and is now the medical director for the Mt Spokane Ski Patrol. He is the PNW Division assistant medical director and serves on the national medical committee. He is both a senior alpine patroller and senior Nordic patroller and enjoys sliding on snow on pretty much any version of a pair of skis you can imagine, including competing in Nordic ski jumping in high school. [email protected] |
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George WhitePNWD Co-OET Supervisor
Mt Spokane Ski Patrol I am just finishing my 17th season with Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol, and a decade as the Inland Empire OET Advisor. Along the way, I’ve been an OEC IOR, lead on-hill trainer, MTR instructor, as well as other roles in both our region and on our patrol. I continue to teach in multiple subjects and love to help out the candidate class each season. Skiing has been a lifelong passion for me and patrol has given it purpose. I can’t imagine life without my patrol family and experiences. In fact, I married my patrol sweetheart just this last season on top of our mountain! Moving forward, I can’t wait to meet, help, and learn from patrollers throughout our Division. When I’m not patrolling, I can be found building and remodeling homes, riding Mt. Bikes, hiking, and showing my 5year old “Harvey” all the world has to offer. [email protected] |