Education Foundation

MISSION

The mission of the Foundation is to provide education opportunities for PSIA-AASI Western instructors looking to enhance their personal growth and further their careers in snowsports.

Some of our projects include:

Support the educational and professional development through scholarships
Direct support to PSIA-AASI Western events (such as Fall Professional Development Day, and funding guest clinicians at Convention)
Enable Adaptive Instructors to attend Certification Events
Support creative educational materials within Western Division such as revising the Nordic Manual.
Support consistent and unified National standards for certification by funding attendance at National Fall Conference.

HISTORY

The PSIA-W (now PSIA-AASI W) Education Foundation was incorporated in 1993 and accepted as a 501 (c)(3) by the IRS in 1995. The early organizing committee included Greg Felsch, Blaine Lomen and Katherine Hayes Rodriguez. The initial goals of the Foundation were to raise money to cover the cost of producing publications, such as the Division newsletter and exam manuals, and to offset costs of events such as Convention or Fall Rally for our members. One of the early accomplishments of the Foundation was production and distribution of the Master Plan document in the mid-1990s, our first regional professional document. The Foundation continues to support the mission of PSIA-AASI Western by helping fund educational events and supporting individual members’ desire to enhance their personal growth and professional development through scholarships.

The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) Organization in good standing, Federal ID # 77-0381837.

FUNDRASING

The Education Foundation Board of Directors welcomes fundraising ideas and opportunities. Ideas and opportunities can be sent to the email address below. If members or an organization would like to host a fundraising activity, please email the EF Board at with your idea, a contact name and phone number so we can further discuss the fundraising opportunity.

DONATE

Volunteer at one of our fundraising events or donate to the foundation.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Foundation is supervised by the Education Foundation Board of Directors:

Blaine Lomen

Julie Brown

Chris Coseglia

Steve Lehr

Blaine Lomen, President

My skiing career started in Southern California growing up and teaching at a small ski area called Table Mountain where I received my Associate (now Level 2) Certification. From there my travels took me to Mammoth in the early 70’s where I passed the Full Certification exam (now Level 3). I was asked if I wanted to be an examiner at the end of the test. My long journey with our organization was just starting.

I was elected to the PSIA-W Board in the late 70’s then took time off of college to work at Kirkwood as the Technical Director and Assistant Director in the 80’s. I moved back to So Cal to finish my Master’s Degree and started a long stint of 35 years at Snow Summit as the Director of Education. Most recently, I was the Director at Mountain High. Obviously, I love the industry and teaching.

I have been part of our PSIA-AASI W Board of Directors for approximately 25 years taking a hiatus between terms of 15 years. Upon being elected again four years ago, I was appointed as Chairperson of the Education Foundation Board, representing the PSIA-AASI W Board.

In the early 1990’s three of us from the PSIA-AASI W Board founded the Education Foundation. Now I am back on it. We have made great strides in making the organization more professional. (See the article in the fall Edge.) To see the recent growth of the Foundation is exhilarating and inspiring.

My involvement in our division has been extensive having been the President, Executive Vice President and Education VP as well as being part of National committees. Being on both Boards of Directors has been a way of giving back to organizations that have given me such an amazing ride!

Julie Brown, Vice President

My ski industry career had humble beginnings, starting off as a lift operator for Mammoth Mountain in 1979. The next season I was encouraged to try out for the ski school (in one of those Aspen Extreme style events) somehow I put one decent run together and started with the school the next season.

In 1983 I achieved Level 3 Alpine Certification, worked as a Trainer and Examiner for the division for 16 years and served 9 years on the PSIA-AASI W Board of Directors, chairing several committees including the Member School Management Committee. Within the school, I worked as a Supervisor, Manager and eventually Ski School Director before moving into General Management where I still work today.

I consider myself so fortunate to work in this amazing industry, one that has been so good to me. The mission of the PSIA-AASI Western Education Foundation, to support our members to enhance their personal growth and further their careers in snow sports instruction, resonates strongly with me. I am truly looking forward to serving our membership to help them achieve their personal and professional best.

Chris Coseglia, Secretary

During college I taught skiing full time for two years in Michigan, and a year at Copper Mountain, Colorado. After graduation I spent a winter at Crested Butte, CO and then moved to Southern California. I enjoyed a couple of full-time seasons and then worked part-time at Mt. High and Bear Mountain between 1987 and 2000. I became a Western Division alpine ed staff member in 1992.

My full-time non-skiing career required too much time, and in 2000 I stopped teaching skiing all together. In anticipation of my 2020 retirement, I reinstated my L3 certification in 2017, and taught part-time holiday at Mammoth for a few years. It’s great to be involved with ski teaching and PSIA-AASI Western Region again!

The skills I learned through the certification process, earning an ed-staff member position, and working as an instructor/trainer and ed-staff member had an incredibly positive impact on my skiing/teaching. Equally important, I gained invaluable skills for my full-time non-skiing career. Education and certification costs can be prohibitively significant- scholarships available through the Western Region Education Foundation can help! I fully support the education foundation and am proud to give back by serving on the Western Region Education Foundation board of directors.

Steve Lehr, Director

My journey started in 1975 at Northstar where I earned a Western Division “Associate” (Level 2) and “Full Certification” (Level 3). I was a member of the “Examiner Training Squad” and later became a Western Division and Alaska Division Examiner/Clinician. I have worked at nine different resorts holding positions from instructor to Director of Skiing. I am currently working at Palisades Tahoe where you might also see me passing on my love of skiing to my grandson.

I believe in the Education Foundation’s vital mission of supporting snow sports education and certification. I look forward to serving our membership as a member of the Education Foundation Board of Directors.