The Mountain Times - Volume 48, Number 46: November 13-19, 2019

The Mountain Times • Nov. 13-19, 2019 JUMPS • 15
Women’s ski careers: Sunapee hosts new Vail program, providing opportunities for women through diversity, equality and respect
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required surgery. Noting she was in denial and
sad at first, she said she set goals for herself
and focused on rehab to get her health back.
“I learned a lot about myself,” she said of
that challenging time. But her perseverance
enabled her to meet her goal to compete in the
1994 Olympics, she said, acknowledging and
crediting “a positive attitude” as key along with
hard work.
Asked what she would tell young girls or
women in approaching their own careers,
Weinbrecht said, “Get in the gate and say ‘yes.’
Challenge yourself. Try something new. If you
only do the same thing, you’re not learning. If
you fall, do something different.”
Noting everyone has weaknesses and
strengths, she said it is important to learn
about oneself and focus on one’s strengths.
“Be social and enjoy others [you work with].
Celebrate your teammates . . . Sometimes they
show you the way so learn from your friends, be
positive and support one another,” she concluded.
Wagner affirmed that advice, noting the POWDER
initiative is about women supporting each other.
POWDER history, goals
Last March, in a podcast celebrating women trailblazers,
Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz noted that women and
especially women leaders have been “traditionally underrepresented
in the ski industry. Vail Resorts has been
changing that,” he stated, mentioning several women
who made their way to the top of the “traditionally male
dominated areas of our business. Our pioneering women
leaders in ski-industry operations roles have changed the
face of an industry and paved the way for those coming
after them,” he added.
By Karen D. Lorenz
Karen Wagner interviews Olympian Donna Weinbrecht at the first POWDER
program at Mount Sunapee.
The podcast featured several of those women who
addressed the challenges and gender bias they had
faced as they rose up in an industry where they “didn’t
look like” the typical ski industry leader.
They spoke of aspirations and navigating gender bias
as part of the story of their journeys as women leaders.
In explaining the importance of self-reflection, mentorship
and leadership training, they noted the importance
of the new POWDER initiative. It was inspired by
the Women of Whistler Blackcomb (WOWB) program
which began in 2015 with women leaders there addressing
the question “How do we do better?” through
forums, camps, and other trainings. The result was a
culture shift within the resort, impacting hiring practices,
scheduling, development, advocacy,
education, and recognition.
With such successful efforts and given the
current climate and “me too movement,”
Katz said he saw the WOWB as “an eye opener”
and opportunity to champion change by
making an investment in women leaders.
Pat Campbell, President of Vail Resorts
Mountain Division, and Lynanne Kunkel,
Vail Resorts Chief HR Officer, became sponsors
of the POWDER initiative with an aim of
finding ways to engender more inclusivity
and making ski industry jobs more appealing
for women. Wagner was named to their
steering committee as a regional leader. She
put together a Northeast team that includes
Bonnie Macpherson, Okemo communications
manager; Melissa Day, guest services
manager at Stowe,and Jessica Clarke, lift
operations supervisor at Mount Sunapee.
Okemo’s MacPherson is excited about the
POWDER initiative “sparking an interest in the
sport and industry” and its “potential to launch
careers.” Okemo will host the December program on
bias, she said.
In the March podcast, Campbell concluded that the
“future is bright for women in this industry,” acknowledging
that there is still an opportunity to create space
for women in operations and to find ways to make those
jobs more appealing and welcoming for women. Adding
there is a need for broader racial and other diversity,
she noted “the need to continue to change and be
welcoming.”
Katz concluded his remarks stating it is most important
to focus on performance and leadership and to
invest in those skills – not focus on gender.
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