Who We Are

Volunteers and Donors!

All that we do at Ascutney Outdoors is made possible by community support – our generous donors and the tireless efforts of our volunteers and operations team.  Thank you!!!

Our dedicated group of community volunteers is over 100 strong. In the winter, volunteers sell tickets and load skiers and tubers. In the summer, they lend a hand at large events and help out with upkeep around the AOC. The passion, comradery and commitment of our volunteers is truly amazing and the lifeblood of our organization. Volunteering is a great way to meet people and be part of all that’s happening at the mountain.

Staff

Jonathan Nichols

Executive Director
Jonathan oversees all day-to-day operations and staff during all 4 seasons. Jonathan comes to AO after a 30-year career as a freelance film and video cameraman. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, nordic skiing and snowboarding. Jonathan lives in West Windsor with his partner, Sofia, and their dog Cappy.

Greg Smith

Facilities Manager
Greg makes sure the lifts, buildings, equipment and grounds are in top-notch condition. Greg has a life-long connection to Mt. Ascutney and was delighted to have lift-served skiing return to the mountain. Additionally, he serves the community as an active member of both the fire department and the FAST squad. He is a general contractor by trade and dabbles in organic vegetable farming.

Jason Larochelle

Tubing Park Manager
Jason is responsible for all aspects of the tubing lift not the least of which is making sure everyone is having fun. Jason spends lots of family time, and enjoys finding new museums, outdoor activities, or shows. He also coaches and is a ref for middle school sports. His favorite individual activities are hiking and trail running.

Kathy O’Neill

Volunteer Coordinator
Kathy, a lifelong resident of Windsor, brings her love of the mountain and warm demeanor to her position as AO’s Volunteer Coordinator. She’s deeply rooted in our local community and the Upper Valley, having worked at Dartmouth College for over 35 years in the finance center and operations. Kathy married her Windsor sweetheart and has two daughters and five grandsons! She enjoys walking, a nice glass of wine, laughing with friends and time by the water. Although not a skier, she delights in talking to the people who come to Ascutney Outdoors to enjoy the fabulous mountain.

Board of Directors

Our Board members are very active volunteers, both on site and by taking charge of administrative functions within our organization, such as accounting and insurance, development and fundraising. Additionally, our board is very engaged in community outreach, collaborating with local schools and businesses and sustainability planning to ensure AO’s continued success for the benefit of West Windsor and its surrounding communities. The board’s thoughtful approach to capital projects, new and existing programs, and planning for the future has been a major component of AO’s success.

Steve Collopy

Operations and Mount Ascutney Property Owner’s Association Representative
Steve and his wife Nancy have been enjoying Mt. Ascutney for over thirty years and chose to retire in Brownsville three years ago after a career in software development. Their kids grew up skiing on the mountain and actively participated in the ski racing program. He enjoys trail running, gravel riding, skiing and loves the view of the mountain from his house located on the trails. Steve looks forward to helping AO expand its reach and encourage more young people to experience the joy of immersing themselves in nature.

Steve Crihfield

Outreach, Executive Committee, Webmaster
While Steve learned to ski on a rope tow in Indiana, he taught his three sons to ski on Mt Ascutney during visits to their grandparents' home in West Windsor. A family rite of passage was to hike up the Windsor Trail at age 5! Steve and his wife, Ashley, built their own home with a view of the mountain. All of the family enjoy gatherings and time at the pond, year around hiking with the dogs, and, for Ashley, her horse Hamlet. Steve's career spanned working with and investing in highly-engineered manufacturing and service business.  He has served on numerous public and private boards with an emphasis on business strategy and development.  More recently, he describes his life as a "smorgasbord of activity", including family time, travel, guest lecturing, and the outdoors.

Kurt Dermody

Community & Private Rentals
Kurt re-located to Vermont seven years ago from Connecticut after meeting his wife, Nicole who is a West Windsor native. They share an 18 month old daughter, Fallon, who no doubt will be hitting the slopes soon. Kurt is a Superintendent of construction at Pike Industries. His background spans a wide array of large infrastructure projects within New England from his time with Pike, Greenman- Pedersen Engineering, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. He has held positions on the Green Mountain Environmental Associations Public Relations Committee, Town of Hartford Safety committee, and Pike Improvement board.

Steve Giroux

Media Master and Videography
Steve was born and raised in Burlington, Vermont and first learned to ski on Horse’s Hill, a practice slope for the UVM ski team on the back side of Centennial Field.  With a lifelong love of the outdoors and deep connection to the natural environment, Steve’s move to Windsor twenty-one years ago helped to foster his exploration and fond regard for Mount Ascutney.   As a former Director of the Ascutney Trails Association, he has spent countless hours hiking its trails and profiling its beauty through photography and his visual arts business, Third Generation Design.  He has a deep knowledge of the mountain’s history and a passion to maintain its stewardship, and encourages others to appreciate and enjoy all that it offers.

Glenn and Shelley Seward

Board Emeriti
Glenn and Shelley have been deeply involved in Ascutney Outdoors since its inception in 2015, contributing to many facets of the organization. They have played crucial roles in capital projects, operational management, volunteer recruitment and training, fundraising efforts, major events, and engaging with the community. Recently, they have transitioned from overseeing day-to-day operations to taking on advisory roles. Glenn and Shelley are Board Emeriti and remain committed volunteers, eagerly anticipating the future accomplishments of Ascutney Outdoors within our community.

Cindy Siegler

Community Outreach
Ted and I have lived on our farm on Rush Meadow Road in Brownsville for 36 years. For the first ten years I ski instructed at Ascutney to ensure our whole family would have passes to ski and enjoy the mountain as an integral part of our recreation. My professional life was teaching 3-4 grade at Woodstock Elementary School. I love the outdoors and throughout the year I can be found on the Mount Ascutney hiking, skinning in the Town Forest, or skiing the trails. I hope to be able to contribute to AO by meeting with local organizations, creating new contacts, helping with events, and adding creativity to how to continue sustaining our organization for the benefit of everyone in our area. I am proud of our town and of the development of Ascutney Outdoors!

Ted Siegler

Town Representative
Bio Forthcoming

Natalie Starr

Grants Guru and Trails
Natalie came to the Upper Valley over 25 years ago, joining her husband who grew up in South Woodstock. After bushwacking for years on cross country skis in the hills of North Pomfret, South Woodstock and Hartland, she took up backcountry skiing and has enjoyed the trails and woods on Mount Ascutney most snowy winters since. When she isn’t skiing, biking, or hiking, she consults on sustainable waste management policies and programs as a principal at DSM Environmental Services. She served on the Town of Hartland and Town of Jericho Conservation Commissions and now serves on the board of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance.

Erika Stillson

Merchandise
Erika grew up in Windsor and spent her childhood on Mt Ascutney, skiing in the winter and riding her horse in the summer. Growing up with the mountain in view every day, it has carved a special place in her heart, and she is happy to be able to serve on the board and help see Ascutney into its next iteration, allowing it to become a special place for the next generation.

Beth Swartz

Activities and Private Events
Bio Forthcoming

Steve Wood

Treasurer
Steve is a native Vermonter who grew up on the sides of Ascutney Mountain.  Its where he learned to ski in the mid-1950s and 1960s and was a junior ski patroller. The slopes and hiking trails were his summertime passion. In the 1970s, Steve was the executive director of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission and its Connecticut River Development Corporation, which was responsible for cleaning-up the tangle of communications towers on the summit, remediation of acute waste issues, and development of the Windsor business park. Steve retired from Sentinel Investments, the wholly-owned investment function of the National Life Group, where he was the asset manager of the firm’s nationwide commercial real estate mortgage portfolio. He continues to maintain close ties to the Upper Valley area and is a super-commuter volunteer for AO.  He and wife Susan live in Essex Junction and have two adult daughters.

Amanda Yates

School and Ski Liaison
Amanda Yates grew up in Brownsville, VT, and on the slopes of Mt. Ascutney. First put on skis at the age of three, she spent most of the happiest moments of her childhood racing down mountain. Amanda returned to Brownsville and is raising her family exploring not only the ski trails, but also mountain biking, trail running, hiking, and just playing and building forts on Ascutney. Amanda is a teacher at the Albert Bridge School and believes strongly in the school’s vision of place-based education focused on developing a love and responsibility for your own community and the outdoors.

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