Who We Are

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 referees for middle school sports. His favorite individual activities are hiking and trail running.

Jonathan assists in many areas of operations throughout the calendar year. One of his many skills is grooming which is crucial to AO’s skiing and tubing success. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, Nordic skiing and snowboarding. Jonathan lives in West Windsor with his partner, Sofia, and their dog Copper.

Pat has a long history at Ascutney dating back to when her father was Director of the Ski School. She had a career in higher education administration and her avocation is leading outdoor recreational trips in US and Europe. Pat has taught skiing, swimming, intro to backpacking, and nature activities. She currently is the part-time Interpreter at Mt Ascutney State Park.

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.

Shelley oversees all day-to-day operations and staff during all 4 seasons. Shelley has been involved in most aspects of Ascutney Outdoors since its inception and enthusiastically looks forward to helping the board during the organization’s next phase. She also serves as a Board Emeriti along with her husband Glenn.

Greg makes sure the lifts, buildings, equipment and grounds are in top-notch condition. He also plays a crucial role in events and private rentals. 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.

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.

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 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. He looks forward to getting his young daughter Fallon on the slopes.

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 has been deeply involved in Ascutney Outdoors since its inception in 2015, contributing to many facets of the organization. He has played crucial roles in capital projects, operational management, fundraising efforts, major events, and engaging with the community. Recently, he has transitioned from day-to-day operations to taking on an advisory role. Glenn is a Board Emeriti and remains a committed volunteer, eagerly anticipating the future accomplishments of Ascutney Outdoors within our community.

Cindy and her husband Ted have lived on their farm on Rush Meadow Road in Brownsville for over 35 years. For the first ten years she ski instructed at Ascutney to ensure her whole family would have passes to ski and enjoy the mountain as an integral part of their recreation. Her professional life was teaching 3-4 grade at Woodstock Elementary School. She loves the outdoors and throughout the year can be found hiking on Mount Ascutney, skinning in the Town Forest, or skiing the trails. She hopes 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 the organization for the benefit of everyone in our area. She is proud of the town and of the development of Ascutney Outdoors!

Ted serves as the Town of West Windsor representative on the Board. In 2015, Ted was instrumental in the purchase of the land associated with the former ski areas, the formation of the conservation easement and Ascutney Outdoors. He currently is Chair of the Conservation Commission of West Windsor, and he is a principal of DSM Environmental Services, Inc. He and his wife Cindy are longtime residents of West Windsor. They are true outdoor enthusiasts with a love of camping, biking, skiing and farming.

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. She served on the Town of Hartland and Town of Jericho Conservation Commissions.

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 is a native of the Boston suburbs, who grew up skiing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She eventually moved to the White Mountains where she was a caretaker at Mount Washington's Tuckerman Ravine for a couple of years, and also worked as a ski patroller. In 2018, Beth and her husband Doug moved to the Upper Valley and landed in Windsor due to the appeal of being close to Mt. Ascutney. They have since had two children, Sierra and Wolfie, who have quickly taken to ripping up the slopes at Ascutney in the winter and running across the Discovery Trail come summer. Beth and her family now live in Hartland, and Beth is a middle school Spanish teacher.

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 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.