Section Two Candidates

John Keating

Ron Davids

Ron Klement

I am writing to ask for your support in the upcoming BOD election for Section 2. I believe everyone that knows me could tell you about my burning desire and passion towards helping members achieve their goals.
If elected to the BOD my primary focus would be to further develop the Education Based process. I will promote the re-writing of the portfolio document and work towards implementing it into our pathway of education and or certification if desired.

I will work towards promoting more use of the Level I Study Guide and the Train the Trainers Programs. Currently I am on a Tasks force that is working on how to re-organize how our Alpine Education Staff operates. Being involved in this process will help me work with other BOD members so that this process can be a smooth transition.

While Alpine Skiing is my primary discipline I also Snowboard regularly and occasionally go Nordic Skiing. In the past had spent some time on Telemark skis. Since I have some knowledge of all our disciplines with the exception of Adaptive, I feel that I make a well-rounded candidate for the BOD position.
Outlined below are a number of leadership positions that I have held in the skiing industry. Because of my diversified background in the ski world you will see that I have the experience to represent you, the member, at the BOD level. This experience will help me to make decisions based on good judgment and past experience.

• PSIA-C Member – Level III – (18 years – present)
• PSIA-C Alpine Education Staff Member (Examiner) – (12 years – present)
• Marquette Mountain Ski School Director – (4 years)
• Marquette Mountain Ski Instructor – (20 years – present)
• NSP-C Member – (21 years – present)
• Marquette Mountain Co-Ski Patrol Director – (4 years)
• Marquette Mountain NSP Ski & Toboggan Trainer – (18 years – present)
• NSP-C Division Ski & Toboggan Trainer – (20 years – present)
• Host of PSIA-C Marquette Event – (15 years – present)
• NSP-C Certified Program Advisor – 4 years
• NSP-C Certified Staff Member #425
• NSP-C National Appointment #8024
• NSP-C Ski School Director – (team of 3 that developed program)
• Great Lakes Ski Racing Team – (team of 4 that developed program)
• Variety of NSP-C Region Training Positions
• Variety NSP-C Division Training Positions
• Developed the 2004-05 PSIA-C Video Study Guide DVD
• Developed the 2007-08 NSP-C Training Video DVD

I hope that I can count on your support in the upcoming BOD election.

 Hello, I wish to introduce myself, Ron Davids. I love the sport of skiing having been passionately involved for 27 years of my relatively young life. Once the snows flying, my family and friends know and understand my dedication and involvement belong to the sport of skiing. My young son and I are fortunate to have their full cooperation and blessing.

I am proud to have achieved Alpine Level II Certification while teaching at the Sunburst Ski Area, Kewaskum, Wisconsin. In addition to other duties, I currently serve on the Sunburst six member Education and Training Staff as Candidate Training Supervisor, Recruitment Supervisor and member of the general training staff.

The greatest part of the recruitment “ski with a pro” day is having the privilege of coaching a prospective candidate in our teaching system and having them tell me “how much they have learned”. This is one reason I keep involved season after season!

I am also an assistant coach for a ski race team which affords me the opportunity to teach at a high technical level; play in the race course and indulge the kid in me!

My platform is simply a ski instructor/trainer and race coach running for the PSIA-C board who loves teaching and skiing. I’ll represent the PSIA-C members in my section to the best of my passion and ability.

Thanks for listening

Having been involved in the Snow Sport industry since 1980, I would be honored to serve the members of PSIA-C as a board member. Today, I am a level III instructor, after achieving my level I PSIA certification in 1990. I am always working to spread the love of the sport and currently serve as the technical director of two Snow sport schools in the Milwaukee area, Snowstar and Crystal Ridge, along with managing the ski shop of a major Milwaukee sports retailer.

Having been a part of Snowstar, a traveling ski school, since 1989, I have had the great opportunity to help develop our successful education format. Our teaching program is based around progressions and levels in conjunction with the PSIA standards, which has allowed us to work with our students for several years, developing their skills throughout many milestones.

At Crystal Ridge I have had some of my greatest rewards, teaching “Park and Rec” classes. It is most satisfying for me to see former students, the following year, sporting their new ski equipment and taking on harder runs with confidence and ease. That is when I know we, as an association, can accomplish what we strive for, that our teaching techniques lead to success.

As an instructor and trainer, I am proud to watch many of my students become more involved in the industry. Whether they are working at local ski shops, coaching race teams, instructing or moving “West” to take positions as ski school directors of western resorts, their continued involvement ensures me that we have done our part. We have made it fun!

As PSIA members we need to focus on guiding our students to become fanatics (fun addicts). We must remember why we participate in our sport, the Fun Factor! The Fun Factor is especially important in the learning environment. That is what makes our students want to learn and come back; that is what makes them life-long skiers.

Being a ski shop manager, and a graduate of “Master Fit University” an advanced course in stance and alignment, I get the opportunity to work with the skiing public. When working with customers I often recommend that they take a lesson, “to get dialed into the new ski technology”. Unfortunately, many respond that they didn’t have much fun in previous lessons.

This is a disappointing discovery for me and as a PSIA-C director I would be committed to the advocacy of our members. We have wonderful teaching methods in place and I want to see this information reaching our members in a timely manner, so that our instructors can keep our students engaged, making them life-long advocates.

Another area where we have the opportunity to grow and increase our Fun Factor is in developing techniques and progressions with a “Park and Pipe” direction. This is a high growth area in the industry and would attract many young customers.

In my 19 years instructing I’ve witnessed great strides in our profession and I am excited to partake in future advancements.

Thanks to everyone, have a great season and keep being “Fun Addicts” of our sport.