Teachers, Coaches and Staff

Peter, a native of both Maine and California, earned his AS in Ecology while living in Maine. He then moved to Italy where he obtained a BS and MS in Tourism Science. He is a certified English assessment specialist through Cambridge University. Over the past 15 years, he has worked as an English teacher in various degrees ranging from volunteering in the Amazon to holding a Head Expert in English Language position with the Italian Ministry of Education. Peter is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys both conquering a mountain and letting it conquer him. He allows a sense of wonder to guide him personally and professionally. 

Jeff has been coaching full-time with the Academy since 2015. His track record in developing and improving skiers is fantastic, and the example and tone he sets for the program is even better.  Before joining the Academy full-time, he spent 11 seasons with the CVA Weekend Program.  

Jeff holds a USSA Level 200 certification and is an Alpine official. He brings a genuine passion for skiing, ski racing and CVA, which he naturally shares with his athletes. Jeff grew up skiing at Jay Peak, VT, and was a member of the ski club there. After ski racing and playing soccer in college he went on to coach and teach skiing at Jay Peak. Jeff also worked as a member of the race crew at Beaver Creek, CO. Jeff retired in 2015 after a 24-year career in Federal Law Enforcement. He and his wife Ragan live off-the-grid in Eustis, Maine. Ragan and Jeff are the parents of Patrick, CVA '11, Christian, CVA '11 and Matthew, CVA '13. 

Ron brings with him over 40 years of alpine coaching experience with all age groups. He started his coaching career in the late `70’s in the Mt Washington Valley, NH, arriving in ME in 1980 to coach the U. Maine Farmington ski team while earning his BA there. In 1985, after a year of coaching at Squaw Valley, CA, he came east to NY to earn his masters in Physical Education at SUNY Cortland, where he also headed the Greek Peak Ski Club for 5 years.

In 1990 Ron returned to New England, landing at the Green Mountain Valley School, coaching and teaching there for 9 years.  From 1999-2009 Ron was the Head of Coaches’ Education in the Ski Industries Program at the University of Maine, Farmington. Since returning to Maine in 1999, Ron has coached at Shawnee Peak, Titcomb, Black Mountain, Sugarloaf and Saddleback.  He has done independent coaching & ski camps in the West, Europe, & South America.  He has held a level 500 USSA coaching certification and PSIA level 2 certification since the early `90’s, and worked for 15 years delivering USSA Coaches Education throughout the East and at National Academies as an examiner in the West. Ron was the MARA Alpine Officials Chairman for many years, and is a level 6 USSA & FIS Technical Delegate. He is fluent in French. 

 

Jeni Conover has 25+ years of coaching experience in multiple aspects of youth development.  As a mother of 3, she is devoted to guiding children to achieve new skills on all levels, and she strives to build self- confidence in every athlete she works with.

Jeni attended Stratton Mountain School for her 4 years of HS.  She earned a BS in Kinesiology and exercise science from Western Colorado University.  Her alpine ski coaching experience is extensive.  She coached in Telluride, CO, for 4 years then directed the Camden Snow bowl Racing Program for many years before joining CVA. In 2019/2020 Jeni moved to  CO to coach with Ski Club Vail, bringing back valuable experiences to CVA.  

Jeni holds many certificates and licenses some of these include a USCG Captain license, US Ski & Snowboard Level 200 Coach, Wilderness First Responder, and CPR/First Aid.  

In the summer months Jeni owns and directs her own summer camp called Ocean Explorer Maine based in Camden. For more information, go to https://www.oceanexplorersmaine.com/.

Ben started riding at the age of 5 at the small resort Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine. As his passions for the sport grew he soon left the New England mountains he grew up riding and went to Colorado where he joined the Burton Team along with Analog and Dragon regional programs. Filming, competing in rail jams, slopestyle events, and riding everything from Big Mountain to downtown city streets; from Utah to Oregon. Having a full spectrum knowledge of the sport with a focus on Freestyle, Ben is eager to cultivate a positive environment for our snowboard athletes to reach their best performance.

Originally from Virginia, Stuart learned to ski at a young age but started his career on snow when he moved to Western Maine 9 years ago. Working many jobs in the ski industry, his drive became earning turns in the backcountry after his first spring trip to Tuckerman Ravine like most that discovered the magic of the alpine.

Stu started in outdoor recreation as a raft guide in Southeast Tennessee where he first became certified as a Wilderness First Responder and Swiftwater Rescue Technician. This is where he was first introduced to the world of climbing as well. Moving seasonally between Tennessee, Virginia, and Maine, Stu has made outdoor recreation his work and play. His passion for the outdoors started at a young age with his dad spending summers fishing in the surf off the Eastern Shore and falls hunting the farmland and forests in the surrounding area.  Weekends would be spent camping and riding horses all over the state of Virginia.  

Stu brings a wealth of knowledge to the CVA Backcountry team. Between whitewater trip planning skills and rock and tree climbing rope work, he  has a wealth of knowledge to apply on CVA backcountry trips. He has a passion for supporting future generations of backcountry users in becoming good stewards to the land and the others we recreate with.  He believes that if we can instill these principles at a young age, we will create a more supportive and welcoming outdoor community.  

Stuart believes good decision making and basic medical/rescue knowledge are key components to any day in the backcountry and makes this his focus when working with our team.  He is certified as a Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Maine Whitewater Guide, AIARE Level 1, and re-certifying as a Wilderness First Responder.  Stuart encourages all those who participate in outdoor recreation to have basic first aid and CPR skills above anything.  He hopes to expand the CVA Backcountry program with more off-season activities like climbing and paddling.

Level I U.S. Gymnastics, Level II USSA Moguls, Level IV USSA Aerials

After attending the UMF ski industries program, Nate founded the Freeski program at CVA.  Over the last twenty years, he has coached six athletes to the X Games, and he remains the Program Director for the longest running and best freeski program in the country.   

Each year, Nate works diligently to fold in new training protocols to meet the demands of the sport and keep CVA athletes on the forefront of competition.  He works closely with the coaching staff to keep them at the cutting edge with their training and certifications, subscribing to the belief that the knowledge of the coaching staff and their ability to impart that knowledge to the athletes is the backbone of the program. 

He watches for new training opportunities and venues that meet CVA’s needs and facilitate a top competitive program. He also works to understand and focus on each athlete individually,  focusing on detail, fundamentals, individual goals as the basics of the foundation for any successful athlete. The stronger an athletes fundamentals are, the more apt they are to be able to try new skills, to push themselves and the sport forward.

Nate says “There’s no question I truly love, and have loved this sport, right from the beginning. Every year, working with the younger athletes refuels me – I see their fresh excitement, their realization of the passion they have for the sport, it reignites my desire to help them get to their goals.”

Growing up at Sugarloaf with a Dad on the ski patrol, Garrett developed a love of skiing, and the mountains, early on. In high school, Garrett joined the ski team, and after becoming team captain, he discovered his desire for coaching.  Although a former racer, Garret’s passion has always been the backcountry, and exploring the world off-resort. 

 

Garrett brings over two decades of experience to CVA. After traveling all over the continental US and Canada in search of deep powder and steep descents, he returned to the Valley to foster, and instill, a love of backcountry skiing and riding in future generations. As the trip coordinator and lead guide for Saddleback Mountain, Garrett led uphill ski tours in the winter and guided hiking and paddling trips in the summer. At Sugarloaf, he served as a coach for the Big Mountain Bubblecuffer program, helping 12–16 year-olds interested in touring to safely explore, and navigate, all-mountain terrain. 

Learning how to be safe in the mountains is a pivotal component of Backcountry skiing and riding. Garrett’s experience in rescue operations, as a ski patroller and fire fighter, help him to better prepare the athletes that he works with. His certifications include Wilderness First Responder, Registered Maine Guide, PSIA Level 1, AIARE Level 1 and Avalanche Rescue, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Pro Board Firefighter 1 & 2, and Wildland Firefighter. 

In the off-season, Garrett spends his summers rafting, mountain biking, and hiking. He even completed the full Appalachian Trail!

Michael coached the CVA Weekend Program Ski Cross for three seasons before joining the Academy in 2018.  His experience with the Academy’s training philosophy and commitment to growing CVA's world class athletic accomplishments serve Michael and the athletes well as they strive for continued success in one of few FIS coach equipped youth ski cross training programs in the country.

Jenny grew up in the small mountain village of Bourg d’Oisans, in the high alps near Grenoble. She started skiing at the young age of 2. Her Mom was a ski instructor and Dad was a ski patroller. At 10 years old she joined the ski club in L’Alp d’Huez, one of the many local ski resorts in the area, famous as a regular stage of the Tour de France in summer. By 15, she had enough success to be selected to the Ski Academy (Ski Etude) Pôle France in Albertville, which only accepts the top 15yr. olds in France. At age 16, she was selected into the French C Team. Jenny skied in her first World Cup at the age of 17 in SG. The next year she was moved up to the B team after her first podium finishes in Europa Cup (one step down from the World Cup) events.

By the age of 20, Jenny made the French A team, and that year, in 2013, won the Downhill at the World Junior Championships at Le Massif, Quebec. At 22 she was selected to compete in the World Championships in Beaver Creek, CO, where she scored her first top 15 result in World Cup events. A few years later, at 25 she qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. She continued to ski at the World Cup level in DH, SG, GS, AC & Parallel events until her retirement in 2021.

Hank grew up skiing at Saddleback Mountain in Maine. In the winter months, Hank coached for CVA part-time in the Freestyle program. In the summer months, Hank followed the snow and headed out west where he served as a Freestyle coach for Windells Ski Camp at the base of Mt. Hood in Oregon. Hank is excited to return to CVA full-time and looks forward to helping Freestyle athletes learn, grow in their sport, and throw down new tricks on-snow.  When Hank isn’t chasing powder, he enjoys playing disc golf and going cliff jumping with his brothers.

Jon joined the CVA coaching team in 2016 and coached with the Saddleback Ski Club for 6 years prior to that. Jon is a certified Alpine coach and official. He has been involved in alpine ski racing all his life, which started at 10-years-old at Saddleback, Maine.  As a teenager he joined Waterville Valley Academy in their early years with former USST coach Georg Capaul, to train at summer camps in France.

As a college athlete Jon raced for Western State College, CO and raced out of Mt Hood, Oregon upon graduation. He then moved to Southern California, skiing out of Mammoth MT, where he ran a successful publishing business. His experience working with athletes of all ages has provided him a diverse understanding of not only their physical abilities, but also the psychological barriers many young athletes face.

Jonathan started snowboarding in 1987. During a time when the local ski hill did not allow snowboarding, he made his way to Sugarloaf. Jonathan is no stranger to CVA. By 1992 while attending Kents Hill School, he trained and traveled with the CVA Weekend Program as a student athlete, and was competing at various events in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Jonathan attended National Championships for both USASA and USSA during his competitive years. As an undergraduate, Jonathan wrote and taught the curriculum for the UMF Ski Industries Program. He then moved on to coaching at CVA for four years at multiple levels including the Head Freestyle coach. Jonathan left CVA to explore other roles in the ski industry while being employed at Sugarloaf for over twenty years. His roles at Sugarloaf Mountain included, Parks and Pipe Manager, Rental Shop Assistant Manager, Burton Retail Shop Manager, and Ride On Shop Manager. During his time as a Sugarloaf employee, Jonathan continued his relationship with CVA in various roles in support of the Snowboard Weekend Program. More recently, Jonathan has been building snowboards at Winterstick and working for the Snowboard Weekend Program part-time. His vast and diverse knowledge and experience of the snowboarding industry spans decades. He currently holds a level 100 USASA coaching credential, and he is excited to return to a position that he has held twice previously in his work history. Jonathan lives in Kingfield with his wife Selina and his two boys Lorenzo and Rocco. If they are not snowboarding, you can find them on the mountain bike trails or skateboarding at the AGC or in their backyard. 

As the Director of Enrollment, Lydia combines her passion for CVA Academic and Sports programs with her love of the Sugarloaf Community. She shares this connection with her son, Derek, CVA Alpine Class of 2026 and daughter, Calista, Colby College Class of 2021. Prior to coming to CVA, Lydia worked for LL Bean where she honed her skills in project management and team building. Lydia is a solution-focused leader with a strong attention to detail. Lydia holds her BA from Brown University and her MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In her spare time, you can find Lydia skiing Sugarloaf Mountain in the winter and swimming in the Casco Bay in the summer.

Melissa grew up in Farmington and learned to ski at Titcomb Mountain at the age of seven. She would go to Sugarloaf every chance she got. She graduated from Champlain College in 1992 and lived in Charlotte, NC for four years before moving back to Farmington to start a family.  She has two boys, Mitchell and Michael who love to snowboard.  After 15 years in the hospitality business, Melissa and her two boys moved to Sugarloaf to be closer to the mountains and pursue their love of skiing and riding.  Melissa joined the development team at CVA and has been running with the Big Dogs ever since.  In 2017 she joined the dorm staff and lives in Murphy Hall and enjoys dorm life and student activities.

 

Being outdoors is where she’s the happiest.  She enjoys snowshoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing and is learning to snowboard.  She loves the sun and warm weather and spends summers on Webb Lake in Weld, ME camping with her family and friends and enjoys paddle boarding, hiking, biking, and gardening.

Alex comes to CVA with a breadth of private school experience. In his 24-year tenure at Hebron Academy Alex has held a number of roles including Assistant Head of School, Director of Student Life, IT director, Math and Science Faculty, and Athletic Trainer. He is a graduate of Bates College with a B.S. in Physics and is a CVA alumnus from the Class of 1991.  A Farmington native, Alex has long been involved in Maine alpine racing and coaching, most recently, in the CVA weekend program. Over the years in his expanding roles and responsibilities Alex has developed a full understanding of the operations of independent schools and student programs. In collaboration with colleagues and board members he has managed strategic plans and financial objectives while supporting his colleagues, the students and being sensitive to the school’s mission.

Kim has worked in the field of marketing for the last twelve years. She started her career in the technology industry, creating marketing materials and campaigns for key technology products. Leaving the corporate world behind, she moved into a consultancy role, helping her clients to better tell their stories through all mediums. Most recently, Kim took a year off to homeschool her children, rediscovering her love for education. Kim lives in Carrabassett Valley with her husband (Bill), two daughters (Emmelyn and Eliza), dog (Bailey), and cat (Vegas). She loves the lifestyle that the valley offers from hiking, to biking, to skiing with her family. She looks forward to combining her love for education, and experience in marketing, to grow visibility and enrollment at CVA.

Amy has been in the healthcare field for over 25 years. She earned her Associates Degree in Nursing from Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing and Health Professionals in 2009, joining Carrabassett Valley Academy’s Health and Wellness team as the school nurse in 2016. Before coming to CVA, Amy worked as a nurse at Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) in the Day Surgery unit for seven years, and she continues to work per diem at FMH during school vacations. Amy is Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified and a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) trained gatekeeper.  Amy lives in Freeman Township with her husband Tim. In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with Tim, daughter Makayla, and son Michael ’18 and going camping.

Matt joined CVA IT department in the Winter of 2022.