Industry mentors

Tony started as a lift operator at the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in 1998 and feel so deeply in love with the Basin that he never left; he was a ski patroller and paramedic for 20 years. He was the patrol director for 10 years and also served as the National Ski Patrol Rocky Mountain Pro Division Director and the Chair of the Summit County Emergency Medical Services Board. He was awarded the CSCUSA Ski Patroller of the Year in 2010. He was the Director of Mountain Operations for four years and oversaw the ski patrol, risk and safety, terrain parks, via ferrata, and aerial adventure park operations. Tony received a graduate certificate in 2020 from CSU in Ski Area Management and is now the Director of Community Development and Planning for the ski area. If Tony isn’t flying the Pallavicini Chair, you’ll find him floating on a desert river.

Tom Schilling is a retired journalist and public affairs counselor, based in Denver. During his 45-year career, Tom covered the intersection of business and politics for the Chicago Tribune and the late, great Rocky Mountain News; served as a senior aide to the Governor of Colorado; and owned/operated a successful public affairs consulting firm.

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Tom’s public affairs practice focused on finance, infrastructure, technology and transportation. His private-sector clients included Union Pacific Railroad, Western Union, Storage Tech and U.S. Bank. His work with the Colorado Department of Transportation included the state’s largest-ever highway project, while he played a critical role in the development of the FasTracks rail project for the Regional Transportation District, including the line from downtown Denver to Denver International Airport. During his work with government agencies and non-profits, Tom prepped Colorado’s Marijuana Czar for an interview with 60 MINUTES, and trained homeless youth for interviews with the Denver media.

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Active in community service, Tom has served as a volunteer, as well as a board member, for several prominent Denver non-profits. Additionally, he was appointed to two terms on the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees by Governors Bill Owens and John Hickenlooper. He lives in Denver with his partner, Mike, and their surly Standard Schnauzer, Max.

Longtime Durango local Sven Brunso has worn many hats in the ski industry over the last three decades. From an athlete that SKI Magazine cites as “The most photographed skier in history” to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Purgatory to his current post as Director of Marketing for LEKI. Sven has also served as a marketing consultant, athlete, and product tester for brands such as Osprey, Oakley, Fischer, and Elevenate. Brunso is passionate about the winter sports industry and has witnessed first-hand the evolution and transformation of skiing and snowboarding since the late 80s. He hopes to share real-world insight with students to highlight a unique, ever-changing, and highly specialized segment of the outdoor industry.

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Michael Begg DMSc, PA-C, ATC– Mike is a Physician Assistant with over 25 years of Orthopedic surgical and clinical experience. Along with National Certification as a Physician Assistant, Mike also holds National Certification as an Athletic Trainer, a Master of Science Degree in Kinesiology and Sports Medicine, and a Doctor of Medical Science Degree. He has been aliated with The Steadman Clinic for his entire career, either working with one of the Orthopedic Surgeons in the Vail Clinic or alongside of one of The Steadman Clinic Orthopedic Trained Fellows. His experience is extensive and includes both upper and lower extremity Sports Medicine, Adult Reconstruction, Orthopedic Trauma, Non-Operative Pain and Spine and Regenerative Medicine. Mike brings extensive clinical and surgical experience, as well as experience and understanding of injury, evaluation, treatment, and recovery phases of orthopedic/ musculoskeletal related injuries. Recently Mike changed roles from the clinical setting to research. In this role as Clinical Trials Physician Assistant, for The Steadman Philippon Research Institute, Mike plays a vital role in several Department of Defense and NIH funded Clinical Trials.

Melanie Mills has been president and CEO of the Colorado ski industry’s trade association Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) since 2008. She is the 10th president of the organization and the first woman to hold the position.

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As president and CEO of CSCUSA, Mills provides leadership and strategic direction for the 60-year-old association of Colorado ski area owners and operators. She oversees the development and implementation of Colorado’s international ski tourism programs for the organization in addition to overseeing the company’s various departments and efforts including public policy, marketing, communications, operations and research. Mills works closely with CSCUSA’s twenty-one member ski resorts, the CSCUSA board of trustees, other industry associations, and state tourism entities to further amplify CSCUSA’s voice for Colorado skiing.  She works closely with Denver and Colorado economic development organizations, leads the ski industry’s government relations efforts in Washington, DC and Colorado, oversees the U.S. ski industry’s leading program to introduce children to skiing and snowboarding and directs the organization’s safety programming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mills led the industry in its work with the State of Colorado and multiple local public health authorities to develop statewide operating guidance and individual ski area operating plans.

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Before joining CSCUSA, Mills practiced law with the firm Arnold & Porter in its Washington, D.C. and Denver offices. Melanie is a graduate of Amherst College and Northwestern University School of Law.

Marty Grabijas’s career in the outdoor industry started at the age of 14. While most kids had paper routes, he tied flies for a local Orvis shop. After 4 years in the Military, Marty worked his way up in the outdoor industry, starting as dirtbag guide and securing certification for instructing various disciplines. His career path included management positions in the American Canoe Association, paddlesports national governing body; and SnowSports industries America, the ski and snowboard’s industry’s trade association.  By the end of his career Marty had built and self-funded a series of businesses in the outdoor and tech industries. These days he is an angel investor, serves on Durango’s Parks & Rec Board, is a mentor to Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs, Works with FLC’s School of Business, rides mtn and road bikes, is a PSIA certified alpine ski instructor, instructs WW kayaking, and guides fly fishing.

Ken Bailey makes movies, an accomplished filmmaker and producer with a proven track record of creating high-quality, award winning content. He has produced a variety of film projects, including feature films, documentaries, commercials and public service announcements.  Clients include Burton & Microsoft, Spyder, Raichle, National Geographic Explorer and IMAX.Imagine the power of film to change the world! The PSAProject.org is a nonprofit creating video campaigns for public safety, health and education. Campaigns include: Lids on Kids, Avalanche Awareness, Ski and Snowboard Safety, Opioid Disposal and Watershed Education. Please subscribe to “PSA Project Channel” and “KenBaileyFilms” on YouTube.

John DiCuollo is an accomplished public relations professional with over 17 years of experience. Knowing the power of a good story, John has worked with many iconic brands in both the outdoor and snow sports industries to help them develop their brand positioning and identify stories that resonate with their target audiences. John currently serves at Backbone Media, the nation’s leading active lifestyle agency, and is one of the brand’s public relations directors. In addition, John is an avid mountain sports enthusiast whose main passion is skiing. While John seeks to spend as many days a year on snow as he can, he is happiest with his wife Jen raising their son Lewis and German Shepherd dog Audie in his hometown of Carbondale, Colorado.

Fantaye Gilbertson is a 17 year old Downhill Ski Racer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is currently a Senior in High School, that aspires to become a professional Ski Racer for Ethiopia. After being adopted from Ethiopia at the age of three, she has grown up traveling all over the world with her family and loves anything outdoors. Over the years, Fantaye has participated in many sports besides skiing, those being; Softball, Golf, Lacrosse, Basketball, Mountain Biking, and a 3rd degree black belt in Karate. Although the past 3 years she has been fully dedicated to pursuing ski racing. She spends a majority of her year in Colorado for early fall training, during the season racing, and any other opportunities she gets. As Fantaye graduates this spring she will be taking a gap year to ski race independently. She hopes by doing this the next few years she may possibly qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

David Ingemie is a native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. He is currently President of Ingemie & Associates.

2017 started Ingemie & Associates, a consulting firm

1981-2017 President of SnowSports Industries America

1976-81 Director of Marketing of SnowSports Industries

1973-76 Executive Director of Mount Washington Valley Association

1969-73 Director of Marketing at Mt. Wachusett Ski Area

1968-69 Writer and Sales at the Fitchburg Sentinel Daily newspaper

In addition to his current role at Ingemie & Associates, David serves on the following Boards, Share Winter Foundation, International Ski History Association, the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum, the New England Ski Museum, and Windham Ski Resort. He has served on a number of other boards most notably, the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy in Washington, DC., the United States Ski and Snowboard Association, the Chill Foundation, and the 2015 World Championship Organizing Committee.

Education, University of New Hampshire, Mt Wachusett Community College

David is an avid skier and snowboarder, and he also enjoys bicycling, golfing, hiking and upland bird hunting. He lives in Vienna, Virginia with his wife Nancy. They have two children, and three grandchildren.

Hobart College BA ’81 – Sociology

Northeastern University MBA ‘92

State Street Bank and Trust – Trust Dept.

Fidelity Investments – Mutual Fund Ops

Garnet Hill Inc. – COO/Part Owner

Ibex Outdoor Clothing – COO.

Executive Producer – ‘Bode Miller – Flying Downhill’.

World Cup Supply – Owner – since 2006