Staff List
Administrative Staff
To get in touch with members of our coaching staff, you can find them on the following coaching pages: Alpine Staff, Freestyle Staff, Nordic Staff, Snowboard Staff.
Sari Anderson | Accounting970.205.5105 | sanderson@teamavsc.org
Sari grew up skiing, playing ice hockey and soccer in Rhode Island. After many trips to Utah to ski, Sari decided to move to Colorado for the mountains and skiing with a side of college. Sari has many years of experience as a professional mountain biker and adventure racer while also competing in ski mountaineering and trail running around the world. Originally joining AVSC in 2012 as a Bill Koch Nordic Coach, Sari used her business management experience to step into the Director of Operations role after also coaching the Nordic Comp Team. Sari enjoys working at AVSC to enable our local youth the same opportunities that shaped who she is today. You can find her skiing with AVSC athletes, out on the trails on her bike, dirt bike or running with all the dogs.
Cole Baggett | Assistant Director of Finance970.205.5110 | cbaggett@teamavsc.org
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Cole joined AVSC in 2016 as an accountant. He grew up skiing with his family on the east coast and continued his love for the sport by moving to Colorado in 2012. A quote that always stuck with him about Colorado growing up, “You move to Colorado to live, and Florida to die”.
Jason Cook | Fleet and Facilities Manager
Jared Ettlinger | Assistant Director of Stewardship and Operations970.205.5107 | jettlinger@teamavsc.org
Jared joined AVSC in August of 2024 after a nearly 30-year career in the snow sports retail industry. His role with the Stewardship team at AVSC allows him to work with a world-leading team of professionals, coaches, athletes, and vibrant community members. He forges community partnerships through AVSC fundraising events, ski outings and participating in the operation of program competitions. He moved to Aspen in 1996 after graduating from the University of Vermont and is a passionate, life-long recreational skier who thrives on getting to scenic overlooks under his own power and away from the hustle of a busy life and crowds. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his wife, daughters, and dog Zak.
Ash Farrington | Director of Stewardship
Cody Oates | Venue Manager
David Stapleton | Stewardship Officer 970.948.3169 I dstapleton@teamavsc.org
Dave has been a member of the AVSC family since 1967. First as an athlete himself and now helping raise funds to support the dreams of current AVSC athletes. Dave has had a decorated ski career, racing all disciplines on the World Cup circuit, finishing third in the combined race at the famed Lauberhorn, winning Junior Skier of the year and overall Nor-Am Champion in 1978. He also races on the US Pro Tour for 10 years and was the top American for many of those years. After retiring from racing, he returned to Aspen and owned and operated Stapleton Ski for 17 years. In 2023 David was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame.
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Allison Johnson | Director of Communications970.309.5485 I ajohnson@teamavsc.org
Allison has lived in the valley since 2003, and her son learned to ski in the AVSC recreational program. She has over two decades of communications experience, having worked as a freelance writer, Director of Public Relations for Snowmass Tourism, Communications Liaison at Basalt Middle School, and Senior Internal Communications Manager with Aspen One, where she worked closely with the Aspen Skiing Company team. Allison brings a potent mix of strategy and heart to her communications work and is eager to share the organization’s stories as we head towards our 90th anniversary. She welcomes anyone to reach out to chat about communications and story ideas or to send in photos and videos highlighting our remarkable athletes, staff, and organization.
Tess Weaver | Clubhouse Manager970.205.5101 I clubhousemanager@teamavsc.org
Tess is a lifelong skier who grew up ski racing in the wind, fog and freezing rain of Oregon's Mount Bachelor. She's been appreciating bluebird powder days in Aspen since 2010, and now shares her love for mountains, skiing and ski culture with her son (an AVSC Nordic and big mountain skier) and daughter (a future Powder Panda). Before AVSC, Tess was an editor at Powder magazine, a contributing editor at Freeskier and founding editor of Grom Guide, a ski and snowboard magazine for kids and their parents. She's written about skiing for The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Outside, local publications and more. When Tess isn't at the Clubhouse, she's taking a Bowl lap, skinning Tiehack, riding to the Bells, playing with her kiddos or cooking and baking in Basalt.
Erin Young | Athletic Trainer 970.205.5100 x749 I eyoung@teamavsc.org
Erin is the Athletic Trainer for the Aspen Valley Ski Club (AVSC), providing sports medicine and performance support to all AVSC athletes through a collaboration with The Steadman Clinic. She has worked in the health and fitness world since moving to the valley in 2013. Prior, she worked in Division 1 athletics while earning her degree and athletic training credentials at San Diego State University. She specializes in injury prevention, recovery, and return-to-sport strategies, helping athletes not only recover from injury but return to the slopes even stronger. She is also a member of the US Ski Team Medical Pool, where she contributes her expertise to elite athletes at the national level. When she's not working with AVSC athletes, Erin enjoys exploring all that the valley has to offer, often with her dog, Bodi, by her side.
Program Leadership
Meredith Elwell | Aspen Supports Kids Program Director 970.205.5161 I melwell@teamavsc.org
Bio coming soon!
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Eric Knight | Freestyle/Freeride Program Director970.205.5130 I eknight@teamavsc.org
Eric has worked for AVSC for over 25 years! Under Eric's leadership, the Freestyle Team has grown from 17 to over 250 athletes. In Eric's words, "Coaching with AVSC for all these years has given me the opportunity to see kids grow through our programs, developing into athletes and young adults. It's clear how much of a positive impact AVSC has had on their athletics, lives and personal growth." Over Eric's years as Director, numerous athletes became Olympians, have medaled in The Winter Olympics, won X-Games, National and Junior Nationals Championships in Moguls, Aerials, Halfpipe and Slopestyle. Eric was a mogul skier and competed in Nor-Am, Europa Cup, World Cup and World Pro Mogul events around the world for over 10 years and brings his knowledge and experience from the highest levels of freestyle skiing to AVSC.
To view the rest of the Freestyle Coaching Staff, click here.
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Nichole Mason | Snowboard Program Director970.205.5150 I nmason@teamavsc.org
Nichole spent five years leading AVSC’s elite snowboard team, coaching top-level athletes in both halfpipe and slopestyle. Among her athletes was Chris Corning, who at 17, qualified for the PyeongChang Olympics and joined the US Pro Team directly, bypassing the development stage. Her success caught the attention of US Ski & Snowboard, leading to opportunities at Junior World Championships and development camps. Although she was offered a Rookie halfpipe coach position, Nichole chose to stay with her dedicated athletes. Later, she became the first female to coach the US Rookie Slopestyle team. In 2017, she was nominated for both Development and Domestic Coach of the Year, and in 2020, she became the first female to receive International Coach of the Year. Nichole has since helped five athletes join the pro team, pioneered female-focused camps, and serves as a lead coach developer for certification programs nationwide.
To view the rest of the Snowboard Coaching Staff, click here.
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Jeff Lackie I Alpine Program Director970.205.5160 I jlackie@teamavsc.org
Jeff Lackie joins AVSC with years of experience coaching skiers from U8 to elite levels, leading to numerous World Cup wins and Olympic medals. Formerly the Alpine Program Director at Green Mountain Valley School and Head Coach for the US Ski & Snowboard Women’s Speed Team, Jeff excels in fostering athletes' success through a holistic approach. He is excited to build on Aspen’s rich skiing heritage and collaborate with the community to enhance AVSC’s alpine program. Jeff states, "When the sun is shining in Aspen, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than standing on the side of a race course.
To view the rest of the Alpine Coaching Staff, click here.
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August Teague I Nordic Program Director970.205.5140 I ateague@teamavsc.org
August is an Aspen native and AVSC Alum. He has an impressive 15-year coaching history, helping athletes of all levels achieve their goals while developing a passion for Nordic skiing. August led the Nordic programs at both Whitman College and University of Nevada, Reno, before becoming the Director of Skiing at the University of Nevada, Reno. He then spent 4 years with the Australian Ski Team, leading them through two World Championships and one Olympic cycle. Most recently, August ran his own junior club in Truckee, CA. After his time as an AVSC athlete, August went on to ski for Colorado Rocky Mountain School and eventually the University of Denver. He’s thrilled to be back in CO sharing his love of cold wind in the ears, sun on the face, and skis sliding on snow with AVSC Nordic athletes.
To view the rest of the Nordic Coaching Staff, click here.