By Peter Kray
This is the fifth story in recognition of this year’s PSIA-AASI award recipients. Members were honored earlier this week at National Academy, in Big Sky, Montana, for their achievements as instructors, leaders, role models, and collaborators in the snowsports industry.
One of two recipients of this year’s Educational Excellence Award, Becky Ayers served as PSIA-AASI communications director from 1990 through 2005. In that role, she oversaw the association’s communication strategies and publications, including individual magazines, catalogs, and training materials such as The Professional Skier, The Pro Rider, the PSIA-AASI Accessories Catalog, as well as the creation of the first association website.
A Lasting Influence
Ayers’ editorial leadership ensured that these publications became invaluable resources for instructors and members nationwide, reaching tens of thousands of PSIA-AASI members. Through her work developing and cultivating authors and reviewers, she led efforts to create consistent – and consistently delivered – content that enabled thousands to successfully pursue certification and become better teachers.
As noted in Ayers’ nomination packet, one supporter of her recognition wrote, “She served as the editorial director for all PSIA-AASI education materials for 15 years, so the examples are too numerous to list. However, every discipline manual, video, and related article passed through her. There is no education product or editorial services, including advertising related to promotion of these, that was not directed or influenced by her keen editorial and graphic acumen.”
True to the collaborative, results-focused professional style she became known for, when reached to react to receiving the award, Ayers immediately praised the “many talented people” she had worked with and for.
“That time means a lot to me because it was such a formative part of my life,” Ayers said, “working with a phenomenal group of people.”
“I kind of grew up in that job and was exposed to a lot of people who loved what they do so much,” she continued. “I’ve never been anywhere else where people loved their profession as much as ski instructors, and how happy they are to be sharing their passion. It’s a special group of people who love doing what they do as much as snowsports instructors do.”
A Commitment to Quality
Just as important to Ayers was the fact that former PSIA-AASI CEO Steve Over, and later Mark Dorsey, also gave her free rein to hire the most talented, detail-driven people.
“The people who stand out in this sport aren’t just the ones who want to have a pass, but the people who really want to do what needs to be done, and are professionals in their field,” Ayers said. “In media, a good technical writer and editor should be able to do their job with any kind of subject matter. I was so fortunate that Steve, then Mark, let me build a team of those kind of people.”
It was that kind of commitment to excellence that propelled Ayers and her team to create a consistent, nonprofit media product that stood out in a snowsports market filled with quality consumer material.
“With all of that media – at one point we had three separate magazines – we were kind of running a gauntlet because we were a nonprofit trying to go 100 mph to bring those materials into a more modern era,” she said. “People wanted good materials to help them be good ski and snowboard instructors.”
As noted in Ayers’ nomination packet, “Her most important contribution was to ensure a wide-ranging and professional process for attracting and retaining authors and technical reviewers. She implemented practices that professionalized graphic and editorial processes, which brought out the best from volunteers and authors, rather than relying solely on volunteers.”
The result was educational and editorial content that dramatically reduced errors and dramatically improved the delivery of materials to the membership. This trust and transparency of process made it easier to attract a wider range of contributors.
And all of this with a focus on including – and often spotlighting – the ideas, voices, needs, opinions, and insight of the association’s regions and individual members.
Whether that included helping to develop the writing and editorial skills for many of the National Team members or navigating the perspectives and sensitivities of the aforementioned rank and file members and region educational leaders, Ayers’ commitment to excellence and to sharing why she advocated for certain editorial or production approaches made everyone she worked with better at their jobs.
To hear her tell it, that was all because Ayers and her team wanted to provide a quality media product that reflected the joy instructors put into their work.
“We were working to provide all of these materials to the membership – and not just drive a newsletter – because so many of those instructors stepped up to work with us,” she said. “We were inspired to work with people who love something that much and have the desire to share it with other people.”
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The Educational Excellence Award recognizes members who authored or helped develop educational materials or resources related to teaching snowsports or the snowsports industry. Learn more about the awards and how you can honor members who have made an impact on our industry.
Read about this year’s other award recipients:
Angus Graham Rising Star Award: Tomás Zunino
3 C’s Award: Ralf Riehl
Educational Excellence Award: Dale Drennan
3 C’s Award: Grace Center do Ouro