We are pleased to welcome the 20th chair of the national PSIA-AASI board of directors, John May. He has been a member since 2001 (CS1, A3) in the Northwest Region, and deeply involved with the community from the beginning. John joined PSIA-AASI’s volunteer national board in 2013 and since then has chaired various committees and most recently served in the role of treasurer.
We spoke to John ahead of the June board meeting to understand his own member journey. John didn’t exactly set out to become board chair. When he joined PSIA-AASI in 2001, he thought a Level II certification would be his pinnacle achievement.
“That felt like a lifetime goal—to become a solid instructor and help guests enjoy the mountain by making it more accessible and fun,” John said. “I thought maybe I would be able to ski a black run and admire from the chairlift those amazing cert threes and clinicians.”
What started as a personal goal became a deeper calling. Over the years, John worked both full and part time in the industry, teaching at Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado, and Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon. He currently serves as a PSIA-AASI Northwest examiner and education staff member and recently concluded over a decade on the PSIA-AASI Northwest Tech Team. He remains active in the field teaching lessons, leading clinics, and supporting instructors across his home region, including summer sessions at Timberline in Oregon.
Through these roles, he’s had the unique opportunity to listen to and learn from members across the country. “One thing that’s become clear to me is that our journeys as members are far more similar than they are different,” John said. “We might live in different climates or work with different tools. But, what we’re chasing, what inspires us, and what we need to grow—that’s shared. My beliefs have been shaped by watching all of us—members from every region—walk our own paths through clinics, exams, and tryouts. I can see how much this means to people. It is more than just professional development. It is personal and powerful.”
John wants every member to feel that same possibility. He is excited by the opportunities for the organization’s national and regional leaders to collaborate on naming and delivering a premier experience for members, regardless of where they live or what their goals are.
That includes things like ensuring equity of access to educational, developmental, and leadership opportunities; creating and defining clear pathways to leadership and personal growth; and using data and transparency to identify organizational wins, blind spots, and opportunities.
As board chair, John aims to build his leadership around partnership, clarity, and cohesion—ensuring that members and schools can access the support and growth they need, when and where they need it.
“What unites us is simple and powerful: we love to help others, and we love snowsports,” John said. “But truly helping isn’t just about what we do—it’s about the impact we create for the person on the other end. It’s a head-and-heart experience. And just like in a great snowsports lesson, one size doesn’t fit all. To deliver the ‘Premier Member Experience,’ we need to name the diverse cohorts that make up our community and intentionally tailor our strategy, service, and delivery to meet their unique goals. That’s how we create real value, real connection, and real growth.”
He added, “To a new member, I’d say: we want your journey to be amazing. We want you to find growth, community, and the chance to help others. I truly believed a Level II cert would be the biggest thing I ever achieved in this organization. Everything since has been unanticipated gravy—and I want that opportunity and path to be real for every member.”
As PSIA-AASI moves forward, John invites every member and member school to help shape what success looks like—and to co-create a future where every snowsports educator can grow, lead, and belong.
John succeeds Eliza Kuntz who served on the national board for 15 years, including the last five as board chair. Eliza’s expansive career includes 20 years on snow as an education staff member for the PSIA-AASI Northern Rocky Mountain Region Children’s and Alpine Education Teams, service on numerous board committees, and extensive travel to all eight regions of the country, serving as the face of the organization and representing members nationally and internationally.
Learn more about Eliza, her incredible contributions to the organization, and her longtime passion for snowsports education in this profile piece.
About the PSIA-AASI National Board of Directors
PSIA-AASI’s national board of directors includes representatives from each region who also sit on their regional boards. The board uses a Policy Governance® model that clearly defines and guides the relationship between PSIA-AASI’s owners (members), its board, and its CEO and helps the board make strategic decisions in the best interest of the association. The CEO’s job is to carry out the vision of the board and the governance groups by implementing the day-to-day operations of PSIA-AASI.
Policy Governance also identifies long-term outcomes for the organization, called “Ends,” that the board wants to have happen on behalf of all members.
PSIA-AASI’s National “Ends”
- PSIA-AASI Members receive innovative, inspirational, and accessible professional development to enhance their careers and leadership potential in the Snowsports industry.
- Members, partners, and the public recognize PSIA-AASI education, training, and credentials as a global standard and valued service.
- Members experience profound personal and professional growth and participation in diverse communities.
- Members consistently receive exceptional service, benefits, and value for their membership across the PSIA-AASI organization.