Greg Sweetser Retiring As Ski Maine’s Executive Director

Greg Sweetser is retiring after 24 years as executive director of the organization that champions Maine’s Alpine and Nordic ski industries.

Sweetser has been an advocate for promoting healthy winter lifestyles for Maine residents. Ski Maine established the Fifth Grade Passport, which offers free or discounted winter activities for Maine children at more than 50 recreational centers throughout the state.

Ski Maine’s board has begun the process of finding a replacement for Sweetser.

Position: Executive Director
Status: Full-time year-round
Posted: October 17, 2019
Start Date: March 30, 2020

Overview

The Ski Maine Association is the non-profit trade association representing the Maine Alpine and Nordic ski industry. The association represents 16 alpine ski areas and 21 Nordic ski centers from South Berwick to Fort Kent. The mission of the association is to promote the industry and grow the sport by focusing on governmental affairs, education and training, and public awareness.

Ski Maine is looking to hire a motivated and organized professional with excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience with government relations, ski industry operations, tourism, and/or hospitality, and a passion for outdoor recreation. The Executive Director of the Ski Maine Association is the chief executive officer for all operations, functions, and programs, and reports to the organization’s board of directors. The following is a basic outline of the duties and responsibilities of the Executive Director, which is a full-time, year-round position. This is a partial list and is subject to change with the ongoing development Ski Maine.

Governmental Affairs 

The Executive Director:

1. Is responsible for keeping Ski Maine’s membership informed on legislative issues that directly and indirectly affect the ski industry, and acts as the liaison for governmental issues as deemed appropriate. This includes working closely with the organization’s law firm and the National Ski Areas Association to track bills and laws on the state and national level.
2. Shall be proactive in initiating legislative changes that would benefit the ski industry in Maine.

Education and Advancement

The Executive Director:

1. Shall work with the membership to offer educational opportunities for ski area staff members. Current events include the fall New England Summit with educational seminars and trade show, and other trade show events.
2. Shall keep the membership informed of educational sessions and seminars of interest to ski area operators and staff.

Public Relations 

The Executive Director is responsible for:

1. Maintaining public relations on all levels and working to increase Maine’s visibility in target markets, including both in-state and out-of-state. The Executive Director shall act as a spokesperson to represent the needs of the ski area membership on a broader scale.
2. Maintains a basic presence on social media and implements other marketing initiatives, such as email newsletters, as deemed necessary by the board of directors.
3. Works directly with larger tourism agencies to collaborate on marketing initiatives with regional chambers, the Maine Office of Tourism, and other organizations such as WinterKids, the Maine Hospitality and Tourism Alliance, and more.
4. Responsible for maintaining relationships with associate non-ski area members through internal and external communications.

Administrative and Financial

The Executive Director shall:

1. Be responsible for the sustainability and longevity of the association.
2. Be responsible for all internal administrative procedures of Ski Maine, including the good order of all documents, files, and records.
3. Maintain current status of all licenses, applications, and registrations as required.
4. Accurately maintain the financial records of Ski Maine.
5. In conjunction with the president of the board of directors, prepare annual reports and budgets.
6. Be responsible for the security of all Ski Maine assets.
7. Make other financial studies, projections, and reports as required.
8. Act as the primary fundraiser for Ski Maine Association. Current efforts include but are not limited to Ski Maine Mountain Pass sales, fall trade show, winter kickoff party, and sponsorships. Executive Director is expected to initiate appeals for funding from the state, community, and industry support as appropriate.

Qualifications: 

1. Bachelor’s degree or higher in business administration, political science, or other relevant course of study required.
2. 8-10 years’ experience in the ski or outdoor recreation, hospitality and tourism, and/or a regulatory or lobbyist role required.
3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.
4. Ability to manage financials and administrative tasks on top of other responsibilities required.
5. Experience with governmental affairs and public relations preferred.
6. Knowledge of ski area operations and industry-specific needs preferred.
7. Experience with event planning and fundraising preferred.

Interested applicants should email Karl Strand (kstrand@sugarloaf.com) and Karolyn Castaldo (Karolyn.castaldo@sundayriver.com) with a resume and cover letter. Qualified applicants will be reviewed by the executive committee of the Ski Maine board of directors. The position will have at least two month’s overlap with current Executive Director for training purposes.