By Kerri Loudoun, Communications and Marketing Portfolio Leader (kerri.loudoun@skipatrol.ca)

In May’s member newsletter, we outlined how the CSP board of directors functions and gave you some insight about the current board members. You can find that article here.

In this month’s article, we outline what the national management committee is (also known as the NMC), who makes up this committee and how it connects with other groups within the national level.

General overview of the national management committee (NMC)

The NMC is made up of:

  1. The co-executive directors.
  2. Each national portfolio leader – translation, finance, communications and marketing, training and development, and member services (this last position is currently vacant).
  3. The national manager.
  4. A division president to represent all division presidents.
  5. A member of the board of directors to represent the board.

The when and what of the NMC

The NMC meets virtually as a group every other week on Thursday evenings throughout the calendar year. Occasionally, if required, the NMC will schedule additional meetings if urgent matters require the full group’s input or assistance. These meetings are status update meetings, allowing the portfolio leaders, the co-executive directors, the board and division representatives, to review what has been in progress since the previous NMC meeting.

The flow of the meetings can vary from few updates per person, to detailed discussion on a specific project, to putting forth new ideas or items that could be considered by each group. Generally, there is a lot of discussion around a variety of operational actions that are in progress for the national level and the division level.

These meetings are informal in structure – they run as a roundtable-style discussion. There is no official protocol for each meeting agenda, and each attendee can freely ask questions and discussion is encouraged. Ideas are shared readily, and insights are welcomed from all participating.

The division president and board of directors representatives attend all NMC meetings to ensure activities happening at the portfolio level are shared with other leadership levels where applicable. The representative attending the twice-a-month meetings rotate on a consistent cycle. For example, each month the division president rep is someone new from the division presidents’ group.

Paid positions vs. volunteer positions

The co-executive directors and the national manager are paid positions and receive a salary. The co-executive directors split the salary available for this one-person role (in the past) and also split the workload. By having one of the executive directors residing in Ontario, and the other residing in Alberta, the CSP has been able to find cost savings when leadership representation is required at ongoing functions like regional snow association resort conferences which require CSP representation and participation (in the form of being a presenter/speaker), or attendance.

All other NMC member roles are filled by volunteers.

Portfolio leaders (formerly called national portfolio vice-presidents) must apply for the positions and are selected by the co-executive directors and the board after a comprehensive recruiting and application process.

Portfolios and their teams

The portfolio leaders also have volunteers to support their portfolio’s initiatives. These members tend to focus on more specific areas within the greater portfolio. For example:

  • Communications and marketing portfolio – includes pro deals team, editorial team (editor, writers, copyeditor), website and digital platforms team (graphic designer and content management system experts), and strategists.
  • Finance portfolio – is assisted by the national manager.
  • Training and development portfolio – includes the deputy leader of training and development portfolio (liaison with division training managers), the national manager of advanced first aid (AFA) training (AFA manual, AFA courses content, AFA written and diagnostic skills evaluations), the national manager of the instructor certification program (ICP) (ICP instructor manual, ICP instructor foundation course, AFA instructor and on snow [OS] instructor seminars, ICP instructor trainer course), the national manager of on snow training (On Patrol manual, alpine and Nordic OS courses content and evaluation checklists, avalanche course coordinator), the national manager training and development resources (eLearning system, resource library coordinator, manuals coordinator).
  • Translation portfolio – includes translation coordinators and translators that help plan the work and distribute the assignments according to the needs in governance, communications, AFA, OS and ICP.

As well, the NMC members may strike ad-hoc committees for special projects when needed, and bring on temporarily additional volunteers to meet that project’s needs. These ad-hoc projects can include not only CSP members, but also individuals outside of the CSP with expertise related to the special project.

Your NMC members

Below you’ll see a list of the current national management committee members. We’ve asked each individual to share a little about themselves so you can get to know each person.

Click on each name to expand their profile.

Mark Brown (co-executive director)

What year did you join the CSP? 2000

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Mansfield, Ontario

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. My first first in

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? Eggs over easy, bacon, tomato, whole wheat toast.

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Switch to a vest sooner.

Jean Rioux (co-executive director)

What year did you join the CSP? 1984

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Lake Louise, Alberta

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. Attending the 2010 Olympics as a medical team member for the speed events. With 20 of my friends.

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? Beer and pull pork nachos at the end of the day.

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Don’t do anything differently.

Rénee Thivierge (national manager)

What year did you join the CSP? Started working for CSP in September 1986

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Work out of the head office in Ottawa

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. I started alpine skiing because of CSP. Loved skiing out west. Lake Louise, Sun Peaks, Big White.
Also loved meeting people and being able to have built friendships across the country.

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? Poutine

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Enjoy the ride.

Jacques Blais (Translation portfolio leader)

What year did you join the CSP? 2004

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Val St-Côme in Lanaudière, QC

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. My recruit year, being mentored by Guy Albert (rest his soul) who showed me how great a patroller can be and this year when I become the first life member of my zone – CSP Lanaudière.

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? Three soups! Yes, the three different soups offered at lunch at the cafeteria. It has been like this for years!

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Do not ask yourself what others should be doing! Instead, always do all that you can do!

Brittany Borysek (finance portfolio leader)

What year did you join the CSP? 2008

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Craigleith, Collingwood Ontario

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis and snowboard

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. First aid competitions – winning the national first aid competition in 2013

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? French fries

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? …

Andrew Hill (training and development portfolio leader)

What year did you join the CSP? 1991

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Nakiska, near Calgary, Alberta

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. I can’t say that there is any specific fondest memory, it has all been an enjoyable experience. I particularly like working with new recruits through their advanced first aid training and subsequent completion of their on-hill resort training.

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? The made to order sandwich bar, especially if they have the Aussie pies.

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Get involved with helping out in the patrol sooner, rather than later.

Kerri Loudoun (communications and marketing portfolio leader)

What year did you join the CSP? 2015

What resort/area do you patrol at primarily? Boler Mountain, London, Ontario

Do you patrol on alpine skis, Telemark skis, a snowboard, or Nordic skis? Alpine skis and snowboard

Describe your fondest memory (so far) while volunteering with the CSP. After responding to patient with life-threatening injuries, learning that the paramedics we transferred the patient to for further care said it was one of the best instances of civilian first aid support they’d encountered and were very impressed with the ski patrollers’ knowledge and actions.

What’s your go-to food item to order and consume at your resort/area? Sour keys (gummy candy)

If you went back in time to talk to yourself in your first year with the CSP, what would you tell yourself? Your patrol family will never look at you like you have three heads because you’re anxious for winter to arrive. They love winter just as much as you.

Next issue

Next month, we will delve deeper into the CSP Medical Advisory Committee – its function and its members.

Know Your National – National Management Committee

This post is also available in: French