July 01, 2015 (New Gloucester, ME) – The New England Nordic Ski Association Board of Directors and Staff are pleased to welcome Amie Smith of Wellesley, MA to the team as the new High Performance Director. “I am very excited to be joining the NENSA team as their new High Performance Director,” said Amie Smith on looking ahead to her official start. “We have a great season of training and competition coming up, and I am looking forward to working with and supporting the incredible community of Nordic athletes, coaches, clubs and race venues here in New England, to advance all of NENSA’s competitive programs.”

A Vermont native and lifelong skier and racer herself, Amie grew up skiing in the Torger Tokle / Bill Koch League out of Bennington, VT. She attended the University of Vermont, earning a BS in Human Development before going on to earn her masters degree in Social Work and Community Organizing from Columbia. Amie has shepherded two daughters through NENSA and the Cambridge Sports Union program out of Boston/Weston and onto the EISA circuit.

Recently, Amie has been helping to lead the Cambridge Sports Union – NENSA 2015 Club of the Year – filling many roles for CSU since 2007, including serving as CSU Board Chair since 2011. Amie has been the race organizer for an EasternCup at Weston, NENSA’s Junior National Championship Trip Leader for two years, and is a NENSA certified coach.

“Amie brings a collaborative spirit to her leadership approach and an authentic enthusiasm that will propel her in galvanizing our New England nordic community,” said NENSA Executive Director, Zach Stegeman. “She has great vision and the requisite attention to detail to engage across segments. Amie’s credentials for the position and her familiarity with NENSA are a clear advantage for us. The energy and inclusivity behind her strong leadership ensure we are putting our best foot forward with Amie leading NENSA’s competitive programs as our High Performance Director.”

In keeping with the NENSA mission, the High Performance Director is tasked with positioning NENSA as a central resource for our community and as a national leader in coach, athlete, and club development. Smith will be guiding and creating resources to support NENSA’s athletes and coaches and will work closely with community stakeholders including EISA, USSA, local clubs, and the NENSA staff team. As HPD, Smith will also support NENSA’s EasternCup race series and manage scoring and competitive rankings. In keeping with a two-year tradition, Smith will also serve as Trip Leader for the annual trip to the USSA Junior National Championship.

The High Performance Director position was established along with the departure of long-time Competitive Programs Director, Janice Sibilia. In her nearly 9-year career, Sibilia oversaw the organization’s racing and athlete development programs through a period of tremendous growth for the organization. (More on Sibilia here.)

“The talent in the pool of applicants for the newly formed High Performance Director position was a compliment to NENSA,” continued Stegeman. “I am thrilled to have Amie join the NENSA staff team. She is well positioned to have an immediate impact in advancing our competitive programs, community resources, and our coaching education initiatives.”

Smith officially starts on July 13, 2015 and can be reached via email at amie@nensa.net. She was selected by a search committee composed of five members of NENSA’s Board of Directors, NENSA Executive Director, NENSA Youth Program Manager, and one community representative.

About NENSA:
The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the community Olympic development program for cross-country skiing in New England as well as the umbrella for most organized Nordic skiing events in the region. NENSA hosts over 50 events and more than 20 clinics for skiers and coaches at venues across the Northeast. Cross-country skiing, as practiced by our youth skiers and families, is a lifetime activity firmly rooted in New England tradition. Cross-country ski racing, as performed in the NENSA Eastern Cup series, and at our Championship Events, is a fast, explosive, and visually dynamic sport. Learn more a www.NENSA.net.

NENSA Mission Statement:
It is the mission of the New England Nordic Ski Association to implement educational, recreational, and competitive programs at all levels of cross-country skiing. NENSA works to sustain a vital and active skiing community in New England, and to provide the support structure necessary to bring cross-country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national, and international events.