NENSA is thrilled to welcome and introduce incoming Community Engagement Director, Isabel Caldwell.
Isabel’s roots run deep in the New England ski community. Through W. River BKL and Stratton Mountain School, she developed a love of sport that led her to Dartmouth College, where she studied Earth Science and was a varsity member and captain of the ski team. She went on to earn a Masters degree in Teaching at UVM and has since taught math and science at the middle and high school levels, most recently at Sugar Bowl Academy in Norden, CA. Throughout her career, Isabel has been committed to the growth and development of young people far beyond the traditional classroom as a ski coach, wilderness trip leader, drama teacher, and dorm parent.
In her coaching roles, Isabel has worked with diverse programs and skiers of all ages and abilities. She has served as Youth Ski Club Director and Head Coach at Frost Mountain Nordic, Head Coach at Burr & Burton Academy, and U8 Coach with the Sugar Bowl Ski Team. Additionally, she has served on the Executive Committee of Far West Nordic, coordinated regional opportunities, and contributed to a strategic planning process.
Heidi Lange, Executive Director, is thrilled to welcome Isabel to NENSA. “While Isabel’s introduction to the sport came in her own backyard, it is clear that skiing is not only in her blood but also in her heart. As an educator, she brings a keen understanding of the relationships and opportunities that spark joy and foster learning. As a community leader, she brings the vision, creativity, and spirit that will support our growing community at NENSA. I know that the thoughtful consideration and passion she brings to the NENSA team will increase access and opportunity, and promote the cultural development of Nordic skiing in New England.”
“I am most looking forward to helping expand and elevate high school skiing in New England with the U16 Championships and Eastern High School Championships,” Isabel reflects about the upcoming season. “To me, these events are what set New England skiing apart from the rest of the country and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play a lead role in the championships and the RDG camp.”
According to Kate Koch, long-time NENSA board member and W. River and SMS community member, “Isabel brings joy to everything she does and loves working with all different kinds of people. She has grown up in the ski world and aspires to expand the xc community; NENSA could not ask for a better ambassador!”
Isabel shares, “I am thrilled to join NENSA because it is an organization that shaped my youth and I am looking forward to helping the New England ski community continue to grow and develop.”
A new position at NENSA, the Community Engagement Director will further NENSA’s mission through programming, communications, and resources that inspire engagement, support development, and build community. The CED will develop programming that offers varied and festive formats, resources and education that support club and coach development, and communications that increase awareness of and engagement with the sport of cross country skiing in New England.
“My favorite ski memory was from a ski David and I did about ten years ago from my parents’ house in Peru, VT. We skied up into the Peru Peak Wilderness, following creeks and navigating with map and compass when he had to check our bearings,” Isabel recalls. “We made it to gorgeous, remote beaver ponds where we saw a moose, a coyote, and tons of animal tracks. This was my first year after graduating college and I had felt pretty burnt out from ski racing upon graduation. That day in the woods, I fell back in love with skiing.”
Isabel will be relocating to New England this summer and will begin work at NENSA on August 1.
