This spring brought change and transition to the Jackson, NH and NENSA ski communities with Ellen Chandler retiring from her positions as Executive Director of Jackson Ski Touring Foundation and Board President of NENSA. While no longer President, we are very grateful that Ellen will continue serving on the NENSA Board, of which she has been a member for over 11 years.
Ellen has described XC skiing as one of the few constants in her life and her more than 40 years of leadership in the ski community certainly reflects that sentiment. She has shared that “there is nothing like gliding on snow” and her career has been one of spreading that joy to as many people as possible in New Hampshire and throughout the New England ski community. A graduate of Williams College and the first female Nordic All-American in the school’s history, Ellen started her career teaching young children to ski in remote Alaska before moving back east and becoming a leader in the Nordic ski industry.
Ellen managed the Bretton Woods Nordic Center, directed Eastman’s youth ski program, led the New England Ski Museum, served on NENSA’s Board with fours years as President, and most recently led Jackson XC through considerable growth and success.
Retired UNH Nordic Coach, Cory Schwartz shared, “Ellen didn’t just inherit great Nordic centers—she helped build the institutions that support Nordic skiing today.”
In honor of her dedication to the New Hampshire ski community, Ellen was recently presented with the Al Merrill Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to Nordic skiing in New Hampshire. Read Ski NH’s award recognition article here.
Over her four years as Board President of NENSA, Ellen led NENSA through a period of significant growth with staffing, programs, and overall fundraising efforts, including the John Ogden Youth (JOY) endowment.
NENSA Board Member and Former President, Carol Van Dyke, shared the following: “As President, she [Ellen] has taken a seat in all the organizational committee work including Resource Development, Human Resources and Search committees. Her experience in the cross-country ski industry as an athlete, managing touring centers, communicating with ski manufacturers, and working with boards at Jackson Touring Foundation and the New England Ski Museum has brought in-depth insight to NENSA’s mission. As her past-president, I have so enjoyed working with Ellen with her calm even-handed approach to issues, her ability to guide meetings and summarize discussions. I am grateful we could share a friendship together for the love of the sport and our work at NENSA.”
During her tenure as President, Ellen worked very closely with NENSA’s Executive Director, Heidi. In reflecting on Ellen’s impact, Heidi shared that, ” Ellen’s love for cross-country skiing and her dedication to growing the sport and sharing it with others have deeply benefited NENSA and the broader New England ski community. Drawing on her longstanding experience in the ski industry, her leadership as board president has helped advance NENSA’s introductory programs, strengthen industry partnerships, and support the continued growth of the sport. As Ellen continues her service as a member of our board, NENSA is fortunate to benefit from the perspective and commitment she brings to our mission.”
Thank you, Ellen, for your dedication and thoughtful approach to growing and sharing the sport of cross-country skiing in New Hampshire and the greater New England community. Congratulations on your long and impactful career. We look forward to continuing to work with you as a NENSA Board Member and are excited to see the creative and thoughtful ways we know you will continue to impact our sport in your retirement.
