We’re thrilled to share that as of this spring, Chris City has taken on the role of NENSA Board President and Katharine Call the role of Vice President.
Joining the NENSA Board as a director in 2022, Katharine grew up in Southern Vermont, ski racing and benefiting from all of NENSA’s competitive programming from a very young age. She raced for the Dartmouth College ski team and then professionally for a few years on the U.S. Ski Team, including racing at the World Championships in 2021. She has since moved on to pursue a career in adolescent mental health while continuing to be involved with coaching and supporting local developing skiers whenever possible.
As a Board member, Katharine made significant contributions as a four year member of the Resource Development Committee, taking on a leadership role in the John Ogden Youth (JOY) endowment campaign in honor of her late father. She has also contributed significantly to NENSA’s ad-hoc Transgender Committee, currently serves on our Executive Committee, and recently took on a leadership role as chair of our Governance Committee.
Long time Board member and former Board President, Carol Van Dyke, shared the following about Katharine, “I am thrilled that Katharine is on the board and has accepted the position of Vice-President. She holds a legacy of NENSA family involvement from Bill Koch youth to Eastern Cups, NCAA, and World Cup racing. I still hold with awe the distinct memory of watching her slay the competition at the 2019 NCAA 15K Classical Championships at Trapps. Her father, John, was on the Executive Committee and while President, I constantly turned to him for his open-minded and unique positive perspective on issues. While near the end of his time, he recommended Katharine as a worthy successor to his position. How right he was!”
NENSA Executive Director, Heidi Lange, shared, “Katharine contributes thoughtfully and strategically to discussions on nearly every aspect of NENSA’s work. To the role of Vice President, she brings not only a direct understanding of the breadth of NENSA’s mission, but also a keen sense of people and the strategies that will help NENSA be most effective and collaborative.”
Katharine will be joined in her leadership role on the Board by Chris City who joined the Board as a director in 2024 and was recently elected Board President. Chris is the founder of Patient Leadership LLC, which helps head coaches, athletic administrators, and other athletic leaders in all sports build programs that provide outstanding athlete experiences and foster sustainable, long-term excellence. Prior to starting his business, Chris was Head Coach of Harvard’s Nordic skiing program from 2008-2023. At Harvard, Chris developed a training environment that consistently supported NCAA Championships-caliber skiers. He was also instrumental in creating a stable operational foundation for the Ski Team, including helping secure head coaching endowments, expanding recruiting, and raising program visibility. Chris built a learning culture within his team that fostered student-athletes’ personal development, resilience, leadership, and teamwork, and he has received awards for excellence in coaching and mentorship. Before returning to Harvard to coach, Chris attended graduate school and practiced law in Boston. In addition to his professional work with coaches across sports, Chris continues to coach adult and youth skiers on an individual basis.
Chris brings significant organizational and leadership experience to the board, and has taken on chairing the Executive Committee and serving on the Governance Committee. Carol noted her observations of Chris saying that, “As an event director, I have enjoyed watching Chris coach the Harvard ski team to now leading NENSA with his erudite and visionary acumen.”
As Chris stepped into his leadership position, Heidi shared, “Over the last 30 years, NENSA has matured significantly as an organization. As we look toward the next chapter and undertake a strategic planning process, we are so fortunate to have Chris at the helm. With firsthand experience as both a competitor and coach, as well as a background in law and organizational leadership, Chris brings a thoughtful and steady perspective to this role. He has a unique ability to facilitate meaningful strategic conversations and communicate with clarity.”
Please join us in congratulating Katharine and Chris on their leadership roles! We look forward to their chapter guiding NENSA and serving the New England ski community.
