Written By: Jamie Schectman
As many of our friends, fans and followers know, MRA has been working with Mt Abram since 2011. In August of this season, we took over management of ski area operations. Lead by MRA Co-founder Dave Scanlan as General Manager, other MRA team members will fill other management positions.
Dave gearing up for the season
Additionally, work continues towards transitioning to a community ownership. A Co-op steering committee has been formed and we have begun collaborating. We have developed a financial model that we believe will enable smaller, community based ski areas to thrive. We hope to kick off the Mt Abram Co-op by January 1st, 2014.
Continuing Mt Abram’s dedication to environmental stewardship, the ski area recently was awarded a $235,000 USDA REAP grant to be applied towards a 869 solar panel array. The on-site energy produced annually is expected to offset a majority of the ski area’s annual energy consumption.
Mt Abram Owner Matt Hancock, Congresswoman Pingery, USDA officials and MRA CEO Jamie Schectman
We are excited for the future of Mt Abram and are happy to report that the transformation into a Sustainable Mountain Playground has begun. There is a lot of work yet to be done, but the future of skiing is looking bright. Bring on the season, and we hope to see you on the slopes soon!
Bio: Jamie Schectman is the CEO and Co-founder of Mountain Rider’s Alliance. As a self-proclaimed change agent, he believes the ski industry needs to refocus on what is important, sliding down the slopes. He looks forward to bringing the triple bottom line of people, planet then profit to our beloved sport.
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