Our Team
Women of Winter Staff:
Carolyn Stempler, Executive Director
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Carolyn started skiing in her 20’s with the National Brotherhood of Snowsports in Breckenridge. She fell in love with the sport and became a regular attendee of the annual NBS events. Eventually, she switched to snowboarding for 10 years before returning to skiing.
Carolyn was part of our inaugural Women of Winter <> PSIA-AASI Alpine Level I certification scholarship in 2021 and in 2023, received her Children’s Specialist I certification through a new Women of Winter x @thesnowpros scholarship program. Carolyn brings over 30 years of Executive experience and 15+ years of nonprofit leadership experience that will bring Women of Winter’s impact to the next level. Additionally, Carolyn has extensive experience in DEIB and multi-cultural settings and communities.
Women of Winter Ambassadors:
Brit Schulte, Ambassador
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Brit learned to ski at the age of 23 on a weekend trip with friends in Lake Tahoe, where she took her first ski lesson and became hooked. For the next two years, she spent as many winter weekends driving up to the mountains from San Francisco as she could. She eventually left SF city life and became a ski instructor in the tiny mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado. Since then, she spent a winter in Verbier, Switzerland where she earned her Level 2 ski instructor certification. She is now based in Breckenridge, Colorado, and is a member of the marketing team at Halfdays, a women-owned ski & outdoor apparel brand, a ski & outdoors content creator (@mtn.brit on TikTok and Instagram), and ski instructor/coach. Brit is passionate about making skiing more accessible and diverse, and especially hopes to encourage adults that it’s never too late to learn this winter sport!
Staff Bree Jameson, Director of Community Engagement
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Bree Jameson is a New Orleans, Louisiana native who transplanted to Texas in 2005. She is the mom of thirteen year old twin boys and an entrepreneur with businesses in Real Estate and Animal Care. She is also a decorated athlete and the 1st black woman to bolt and climb a first ascent* as documented in JEDI Training Film. Bree consults professionally as a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Expert and gives back to the community through her work with multiple non-profits. She strives to be a changemaker aiming to improve accessibility of green spaces and increase participant diversity in outdoor recreation. Her professional accolades and affiliations include:
● COO of Furry Land®️ Mobile Pet Grooming of San Antonio
● Owner of The Outdoorsy Realtor™️
● Professional Ski Instructors of America certified Children’s Specialist and Alpine Level 1 Ski Instructor
● American Mountain Guide Association Single Pitch Instructor candidate
● National Speleological Society Diversity Committee Chair
● Texas Cave Management Association Board Member and Membership Committee Chair
● Director of Community Impact for the Texas Lady Crushers
● Director of Engagement for Women of Winter
● Founder of Minorities in Outdoor Recreation & Education™
Sasha Dingle, Ambassador
Francesca Pavillard-Cain, Ambassador
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Francesca was born and raised in Crested Butte Colorado. She is the daughter of world-renowned swiss mountain guide and fellow Yellowstone Club ski instructor, Jean Pavillard, and Professor Mary Cain. She made her competition debut while attending the Crested Butte Academy and went on to take several junior titles, including: 3 time winner of the Crested Butte Extremes, Open Class USASA Skier Cross Champion and the Junior World Telemark Champion. Western State Colorado University, gave her the opportunity to spend my college years studying and competing. During her time at Western she was able to prove herself in the Freeride Scene. Her most notable achievement was winning the overall Subaru Freeride Series. This qualified her in the top spot for the Swatch Freeride World Tour, leading to three amazing years traveling and competing around the world. Skiing has led her to so many great challenges and experiences. It will always be a part of her and is her true passion. Francesca is a Level III PSIA ski instructor and currently resides in Bozeman, Montana and ski coaches at the Yellowstone Club. She is the star of Warren Miller’s Face of Winter.
Hanna Rohani Wilson, Marketing and Brand Director
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Introducing Hanna Rohani Wilson our Marketing and Brand Director. She has been a volunteer since 2023 after being a two-time scholarship recipient receiving PSIA Level I in 2022 and CS1 in 2023.
For the past three years Hanna has been a member of marketing team at Snow Partners which operates Big SNOW American Dream the first indoor ski facility in North America. Prior she worked with the NBA Washington Wizards as their first in-season female Front Office Basketball Operations intern and then
was a Marketing Assistant with the Big East Conference for 5 years.
Raised in Colorado, she started skiing when she was three. After a 12 year hiatus from the sport, a trip to Mont Tremblant rekindled her passion for the outdoors and snow sports. In 2020, Hanna had a lifechanging opportunity to ski at Darbandsar Ski Resort, nestled high in the Alborz mountain range in Iran. She hopes to be an advocate of the thriving outdoor culture in Iran, the homeland of her mother.
Her WoW PSIA experiences have been nothing short of transformative and affirming. The friendships and connections forged on the slopes are for life, contributing to an incredible sense of empowerment.
Hanna's vision is about amplifying these qualities and creating authentic, women-focused spaces for teaching and development. She passionately believes that diverse female leadership and representation are essential for progress and growth. For Hanna, WoW and similar programs across the country, represent the future of the outdoor and Snow Sports Industry
Join Hanna and WoW in a shared mission to break barriers, foster diversity, and empower women in snow sports.
Ashley Reed, Chief of Staff
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Originally from Milwaukee, Ashley now lives in Chicago and has a deep love for the Midwest. However, as someone passionate about skiing, she misses the mountains—Midwest ski hills just don’t compare! After growing up snowboarding, she found her true passion in skiing and is now committed to fostering diversity in the sport. Once she learned about Women of Winter and became a scholarship recipient, her amazing experience inspired her to get more involved. Now, she proudly serves as the Chief of Staff, helping to advance the organization’s mission.
Karen Mendoza, Marketing and Social Media Associate
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1st generation American, switching the rolling hills of Texas for Rocky Mountain peaks.
What gets her excited during the winter? The feeling that comes after the fear of doing something for the first time. There's no greater sense of accomplishment than shredding down steep terrain you felt you could never do!
"Women of Winter allows me to help others feel the same way. Whether contributing to social media posts or motivating women to have a fun day on snow, I look forward to changing the outdoor industry in any small way possible."
Board of Trustees
Chris Walch, Founder & Board Chair
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Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Chris was born with the mountains in her blood. Her dad hails from Tirol, Austria, where she first learned to ski at the age of 22 and started teaching skiing at the small family resort of St. Johann. Since then she’s taught in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Killington, VT and now in Big Sky, Montana at the Yellowstone Club and Big Sky Resort. Chris founded Women of Winter in the winter of 2018/19 in her ski school locker room and has grown it from a speaker series to a national education scholarship initiative and thriving community. Chris is also an ambassador for Rossignol, one of Women of Winter's founding BIPOC scholarship sponsors. In winter 2023/24, Chris stepped into her role as Board Chair and continues to be involved in the long term strategic vision and mission of Women of Winter.
Carolyn Stempler, Executive Director, Ex-Officio
Liz Craig, Board Member
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Liz grew up in Pittsburgh, PA skiing a handful of times on the icy east coast slopes of Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Only after moving west to Oregon in 2016 and having Mount Hood in her backyard did she fully realize her passion for the mountains and skiing!
She joined the Women of Winter volunteer team in the Fall of 2021 and as of Spring of 2024 transitioned from an operational volunteer to board member.
Liz lives in Anchorage, AK where she chases powder and daylight all winter long!
Sara Smith, Board Member
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Sara is the Chief Financial Officer for ALPS Corporation. Sara grew up in the shadow of the Beartooths in central MT. She started skiing at Red Lodge Mountain at the age of 9. Sara is a Level 3 certified ski instructor with PSIA/AASI and has taught in multiple places in MT as well as Winter Park, CO. She is also known to snowboard and bend a knee on a telemark ski.
Sara joined the Women of Winter board in September of 2024. Sara is a licensed CPA and enjoys
analyzing numbers.
Join the team today.
Do you love snow sports? Do you want to help support and elevate a grassroots organization working to change the outdoor industry? Sign up to become a volunteer with Women of Winter and join a community of people passionate about change.