CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Carrabassett Valley Academy Headmaster John Ritzo has announced the appointment of Maine Winter Sports Center President/Chief Executive Officer Andy Shepard to the academy’s board of trustees.

Ritzo said, “The complimenting missions of CVA and MWSC, along with Andy’s experience, enthusiasm and passion for winter sports make this appointment a natural fit.

“A partnership between our two world-class snow sports institutions began earlier this year with the development of the Bill and Joan Alfond Student/Athlete Scholarship Fund. The fund was established to help students from communities serviced by MWSC attend CVA. Together CVA and the MWSC are raising aspirations and providing opportunities for Maine youth to reach their full athletic and academic potential.”

Shepard said, “I am very excited about this opportunity. CVA is one of the top alpine and snowboard academies in the world and shares with MWSC, a commitment to making a difference for Maine youth.

“I think the Joan and Bill Alfond Scholarship has shown both John and me the potential of working more closely together, and we are both anxious to see what might be around the corner. “

Shepard spent 16 years at L.L. Bean in Freeport, working on strategies, products and services to inspire people to spend time outdoors. While at L.L. Bean, Shephard was the architect of a strategy to develop a new, sustainable economic model for northern Maine. That model, with the support of the Portland-based Libra Foundation, has become the Maine Winter Sports Center.

The academy, founded in 1982, is a fully accredited independent coeducational boarding and day school for grades eight through post-graduate. The academy’s mission is to foster individual student development by providing the optimum balance of excellence in athletic training with a focus on skiing/snowboarding, college preparatory academics and responsible living.

Maine Winter Sports Center seeks to re-establish skiing as a lifestyle in Maine, leverage that lifestyle to create a new economic model for rural and isolated communities of Maine and create opportunities for the youth of Maine.

Copy the Story Link