This year we’ll be voting on five new board members at our annual meeting on April 20. We’re excited to bring such experienced, enthusiastic members into our leadership. Get to know them below, and meet them in person at the party in Mazama on the 20th!

Ben Johns brings 32 years of merchandising, marketing and leadership experience from his career at REI. He retired from the Co-op in 2022, most recently serving as Divisional VP and General Merchandise Manager. Ben was first introduced to the Methow and Nordic skiing in 1990, fell in love with both and is now “most time” in Mazama, though frequently adventuring across the west and maintaining a presence in the Seattle area. Ben believes deeply in the positive power of the outdoors and looks forward to supporting Methow Valley Nordic and its mission.

Ara Swanson is the parent of two MVNT skiers, and a lifelong lover of sport and the outdoors. Relatively new to Nordic skiing, she loves nothing more than the magic of gliding on skis through the woods in the middle of winter. Ara is excited to continue help our community of Nordic skiers grow and thrive from youngest to oldest and all interests and abilities. As a member of the MVNT board, Ara looks forward to continuing the mission of supporting a vibrant Nordic ski community for all in the Methow.

Owen Rice is the Executive Vice President and Partner at Hughes Marino, an award-winning commercial real estate firm specializing in helping companies develop solutions for their real estate needs.  He has operational and P&L responsibility for his company and knows how beneficial a positive culture can be for an organization.  Owen, along with his wife and their two boys reside in Seattle but spend as much time as possible each month at their home in Winthrop.  Owen would bring ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit and a tremendous passion for fundraising to the MVNSEF Board of Directors.  A lifelong skier, ultra runner and former collegiate athlete, Owen credits his passion for athletic achievements for helping him reach his goals and inspire others to participate in sport, hopeful of establishing lifelong passions for themselves and others in pursuit of the benefits of outdoor recreation.

Kevin Kolman lives in Winthrop with wife Caroline and 2 kids Chloe (9) and Dominic (7). Both Chloe and Dominic are part of the Nordic Team. Like many parents, Kevin took one of the weekly adult classes to keep up with his kids. He’s an inactive CPA and works in finance for a software company. He enjoys Nordic skiing, biking, hiking and gardening.

In her third decade in the valley, Leslie Mittendorf is continually amazed by the opportunities to learn, explore and serve this incredible place. Like many, she came for the recreation but stayed for the community, which drives her engagement with Methow Valley Nordic. No stranger to MVN, Leslie served on the board in the early 2000s and for the past several years has been part of MVN’s online auction team. If you’ve attended our December Ski camp, you know her for her incredible organization and enthusiasm as co-director, where she forges long-lasting relationships between a broad reaching participant base and the Methow.  Her interests include furthering community engagement, solidifying a value proposition, and working on long-term funding to build capacity, longevity, and opportunity for the organization and its constituents. Her background is in User Experience, Human Interaction Designs, and Information Management systems.