PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 11, 2015) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced Friday that its Vice President, Athlete Career and Education George ‘Jory’ Macomber will be leaving the organization this spring to become head of school at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. Macomber, who joined the USSA in April 2014, has been instrumental in moving the USSA’s athlete career and education area forward with new programs to benefit elite athletes.
Macomber will take over the head position at Burke when present Headmaster Kirk Dwyer leaves after the 2015-16 school year to assume leadership at Ski and Snowboard Club Vail. Macomber will remain in his position at the USSA into the spring of 2016.
A former Burke student and board member, Macomber came to the USSA from a longtime position at Holderness School in New Hampshire. In his tenure at the USSA, he is credited with advancing the organization’s programs for elite athletes, most notably the renewal of its partnership with Westminster College, expanding scholarship opportunities and in creating significant resources for personal career development for athletes including a new leadership program for alumni mentoring. He has also worked to effectively advance the academic quality at the USSA TEAM Academy, a high school program now entering its fourth season.
“As a Burke alumnus, former trustee and past parent, I’m proud to take what I’ve learned at the USSA to lead one of the world’s great ski academies,” said Macomber. “I believe I can make an even stronger contribution to the USSA by helping Burke grow in the 21st century. I want to thank Tiger, Luke Bodensteiner and the entire USSA team for believing in our work in athlete career and education.”
“Jory has had a remarkable impact with the USSA in his time here that will help us transition to new leadership in athlete career education, which is a vital part of our athletic success,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “While I’m disappointed to lose Jory from our leadership team, and his wonderful wife Martha from our community, I know that he will continue to be an important resource and partner to USSA while at Burke, leading an academy that has a proven, indisputable ability to develop young athletes who are capable of becoming the best in the world.”
As an organization largely focused on athletics, improving its focus on athlete education and career planning has become a priority for the USSA. Education is an important element for young athletes during the formative career development period of their lives. Under Macomber, those programs have been dramatically enhanced with a special direction towards better preparing athletes to transition after their retirement from competition, as well as initiating programs for alumni.
