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Dale Schoon - Chief Executive Officer
Dale Schoon took over as CEO of the National Ability Center in July of 2008. He comes to the Center after nine years with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association. Most recently, he served with the USSA as the Associate Athletic Director. Previous to coming to Park City, Dale worked in South Florida with college football’s Orange Bowl Committee. Dale is also a former Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Art degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Dale enjoys exercise, outdoor activities, and watching his kids participate in sports. His daughter, Savannah, is a soccer player, and his son, Daniel, loves to play football. |
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Meeche White - Co-founder
Meeche White is the Co-founder of the National Ability Center. Meeche has a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University in Therapeutic Recreation. She has been active in numerous national and community organizations including Disabled Sports USA, Park City Rotary Club, Recycle Utah, the Park City Chamber Bureau and other community organizations. She taught adapted skiing for 20 years and continues to be active in ski racing for the disabled. She was selected as Park City Citizen of the Year in 1988 and received the Governor’s Utah Woman of Achievement Award. She also served as the ADA Manager for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
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Marla Howard - Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, Marla wears many hats for the National Ability Center. She enjoys working for an organization that involves recreation, helping others and can make it a family event. Her work experience has included communications, accounting, human resources and benefits administration for fortune 40 company and an international mining company. Community service has included being a race officiating at PCMR, 2002 Olympics, 2002 Paralympics, at her children’s schools and helping at risk youth. Marla has her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah and was a CPA prior to coming to the Center. Her hobbies include alpine skiing, hiking, backpacking, writing, water colors and photography. |
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Larry Finan - Facility Director
Larry was raised in southern California and attended Washington State University on a football scholarship. He graduated with a degree in Recreation and Park Administration. Before joining the National Ability Center in 1995, Larry was the Park Manager of the Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden, Utah. Larry has also been an assistant football coach and strength and conditioning coach at various universities.
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Julie Davis - Program Officer
Julie has been involved with the National Ability Center since 1987 when she did her internship. She currently is the Program Officer and supervises all Ability Center programs and registration. Julie has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education from the University of Utah and has completed the University of Utah's Management/Supervisory training program. Her career includes work at Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, the Colorado Outward Bound School and Park City Mountain Resort as ski instructor, Program Director and race coach. For 6 years she worked within the Learn to Race program at the Disabled Sports USA's Ski Spectacular and as a coach for the Alpine Junior Elite Team (AJET) for three seasons. |
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Scott Lyttle - Development Officer
Scott comes to the National Ability Center from Philadelphia where he received his MBA from St. Joseph's University and has been fundraising since 1999. He served as the Development Director for the Friends of the Wissahickon and Director of Major Gifts and Corporate Giving for The Academy of Sciences. He most recently worked in the Major Gifts program for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation. Through his work with the Team, Scott was introduced to and fell in love with Park City. Scott embraces the opportunity to work for an organization that focuses on athletics and helping individuals achieve their potential and beyond. If he isn't skiing on Sunday's in the winter, he'll be watching his Philadelphia Eagles. |
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Jennifer Atkin - Special Events Manager
Jennifer has a Bachelors in Science degree from the University of California at Davis in Exercise Science and Sport Psychology. She moved to Utah in 1999 for an internship with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Shortly after arriving in Utah, she was offered a full-time position in Corporate Services for the Organizing Committee. Most recently, she worked at United Way of Salt Lake as the Special Events Manager. A native of Truckee, California, she enjoys skiing and the outdoors.
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Kristen Caldwell - Program Manager: Ski, Canoe, Cycle, Archery, and Waterski
Kristen started with the National Ability Center as a winter intern in 2000.She fell in love with both the National Ability Center and Park City and decided to stay a while! In the last six years, Kristen has worked with the ski/snowboard, water ski, cycling, and canoeing programs, as well as the intern and Americorp staff. After taking two summers off and getting married, she is back full-time as the Program Manager of the Ski and Snowboard, Cycling, Canoeing, Archery, and Water Skiing programs. Kristen has a Masters in Therapeutic Recreation from Indiana University and is a nationally Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. In her spare time Kristen enjoys rock climbing, running, skiing, and several types of cultural dancing. |
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Jenn Carpenter - Program Administrator
An internship in the Fall of 2005 was Jenn's first chance to work with the National Ability Center. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's Degree in Park Recreation and Tourism Spring of 2006. In December of 2006 Jenn became the Program Administrator at the Ability Center.
Jenn enjoys the outdoors--especially rock climbing and snowboarding.
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Heather Gray - Program Manager: Sled Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Aquatics, and Bobsled
In the summer of 2006, Heather moved to Utah to be an intern with the National Ability Center. She later served for one year as a member of AmeriCorps and instructed in nearly every program offered. Currently she is a Program Manager for Sled Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Aquatics and Bobsled. Heather has a degree in Recreational Therapy from the University of Georgia and is a Certified Therapeutic Recreational Therapist (CTRS). |
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Lucas Grossi - Program Manager: Snowboarding
Lucas Grossi, an adaptive snowboarder and advocate for the sport, has an infatuation with a little frozen wonder called snow. As an adaptive rider since 1992 and an program coordinator since 2000, Lucas has shared this love of snowboarding with many other adaptive riders. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Montana and is a USASA snowboard coach. He has worked in association with the United States of America Snowboard Association and the World Snowboard Federation to promote adaptive snowboard competition in the US and around the globe. Lucas specializes in creating recreational and performance opportunities for adaptive snowboarders and other board sports. |
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Ryan Jensen - Outreach / Marketing Manager
Office phone: (435) 200-0990
Ryan's first experience with the National Ability Center came when he met a few members of the Ability Ski Team while he worked for a local television station. Two years later, he decided to use his talents to help promote those skiers and the rest of the participants at the Ability Center. Ryan, his wife, and their son enjoy the year-round beauty and activities in the Park City area. Ryan has a degree in journalism from Utah State University.
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Mauricia Krider - Program Supervisor
Mauricia Krider was born and raised in Dallas, Texas where she played on the first girls soccer team to win Regional and State Championships two years in row. She is a certified youth soccer coach and coached Jr. High School boy’s soccer at Gospel Lighthouse Christian Academy. She has worked in the ski industry at Mountain High Ski Area in Wrightwood, CA, the medical office of Dallas Nephrology Associates, non-profit, Homeward Bound, Inc., and with fundraising and development at Grand Valley State University’s education institution. She is also a proud mother of two young boys and part owner of a local skateboard company.
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Paula Martin - Administrative Assistant
Paula attended Southern Utah University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Child Development. She worked as a direct support staff for people with disabilities for three years, which included providing supports in day program, community living and employment settings. Paula was employed by the State of Utah as a Support Coordinator for the Division of Services for People with Disabilities for six years, where she was also the Advisor for the People’s First Group of Cedar City. Paula truly enjoys working with people of all abilities and is pleased to be apart of such a positive and caring organization.
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Tracy Riddleberger Meier - Program Manager: Interns, AmeriCorps, and Discovery Camps
Tracy moved to Utah from Virginia in the winter of 2002 starting her National Ability Center career as an intern. Since then she has instructed in our equestrian, ski and snowboard, climbing wall and adventure learning programs and was the office manager. She has now settled in as the Internship and AmeriCorps supervisor, Discovery Camp Manager and is the Assistant Ski and Snowboard program manager. She continues to instruct in our equestrian program two nights a week. Tracy has a degree in Recreational Therapy from East Carolina University and is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.
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Kim Millikan - Adventure Learning Program Manager
Kim discovered the National Ability Center in 2001 working as an Adventure Learning Program facilitator and volunteering with the Center’s Equestrian Program. Since that time she has worked as an instructor for a Ski/Snowboard Program, Equestrian Program and served a two year Americorps Service membership with the National Ability Center. Kim has volunteered with many of the other programs at the Ability Center as well. In her spare time she enjoys playing outside with friends, her puppy, and anyone else she can round up. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Social Work.
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Allie Schneider - Communications & Events Assistant
Allie Schneider was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and is now twenty-two years old. She has been with the National Ability Center as a participant for eighteen years in programs such as snow skiing, horseback riding, water skiing, cycling, and now bobsledding. As the Communications and Events Assistant, Allie has worked with national and local news organizations which have visited the National Ability Center, and she helps coordinate all major events at the Center.
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Raeshell Sorensen - Program Manager: Equestrian
Office phone: (435) 200-0986
Raeshell (Rae) became involved with the National Ability Center in January 2006 as an intern. At the Ability Center she has taught therapeutic horse riding lessons and served as Lead Camp Counselor for the Autism summer camps. Raeshell spent 10 years dedicated to horseback riding jumping and dressage. Throughout college Raeshell taught skiing and worked in the non-profit sector running a character development sport program for children. Raeshell has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Utah. Rae has a passion for many things including, mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, skiing, rafting, and much more. |
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Sadie - Official Service Dog and Mascot
Sadie came to the National Ability Center in March 2004. She was generously donated to the Center by Mark and Kathie Miller at A Starry Night. Sadie has been trained to be a service dog for the Recreation Center and Ranch and Ski Center. In her three years at the National Ability Center, Sadie has become a friend to many regular visitors and a watchdog for the unknown. She is always willing to be a friend to anyone who will give her a good scratch. |
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