Steve Conger

Technical Director

As Technical Director, Steve brings cross-disciplinary and multi-sector experience from both the US and Canadian avalanche communities to develop and further industry best practices and standards. Steve’s formative avalanche training was classic on-the-job, American Avalanche Institute, USFS National Avalanche School as a patroller, weather station installer, and early-80s lawinehund trainer. He began his engagement with the Canadian avalanche system in the mid-1990s to support his continuing professional development.  Later, Steve moved north to complete an M Sc under Dave McClung on the practical application of technology in a forecasting environment with the Avalanche Research Group at UBC, where his field work was conducted at Rogers Pass. He has worked as an educator, operational forecaster, and consultant, and has been a regular contributor at ISSW and to the Avalanche Review. Steve lives in Golden, BC, with his partner and their dogs, where they enjoy powder snow in the Rockies, Purcells, and Selkirks; free-flowing water in the Columbia River; and kilometers of local mountain bike trails.

Aaron Ball

Skiing since the 1970’s, he would burn through numerous gloves a season on the local rope tow. After years of skiing deep powder on skinny skis and surviving his early backcountry skiing career through mostly ignorance and good luck, he became a ski patroller at Mammoth Mountain, where he quickly learned about the dangers and intricacies of avalanches. Working there for six seasons, Aaron served as an avalanche control route leader, often shot a really big gun, and was active in the avalanche and snow study program. He spent many days exploring the backcountry of the Eastern Sierra, and in 2005, Aaron moved to Durango, CO with his partner and their two children where he has been working for San Juan Mountain Guides as an alpine/ski guide and AIARE course leader. He is currently working his way through the AMGA certification process. In 2012, Aaron completed his master’s degree in adventure education where he studied risk management and decision-making in outdoor leaders. He owns Southwest Rescue teaching rescue education including wilderness medicine and swiftwater rescue. He also works for Fort Lewis College as an adjunct faculty and coordinates program operations.

Ben Pritchett

Ben Pritchett lives in Crested Butte, Colorado where he spends his summers guiding and chasing his wife and two kids around the mountains. Ben began working on AIARE curriculum development projects in 2002 and served at AIARE as the Program Director from 2005-2016. In 2016, Ben moved into a full time position with the CAIC as an Avalanche Forecaster. His background includes 6 seasons as the Education Coordinator for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, 5 seasons forecasting for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, ski guiding since 1998, ski patrolling for Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and 15 years working on the snow safety crew for the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse race. Ben holds an AMGA Ski Guide certification, and owns his own guide service Colorado Backcountry. He is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.

Jeff Deems

Dr. Jeff Deems, in a continuous quest to legitimize his skiing habit, has been pioneering applications of snow laser mapping for avalanche and hydrology interests. As Co-Founder of Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. and a Research Affiliate at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, he is developing and producing lidar data products and methods for decision-support in avalanche and water resources applications. PhD Watershed Science Colorado State University, MS Geography - Snow Science Montana State University.

Howie Schwartz

Howie Schwartz has been involved in avalanche education since 1996 and has been working to learn, teach, and develop AIARE curriculum since 1999. Howie is an AIARE Instructor Trainer, actively teaches AIARE 1, 2, & 3 courses as Course Leader and Instructor. Howie conceived of the original version of the AIARE decision making framework in 2003 and has delivered ISSW presentations on the topic of teaching decision making in avalanche terrain. He is an IFMGA/UIAGM Mountain Guide since 2001 and has guided professionally worldwide since 1997. Howie is co-owner of Sierra Mountain Guides, based in Bishop, California where he and his family reside. He serves on the Technical Committee for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and has been an Instructor/Examiner and Ski Program Coordinator designing and implementing curriculum for AMGA guide training programs since 2000. He was a founding director for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and is a Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association.

Kelly McNeil

Kelly McNeil grew up skiing and snowmobiling in northeastern Wyoming and now lives in northeastern Oregon. She is a Professor in the Health and Human Performance Department at Eastern Oregon University, where her work focuses on community and public health. Her current research explores how public health theories and practices can be applied to the avalanche industry. In addition to teaching both motorized and non-motorized avalanche courses, Kelly serves as a forecaster for the Wallowa Avalanche Center. She and her husband also own and operate a backcountry ski guiding business. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys mountain biking, trail running, climbing, and spending time outdoors with her golden retrievers.

Margaret Wheeler

Margaret Wheeler learned to ski and climb at an early age in New England, and became interested in ski mountaineering while living in Europe for several seasons. As a transplant to the Northwest, she guides ski mountaineering, alpine, and rock objectives. In 2006, Margaret became the second woman in the US to complete her full UIAGM guide certification. An active member of the guiding community, she is an instructor of guide training for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and serves on its board of directors and is a former president of the organization. She is involved in avalanche education through her work as an AIARE Instructor and Trainer.