Board Of Directors
Below are the volunteer board of the High Park Ski Club
Justin GrahamPresident |
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We really are only as strong as a club as the connections we make with each other! Because of close friendships and a desire to give back to the club I started to volunteer. I have realized that the portfolios that I have assisted with have something to do with bringing our members together and in helping to make these connections! My desire as President is to ensure that our members continue to develop these friendships and as a result strengthen our club. To paraphrase JFK, “Ask not what your ski club can do for you . . . “ Amy LamAlpine Daytrips Director
Since being a member, I have been blown away with the quality of lessons and trips the club offers. My skiing has greatly improved since taking lessons with the awesome HPSC instructors. In my second year I started to volunteer as bus captain for Saturday alpine trips, which I also did this season. I have such a blast meeting members, and being part of such a positive, active and winter-loving community. In 2020 I decided to stand for the Director of Social Activities, since I love seeing the joy that social gatherings bring to members. While that has not been possible during the pandemic, I have learned a lot being part of the Board of Directors in how decisions are made and how the club runs. I look forward to moving the club back to a more normal downhill season next year. |
Jennifer BeattySocial Director |
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I moved to Toronto in October 2018 for a job in marketing and was looking for something to keep me active in the winter. That’s when I discovered the High Park Ski Club and it’s been the best thing I’ve done since moving to Toronto! Having never cross-country skied before joining the club, I advanced from Classic 1 to Classic 3. This past season, I went on a number of downhill trips with the club. I made some great friends and had tons of laughs along the way! As a marketer in my day job, I was excited to use my skill set as Director of Marketing for the last two years. However, I’ve viewed social events as a critical strategy for attracting and retaining members and enhancing the overall value proposition of the club, keeping our club strong for years to come! As part of the Board, over the last two years, I have provided many ideas and suggestions on possible social events for the club (which unfortunately due to the pandemic we were not able to do). I look forward to continuing to serve our members as part of the Board of Directors in this new role. Suzanne de GrandpreCommunications Director
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Karen SnowAdministration Director |
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Over the years I have volunteered on the Social Committee and as an Ambassador. I decided to take on a larger role as Director of Administration to give back to a club that gave me some much. |
Kim WiebeLong Trips Director |
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Like some of you, I was busy with family activities and did not ski much for many years, but decided to get back into it and joined HPSC. I have never looked back, and for almost 20 years, skiing has become a big part of my life and planning ski trips became my passion. I've worked behind the scenes with the long trips committee for 15 years, volunteered as a trip leader on many trips, and have spent the last few years taking the lead in planning our charter trips. I was honoured when Bill asked me to take over as Director. It's a big job that requires a team of experienced volunteers who, like me, are dedicated to providing the club with exciting new destinations and member favorites. Experience skiing at many resorts over the years has been an essential part of understanding what will work for our members. My commitment to the club is to continue to offer the best experience and superior value trips to our members. You can trust that the long trips team will continue to be in safe hands. |
Jack RanMembership Director |
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Since joining, I’ve participated in many day trips, from skiing to snowshoeing, and have had the most incredible time learning from great instructors and making new friends. I have profound appreciation for all the HPSC volunteers who make these incredible winter experiences possible for those like me and hope to pay it forward through volunteering for the club. I hope I can make new members feel as welcomed as I did when I first joined! Heather SteelCross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing |
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David ManningDownhill Skiing & Snowboarding Director (Snow School) |
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Clark SeadonFinance Director |
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Rocco RomeoDirector of Marketing
I joined HPSC in 2010 and was immediately impressed with the lessons I was getting from the ski instructors. I looked forward to the morning lessons and eating lunch together made it possible to develop friendships and ski together in the afternoon. In 2012 I became a HPSC instructor. I find teaching and passing on knowledge to our members to help them achieve their goals very rewarding. Not only has the club enriched my life I have made many lifelong friends along the way. Previously I have volunteered on the Social Committee. Now I feel it’s time to give back in a larger capacity that will allow me to use my skill set. I am a Digital Marketing Designer. A creative thinker with experience building brand awareness and launching new products. My goal as the new Marketing Director will be to ensure the club is visible and the target audience is engaged. |
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Alex RadulescuIT Director My first time on the slopes was when I was around age 11, learning to ski at Glen Eden. By the time I was able to ski comfortably down blues, I decided to try snowboarding. Maybe I was overconfident, but I was going down greens on my first day! Although by the time I was in high school, I stopped all winter sports until after I finished my post secondary education. I now want to perfect both my snowboarding and skiing, so you'll be seeing me switching every week. I only joined HPSC in 2019, but I'm excited to give some of my time back to the club. I’m volunteering to help maintain our platforms and try to provide easy to use solutions for both the volunteers and members to make it a more enjoyable experience! If you have any suggestions or want to help out please reach out. |
George LorenzAdvisory Committee Chair
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Even before I started skiing as a teenager, I was aware of High Park Ski Club. I first learned about the club when it was profiled along with others in a local magazine. It seemed like so much fun! After graduating university, I talked a friend into joining with me, and was a member for 6 years. After not skiing regularly for about 15 years, I wanted to get back into the sport, and since my old friends no longer skied, decided to rejoin HPSC, and have been a continuous member since 2007.
Having grown up in Alberta, I started skiing in Banff and Whistler during university. After a hiatus of a number of years, I moved to Toronto and wished to get back into skiing. I didn’t even know people skied in Ontario until I joined High Park Ski Club, of which I have been a continuous member since 1998. My time in the club has consisted of everything from day trips to overnight trips to Quebec and the US and, of course, the charter trips which I eagerly anticipate every year! I have made many friends and gained many fond skiing memories over the years. The excellent instruction I received from our amazing instructors has taken my skiing to new levels. It has also been a most gratifying experience giving back to the club as a volunteer, director, co-trip leader and bus captain. I am looking forward to continue serving the club as Communications Director.
I grew up in Barrie and first learned to ski at Horseshoe. I used to go night skiing occasional, but I didn’t really take up skiing until I moved to Toronto. A friend of my told me about High Park Ski Club back in 2002 and I have been a member ever since. When I joined, I was still snowplowing my way down the hill. Participating in the lessons has greatly improved my skiing and my confidence, the instructors are well trained and really care about your progress. I still remember my first ski trip with the club to Quebec, what an experience! I look forward to many more. Not only does this club improve your skiing but it also enriches your social life.
Joining HPSC seemed almost like destiny to me. My father grew up in High Park and along with his brother, strapped on wooden skis and skied down the hills in High Park. I watched ski racing with him as a child and can remember hoping that one day I would get to try it. That opportunity came in high school when I went on my first ski trip to Mount St Louis. I was hooked! The toughest part in those days was making it up the ski hill without falling off the t-bar! Trips to Tremblant, Jay Peak, Killington and Utah followed. 
I grew up in downtown Toronto and got to ski about once a year as a child. Our family didn’t have a car, so accessing ski resorts became a much-anticipated event for me to enjoy around Christmas time. Then, as life got busy and the demands of school, sport, and other activities got in the way, I didn’t get to go again for many years. Once I graduated university, I started looking for ways to access ski resorts as a non-driver – another consequence of growing up downtown. This was the moment I discovered HPSC.
I discovered the club in 2011 and haven't looked back! I live outdoors in the summer and was looking for something to keep me active and having fun in the winter. I found the club online, and, having never cross country skied before, I took the plunge and joined. The 2011 Scenic Caves New Year's Eve trip was my first experience; I remember tons of snow and a very friendly welcome…and I was hooked! Since then, cross country skiing has become my primary winter activity, a sport I could not imagine living without, and the reason why winter is my favourite season. In 2013, I became race director, a role I still hold, and in 2018, I passed my CANSI Level 1 and became an instructor. Joining the club has been an amazing experience in more ways than I could have imagined, with wonderful friendships formed and new skills developed (I can finally skate ski!). With everything the club has given me in the past 7 years, it's important to me to give back and help us continue the amazing work we do. I am particularly proud of the cross country side for developing a fun and supportive community of skiers. It's my goal as director to continue developing that community, working with the board to introduce new people to cross country skiing and growing the volunteer ranks of our community. A project manager in my day job, I bring the leadership and organizational skills necessary for this type of role, combined with a tireless love (or, some might say, obsession) with cross country skiing. See you on the trails!
When I joined HPSC in 2006 as a first-time skier, I thought I’d learn to ski and have a better winter. Little did I know that the club would change my life! High Park gave me the gift of skiing and snowboarding, training as an instructor, and an amazing circle of friends to share this gift with. My commitment to the club is to give an exceptional experience to the next generation of downhill skiers and riders. Backed by our talented snow school director and executive, I empower our snow school to successfully meet the needs of our learners. My qualifications include attaining CSIA level 3 partial (teaching), CSCF Entry Level, CASI-2 partial, ICP-2, and a master of education from Athabasca University.
Skiing has been a huge source of adventure and excitement throughout my life. It really started with downhill ski racing for my local club in Edmonton, and grew to include cross-country, a little back-country and trips to Europe. I became a new member this year to do more XC skiing and have been delighted to find so many people who enjoy winter. I’ve had many enjoyable conversations, and look forward to meeting a lot more members. In terms of Finance I have some useful experience to share, having been Acting Treasurer for the Charity my wife is in charge of, having been a Commercial Banking Lender throughout my career, and being a CPA, CA. Overall I really look forward to helping others enjoy skiing and winter with the Club, while helping to ensure the Club remains financially sound for years to come.
My first skiing experience happened when I was 21 years old. A college friend convinced myself and another friend that he could teach us to ski. That weekend we drove up to Horseshoe Valley. With rented skies standing on top of the top of the hill we waited for our first lesson from our experienced skier. He said “watch me” and began to ski down the hill. 
