What a truly extraordinary contrast to the scene just two short years ago when our industry was picking its way through the final agonies of USIA. In fact, it was less than two years ago, in September 1992, that the breakup began and the moth balled NSAA started taking the procedural steps that would lead to its formal reconstitution in January 1993, a scant 17 months ago.
We bring this up again now, not to revisit old nightmares or open up old wounds, but rather to celebrate what our industry did and to give credit to the principal architects of our renewal.
First and foremost, we salute Chris Diamond, our surefooted, unwavering chairman, who, in a long list of able leaders stretching back to 1962, must surely rank as the greatest. It was he who had the ultimate faith in us all to rise above the shambles, stare down the doubters and naysayers and insist that we could and would revive and restart NSAA.
As an association we had no home and no staff; our files were stored away in cartons; we faced tricky legal considerations in our split from SIA; membership had declined precipitately, our finances were, at best, shaky. But Chris Diamond believed and we all drew strength from the firmness of his convictions. That includes this magazine, which timidly was urging caution at a time when Diamond was decisively demonstrating that leadership and action are the best antidotes to doubt and insecurity.
It is well to remember also that it was on his executive committee that Diamond leaned during those amazing days between meltdown and rebirth—particularly on the vice chairman, Gary McCoy and on Dan Seme, the treasurer. This, of course, is the same duo who take over the reins now.
In quick order, Diamond and the executive committee brought about the move to Colorado, the appointment of Michael Berry as president, the creation of a new constitution and bylaws. Specifically, it was McCoy who was given the principal role in hammering out a new set of bylaws, shaping the association to give new life to its historic roles through organizational reform. And it was Seme who dug into some store of Appalachian magic to enable it all fiscally. Perhaps most importantly, it was Diamond who put together an advisory board, drawing in some of the very brightest and most progressive minds in our industry. The very existence of this group was crucial to the restoration of confidence and credibility, enabling us to come together, trustingly.
All of which is a long-winded way of expressing a very warm Thank-you to outgoing chairman, Chris Diamond. It is reassuring to know that his service to NSAA will continue ex officio in what we trust will be some fairly calm waters over the next two years.
And we also welcome NSAA’s new chair, Gary McCoy, who as a loyal and effective second-in-command, has clearly demonstrated a capacity to lead. It bodes extremely well for the association that he and NSAA president, Michael Berry, have worked closely together over the years when Michael was a California area CEO and president of California Ski Industry Association, a position currently held by McCoy, incidentally.
Onward! We like the shape of things to come!
—A SAM editorial
