Our school is primarily a volunteer operation but we have a small paid staff who are highlighted here.

Executive Director

Kathy Copeland spent her first 17 years in Vermont...skiing and racing from a very early age. She moved to Mammoth in 1971 and worked at Mammoth Mountain for 29 years, mostly in the Sports School and running the Children's Sports School.

She is certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America; Alpine Level III, Adaptive Level II and Snowboard Level II. Kathy was also an examiner for Alpine Certification.

She was instrumental in developing the Mammoth Adaptive Sports School, which was part of Mammoth Sports School. And she is a founding Board of Director of the Mammoth Adaptive Sports Foundation which recently changed it's name to Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. In 2001, Kathy "retired" from the mountain and pursued other interests.

Her main 'other interest' was launching Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra! This is her passion and with all her dedication and energy, this program is a winner.

Associate Director

Cara Leonard is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to the eastern sierra after earning a degree in biology from the University of California Santa Barbara. A passionate skier from an early age, Cara started working and skiing in Mammoth in the early 90's.

Cara has an extensive background in instructing, staff training and ski school management with the Mammoth Mountain Ski School and at Mount Hutt in New Zealand. She has also managed training and outside operations here at DSES. In addition to being a certified Alpine instructor and examiner she brings superb communication and management skills to our organization.

In her spare time she enjoys hiking, cycling, and traveling with her family in their Vanagon. Cara lives in June Lake with her husband Dave and their children Jack and Tess.

Summer Program Manager/Guest Services Manager

Laurel Martin is a recent transplant to Mammoth and has been loving it ever since. Don't tell anyone, but she is much more of a beach girl at heart than a snow bunny. But her great new coworkers are planning on showing her a thing or two about having a good time in the snow!

After growing up in suburban Connecticut, Laurel headed west to attend college at the University of California-Berkeley. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on Biological Sciences, she headed back east to spend some time with her family and boyfriend. Following some pretty extensive travel and temporary employment opportunities, she found her dream job. Working at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo as a Zoo Educator gave her the opportunity to educate and excite children about nature and the environment. And since she was working in the community where she grew up, as well as where she had taught almost all the kids in the county how to swim, she was able to really feel like she was giving back to the community that had given so much to her.

Unfortunately her dream job did not include big mountains, something her other half quickly became addicted to, once he knew they were out there. So the time came for Laurel to pack her things and head west again. This time she landed in Mammoth where she happily divides her time between exploring, climbing, hiking, and spending time with her 40 best friends, the Mammoth Dog Teams sled dogs. Volunteering with Mammoth Dog Teams has allowed Laurel to still get to work with animals and see the difference they can make in people's lives.

Laurel is happy to be a part of the Disabled Sports team and excited about using her skills to help such a great organization.

Director of Outside Operations

Mark Spieler grew up as a typical Southern California kid in San Diego and Orange County. After a friend’s family took him skiing once he was hooked on the sport and the mountains. After graduating from SDSU with a BA degree in Applied and Physical Geography, he worked in Summit County, Colorado for one season and then moved to Mammoth Lakes, where he has resided ever since.

Mark started with the Mammoth Mountain Ski School in 1986. A few years after obtaining his U.S. certifications he started supervising and training for the School. In the summer months he taught skiing and trained other Instructors at the Mt. Hutt, New Zealand and Blue Cow, Australia Ski Schools. His most recent position was Training Manager for the Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard School, where he oversaw training for all of the school’s Ski and Snowboard Instructors. He holds PSIA (U.S.) Level 3 Alpine, Level 2 Snowboard, Level 2 Adaptive, NZSIA (New Zealand) Stage 2 and Coaches Level 1 Certifications. He is also an Alpine Examiner for the PSIA-W.

Mark has now joined the DSES staff and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge of Skiing, Snowboarding and Teaching with all of the remarkable DSES Volunteers. He is also excited to expand his horizons into the area of Adaptive Snow Sports Instruction.

Mark’s summers are now spent fishing in the Eastern Sierra, where he guides and teaches people how fly fish for the area’s beautiful varieties of Trout. Mark is married to Sandi Rowan, another long time Mammoth Ski Instructor and has two young daughters Kaylynn and Kendall.

Trainer/Paralympic Sport Program Coordinator

Margaret Palchak is a wonderful instructor who has been a volunteer for years. She is now on our team full-time!

Originally from the East Coast, Margaret grew up in Southern California and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology (with a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Biology) from the University of California at Irvine. During her university years, she spent summers working in Yosemite National Park, exploring the Sierra Nevada and cultivating a love of outdoors.

Upon graduation she spent two years abroad, teaching Conversational English in Japan, traveling on the Trans-Siberian Express across the former Soviet Union. She then explored Turkey and Greece and finally settled in London, England. While in London she began pursuing her passion for photography.

On returning to the U.S., Margaret moved to Mammoth Lakes to work as a biologist and feed her love of the outdoors. She became involved with DSES in December 2004 and volunteered for four seasons before joining the staff in February 2008. Margaret has PSIA Level 2 Nordic Downhill, Level 3 Adaptive and USSA Coach 100 certifications.

Instructor/Trainer

Zachary Ergish joined Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra winter 2008-2009 as an intern. Since then, he became a seasonal instructor and took his skills to New Zealand during the 2009 summer. Zachary joined the staff as a year-round instructor during the summer of 2010, participating in all of the fun summer activities that DSES boasts.

Zachary will be continuing with the development of this passion by working towards his PSIA Level III Alpine and Adaptive. During the 2010-2011 season, he passed his Level III Alpine Skiing Module and Level II Adaptive Modules (Cognitive/Visual Impairments/Mono Ski/Bi Ski/3 & 4 Track).

He graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2008 with an AB in Biological Sciences with a specialization in neuroscience. He grew up in Moreno Valley, CA where he first got involved with volunteering for organizations that give those with disabilities opportunities to participate in sports. While in college, Zachary was on the varsity swim team and received an internship at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. At the RIC, he was an assistant for their Sports Program and Fitness Center. There, he became involved with their wheelchair softball team, the RIC Cubs, and the Caring for Kids program.

Instructor

Mark Herman was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite the balmy desert winters, he developed a love for snow sports at an early age, thanks to the prodding of his East Coast transplant father and the support of his acrophobic mother. He is very excited to be joining Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra as one of their newest instructors for the 2010/2011 season!

Mark graduated from Arizona State University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree, concentrating in History and Political Science. He then moved to Portland, Oregon, with his new bride Samantha. After working in the corporate world for almost three years, he decided to make a life change and accepted an internship with the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center. There he was able to combine his love for gliding on snow with his dedication to serving his community. Mark obtained AASI Level 1 Snowboarding certification and is going to be working towards his PSIA Alpine and Adaptive Level 1 certifications this year.

Mark spent this past summer as a raft guide in Oregon and looks forward to exploring all that Mammoth has to offer both on and off the snow.

Instructor

Bryan Thomson was born and raised in Carpinteria, California one mile away from the beach. Yet, he knew how to ski and snowboard on Mammoth Mountain before he could surf. "I started skiing up here from age 6 and have a deep connection with this mountain that goes beyond having fun."

He was the 2010-2011 Winter Intern from Humboldt State University for Recreation Administration. While at HSU he helped develop the new Outdoor Adventure Program through backpacking and winter camping. Before HSU, he ran a wedding photography business out of Santa Barbara for all of Southern California and destination weddings. However, having that career left no time to ski or snowboard and a change was made in 2007 to stop photographing professionally and to have more fun with his life.

After graduating from HSU the summer of 2011, Bryan began taking his collection of stand-up paddle boards in the ocean, white water rapids, and anywhere else in Northern California, seeking adventure and challenging his balance, until the staff at Disabled Sports offered him a spot as the new instructor for the 2011-2012 Winter Season. Bryan is currently a Level 1 Alpine and Level 1 Adaptive instructor with plans to pursue higher certifications in snowboarding, skiing, and adaptive instruction all the way to Level 3 and beyond in the next few years. "I'm really looking forward to increasing my knowledge of ski and snowboard instruction in the adaptive focus. "

Administrative Assistant/Graphics

Amy Barnes started volunteering in 2010 updating the graphics for our program, and is now working full-time in the office with Kathy and the crew!

Amy is originally from San Diego and moved to Mammoth shortly after graduating college. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University. Amy's experience includes working as a project manager, marketing coordinator and social media intern, all of which have given her strong communication and administrative abilities which she brings to the table here at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra.

Once a beach bum in San Diego; Amy has found the soft spot in her heart for the Eastern Sierra. Having volunteered for an aquatic disabled sports program in San Diego, Amy is excited to once again find a home in the disabled sports family, and thankful she found a work place where she can combine her business background and passion for helping people!

Manager, Second Chance Thrift Shop

Linda Summers Williams joined our staff in October 2009 as Manager of our Second Chance Thrift Shop. You might recognize Linda, an eleven year local, from her work at Sierra Park Orthopedics, California Friday Night Live, Mono County Mental Health or Stillpoint Wellness Center. A longtime community activist, not only in Mammoth but in her previous home towns in Colorado and Vermont, she has experience volunteering for local schools, community centers, art organizations and athletic programs.

Her skills and enthusiasm were just the combination we needed to spearhead our new venture. To quote Linda, "Since leaving Vermont I have made a conscious decision to put my energies into things that I have not done before which has been challenging, educational and most importantly FUN." Linda is married to Carl Williams, the General Manager of June Mountain and they have one grown son, Elliott.

Assistant Manager, Second Chance Thrift Shop

Riki Yanuck Barbo grew up in Southern California where summers at the beach and winters skiing fed her love of the outdoors. She spent her early years traveling and working in VIP services at some of the world's most famous hotels including The Lobby Court at the Century Plaza Hotel and being a "Goddess" at Caesars Tahoe. She moved to Lake Tahoe where she met and married her husband Jim. When they weren’t working, they spent their summer days water skiing and their winter days skiing.

Jim was offered a job back in Southern California and they moved to Huntington Beach where they spent over twenty five years living at the beach. Riki was a board member of the PTA for years, coached sports and helped to fund many programs at her boys’ schools. They have two boys; Cody age 20 and Ty 16 at the start of 2010. Riki moved to Mammoth Lakes full time in 2007 to help her younger son Ty fulfill his dream of being on the Mammoth Elite Snowboard Team. When not working at the Second Chance Thrift Store you can find her hiking or skiing in the Eastern Sierra.

Staff, Second Chance Thrift Store

Marvin Orrick is the newest employee to join Second Chance Thrift Shop. Marvin moved to Mammoth Lakes in 2002 and has been at Mammoth Unified School District as a paraprofessional since 2003, working with kids who have special needs at Mammoth Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Marvin continues to work as a job coach to Mammoth High School students involved in the WorkAbility program, where they learn life and job skills, teamwork and time management, providing the kids with positive reinforcement needed to attain independence.

Marvin spent 3 years as a Youth Advisor for California Friday Night Live after-school leadership and prevention program, and has been a coach for Mammoth Youth Football and Mammoth High School Basketball.

Please join Linda and Riki in welcoming Marvin to the DSES family and Second Chance Thrift Shop.