Ski New Mexico executive director retires after nearly two decades
Jul. 31—Ski New Mexico's executive director, and a former University of New Mexico head ski coach, announced his retirement after nearly two decades promoting snow sports. The non-profit trade association works to grow and sustain the snow sports industry in New Mexico.
George Brooks served as executive director for 17 years. Prior to that, he was the Lobo ski team coach, and coached UNM's first NCAA National Championship team in 2004. He was named Coach of the Year in 2004 by UNM.
Effective August 1, the newly appointed Executive Director Christy Germscheid will take the reins.
"It is hard to imagine someone who has done more to boost New Mexico's profile as a ski destination than George Brooks," New Mexico Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said in a statement in response to the news of Brooks' retirement. "As Executive Director of Ski New Mexico, George built bridges between tourism organizations and businesses, the state, local governments and other tourism stakeholders to ensure New Mexico can offer up world-class ski experiences and amenities. Beyond ski, George was a champion of all things New Mexico tourism and New Mexico True."
Brooks helped establish credibility for New Mexico True, Schroer said. Brooks was a tourism commissioner from 2014 to 2020 and was inducted into the New Mexico Tourism Hall of Fame in 2013.
Germscheid has a background in marketing, lobbyist initiatives, human resources and management, according to a release from Ski New Mexico. For the past five years, Germscheid was the vice president for Angel Fire Resort. She also served on the Ski Hall of Fame Board for the past decade.
"We are grateful for the many contributions George has made to the New Mexico ski industry for nearly two decades," said Michael Donovan, Chairman of the Board for Ski New Mexico, in a release from Ski New Mexico. "We are extremely excited to welcome his replacement and look forward to the future achievements Christy will no doubt bring to the organization."
The ski industry accounted for $472.2 million in total economic impact and 3,200 jobs during the 2022-23 season, according to data from Ski New Mexico.
