clayson.matt at gmail.com

Matt, a third generation competitive skier whose family has roots in various ski clubs - both defunct and current - in Western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, is father of two alpine racers in Crystal Community Ski Club.

When not at Crystal Mountain, the Village of Empire or the Upper Peninsula, Matt is in Detroit where he is Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Detroit Trading Company, a leading automotive digital marketing agency. He’s been named to the TechWeek 100 Most Innovative Leaders in Tech and Entrepreneurship, and has been recognized by the German Marshall Fund, Crain’s Detroit Business, the AdCraft Club of Detroit, the American Institute of Architects and the BMW Foundation for his commitment to leadership, service and innovation.

Community ski clubs have been the backbone of introducing the sport to generations of youth; through delivering inclusive, kind and fun programming across various disciplines, CCSC understands and embraces that role.

Matt was a USSA and FIS ranked ski racer back in the day, and enjoys running coats and gatekeeping at CCSC meets.

Matt looks forward to establishing CCSC as a premier organization that connects youth and their families to winter sports and activities, instilling a lifetime love of winter in all Michigan residents. He became President of the CCSC Board at the end of 2022.

Everett Leonard grew up in Kalamazoo, MI. His first experience with sliding on snow started at age 2 when his parents would take him once a year to Bittersweet Ski Area for his birthday. When he turned 7, the once a year trips turned into multiple times a week when his father joined the National Ski Patrol at Bittersweet. Growing up, many spring breaks consisted of piling the family into the Suburban and driving out west for week of shred.

Everett played college golf for Ferris State and earned a BS in Professional Golf Management and then a Masters in Accountancy from Western Michigan University. Soon after WMU, he earned his CPA license and was able to combine his passion with a career at Vail Resorts. Four years later, he had a need to get back to Michigan and moved to Traverse area working in Internal Audit at Munson where he met his wife, Jacie.

An opportunity then presented itself in Cheboygan, MI, where they moved and had two kids. In the Fall of 2020, he was fortunate enough to again combine his passion with a career and became the Vice President of Finance at Crystal Mountain. He was recently promoted to Senior Vice President and oversees Accounting, IT, Alpine Tickets and Rental, Golf Operations, Snow Removal and Nordic.

His Wife and kids try to get on the snow as much as possible. In the other months you can find them either on their boat, golfing, biking or in the SXS.

After watching CCSC grow over the past few years, he is excited about the future. He looks forward to his kids being involved as soon as they are old enough.

carolynkt@charter.net

Crystal Mountain has been a very important part of Carolyn’s childhood and adult life. She grew up in Hart and looked forward to getting on the school bus every Monday from middle school through high school when her school ski club headed to Crystal Mountain. When she moved back to the region in 1998 with her husband Kelly, they settled in Frankfort. In her first winter back, she was hired as a ski instructor and Crystal Mountain again became the center of her winter time activity.

Carolyn and her husband’s two sons were part of the local ski club at Crystal Mountain, and continue to have a very strong passion for skiing into their adult lives. Both boys were alpine ski racers from an early age in the local ski club through high school, and their youngest son continues to alpine ski race in college. Skiing has been and continues to be a very special way for the Thayer family to spend time together throughout the winter.

Carolyn is a full time alpine ski instructor at Crystal Mountain with an alpine PSIA level 2 certification and a Children's Specialist level 1. She is currently the Jr. PSIA-AASI program coordinator and has been involved in a local ski club program at Crystal Mountain for the last 15 years as a parent helper, board member, and ski community member. She also served as parent helper for the Frankfort/Benzie High School team logistics for 5+ years. She says, “As an instructor and parent helper, I always enjoy the excitement on a skier’s face when they have just finished a ski run, accomplished a race course, or ridden the chair lift for the first time. It is very special to see an athlete’s skills and confidence build with each run.”

After being part of CCSC from the very beginning, Carolyn is excited to see its continued growth.

stevenkermode@gmail.com

Steve Kermode was fortunate to have a family friend teach him to ski at the age of 10. His love and joy of skiing instilled a desire to slide on snow, whether alpine or nordic, a sense of wonder at God’s beautiful winter creation and a career in the Snowsports industry for over 50 years. Starting when he was was 15 years old, Steve has been a National Ski Patroller, PSIA ski instructor, USSA ski coach, collegiate ski racer, nordic ski racer, NASTAR coordinator & pacesetter, ski shop owner, and involved in ski area management for over 30 years.

Steve has been involved with local ski clubs before the formation of CCSC and has served as past CCSC President and current Treasurer. Introducing youth to healthy, outdoor activities and sport skills is his goal at CCSC, so needed for many of our youth today.

Steve encourages everyone to help support the efforts of CCSC to make a difference in our youth thru winter sports and activities.

mattbishop@sbcglobal.net

Matt Bishop grew up in Traverse City, Michigan, and currently resides in the Grand Rapids area with his wife and their three daughters. For nearly a decade, they’ve spent their winter weekends at Crystal Mountain watching their girls grow and develop as skiers in the CCSC alpine racing program. Each of the Bishop girls learned to ski with the incredible instructors at Crystal Mountain and then moved into the racing program.

Matt has close to 20 years experience working as an attorney, providing counsel to both for-profit and non-profit business organizations of all sizes.

Although they are still relatively young, Matt says that his girls surpassed him in skiing ability quite a while ago. Matt wanted to get involved with CCSC after all that the club has done to help his girls become confident skiers while building great friendships on the mountain.

Matt is excited to help CCSC grow and expand so that other young people will find the same love of winter sports through CCSC as his girls have.

Kayla Six was born into a ski family, hitting the Crystal Mountain slopes at an early age with her parents, brother and extended family. One of her earliest memories is of trying to follow her parents’ S-curve tracks down Giggles and Cheers (now “Cheers to Lou”) while loudly singing “Giggles and Cheers, Giggles and Cheers!” all the way down the hill. As Kayla grew up, skiing gave her a sense of independence, self-confidence, competition and adventure. She enjoyed alpine racing on local teams in both middle and high school. In recent years, she discovered the joys of “getting lost in the woods” on cross-country skis, providing a physical challenge as well as much needed mental space and an opportunity to explore the beautiful Michigan winter wonderland.

After living in southern California for several years during college and immediately after, Kayla moved back to northern Michigan, where she lives near Traverse City with her husband and three children. She is passionate about sharing the wonders, challenges, and opportunities of outdoor activities with those around her, especially children and youth. She served a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the Traverse City Track Club and was a member of the TCTC Bayshore Marathon Race Committee for 5 years. 

Snowsports and the ability to adventure in the beauty of nature are a pivotal part of Kayla’s upbringing and her outlook on life today. Seeing the Crystal Community Ski Club develop and grow into a vital youth organization in northern Michigan over the past few years is an inspiration, and Kayla is excited and honored to serve on the CCSC Board. Her goal is to support CCSC in its mission to create inclusive and accessible snowsports opportunities for youth across Michigan.

Allen is a certified Professional Ski Instructor (PSIA) with over twenty-nine years of experience in the ski instruction industry.  As a passionate advocate for skiing, Allen brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to Crystal Community Ski Club (CCSC).

With an additional background in amateur ski racing, Allen has held leadership roles as Race Chairman and President in the Indiana Ski Council. He oversaw and unified the successful revision of the council’s race rules to improve competition leveling relative to the various sizes of clubs in the Council.  He also originated the Indiana Ski Council Cup race series based on the FIS World Cup.  The Indiana Ski Council 'vision of fun competitive racing for all, no matter what the racer's ability' and PSIA's edict of “Safety, Fun and Learning” have been invaluable assets for serving as a coach and board member for CCSC.

Allen joined CCSC because of its tenet that the outdoors should be a life-long passion and there should be absolutely no barriers to participating!  From his childhood experiences to professional milestones, Allen's dedication to CCSC’s mission is deeply rooted in his journey through life, from his childhood experiences to his professional milestones.  His desire for this great Club is to help continuously improve its basic foundations to guarantee it thrives for perpetuity.

Outside of the boardroom, Allen enjoys hiking, occasional trail riding (last time was on an Icelandic horse named Adam in Iceland), dancing, and camping, all with his wife and, if available, family and friends.  In addition, Allen is an avid bicyclist and, of course, a very avid skier.

Allen is always eager to connect and share more about the Crystal Communty Ski Club.  You can reach Allen by phone or text at 812-929-7623 or at we3skee@aol.com

Dr.  Christa Johnson brings a deep passion for skiing and many years experience in outdoor recreation and community engagement to the board of CCSC. As a lifelong skier and advocate for outdoor sports and health, Christa has been involved in promoting access to outdoor activities for youth and families in Manistee County since 1998.

Professionally, she is a Doctor of Chiropractic, with expertise in pediatric and prenatal chiropractic. She currently serves as head physician at Johnson Adult & Pediatric Chiropractic LLC in Manistee, where her passion for health and well being for all is shared in a space with midwives, massage therapist and laser and shockwave pain relief .  She was a founding board member of the Michigan Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the first of its kind.  She desires help people live and grow well from first steps to sliding on snow and to golden years. 

In addition to her professional experience, Christa has volunteered with various local organizations focused on outdoor access and development and environmental stewardship. She is especially passionate about building inclusive and sustainable programs that foster community connection and respect for the natural environment.  She has served Manistee County for nearly 20 years on Planning Commissions and was Chair of the City of Non Motorized Transportation Committee in which time, the City received the most awards in the State for Promoting Healthy Communities.

Personally,  Christa has found a passion for being fit and active outdoors.  She has competed in 20 Full Distance Ironman Triathlons including the World Championships in Kona,  Competed in XTERRA World Championships,  6 Boston Marathons and many more triathlons and marathons.  She was a collegiate equestrian at Michigan State University and served on the executive board during her time at MSU. 

Her greatest passion and joy is being a mother to Alec.  Alec has been skiing with his mom since he could walk and has been involved in CCSC since the beginning.  CCSC has been instrumental in in developing her family as skiers and many friendships.  She was so inspired by the great coaching staff  that she too became PSIA level one Alpine certified in 2024. As a board member, she is committed to advancing the mission of CCSC by supporting outreach efforts, enhancing member experiences, and ensuring the club’s long-term sustainability and to help its growth within the Manistee County families.

When not on the slopes, Christa enjoys time with her son, ski traveling, trail running and biking, eating great food!  and reading and lives in Manistee with her son and small farm of animals

Caribe McClellan was born and raised in Frankfort, Michigan, where the close-knit community and natural surroundings helped shape her deep-rooted love for Benzie County and a commitment to giving back to local youth. She has been married to her husband, Tyler, for twenty-five years, and together they are the proud parents of a lively and adventurous teenage daughter, Maggie, who is an active participant in CCSC’s Nordic program. A retired elementary school teacher, Caribe spent many years nurturing young minds in the classroom before embarking on a second career in marketing and event planning. She currently works with four local businesses, working tirelessly to promote their growth and encourage community engagement.

Caribe’s connection to CCSC began during her teaching years when she partnered with CCSC through its Nordic Rocks program. She saw firsthand the tremendous impact of introducing elementary students to cross-country skiing, many of whom had never experienced winter sports before. Caribe was especially moved by how the program removes financial barriers, making it possible for all children to get outside, be active, and find joy on the snow at no cost. She witnessed how Nordic Rocks not only teaches skiing but also builds confidence, encourages social interaction, and fosters healthy habits that extend far beyond the ski trails. Around the same time, Caribe’s daughter Maggie joined CCSC’s Nordic program, giving Caribe an even deeper appreciation for the club. Through Maggie’s experience, she saw how CCSC coaches Beth and Tim create a nurturing and empowering environment where youth are taught not only ski technique, but also the values of perseverance, sportsmanship, and community.

As a CCSC board member, Caribe is committed to helping expand access to snow sports for every child. Her primary goal is to ensure that all local youth, regardless of background or income, have the opportunity to be positively transformed through skiing. She is passionate about breaking down barriers to participation, supporting the club’s mission to promote physical activity and emotional well-being, and fostering a lifelong love for outdoor recreation. Caribe brings heartfelt dedication to the CCSC board and looks forward to growing the program and creating meaningful opportunities for Benzie County’s youth.