Paige Pagnucco
Director, Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center
Paige Pagnucco is the Director of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, where she leads a team responsible for public backcountry avalanche forecasting across Utah. Her work focuses on delivering timely, actionable information and building strong partnerships to improve backcountry safety statewide. She joined the UAC in 2004, bringing a background in professional ski patrol from Park City Mountain Resort, where she worked in avalanche mitigation, education, and rescue operations. As Director, she guides the organization’s strategic direction while staying closely connected to field operations and the backcountry community. Paige earned her MBA from Utah State University and lives in northern Utah with her family, where her husband and three children share her love of skiing, climbing, biking, and anything that gets them into the mountains.
Chad Brackelsberg
Executive Director Emeritus, Special Projects Lead
Chad joined the Utah Avalanche Center as Executive Director in July 2017. Chad brings more than 20 years of corporate experience in technology consulting and program/project management, has been a volunteer observer for the UAC for 8 years, and has worked with the local Utah outdoor community for the past 10 years. Chad is active in the UT outdoor community and is an avid backcountry skier, ski mountaineering racer, ultrarunner, and mountain biker. Chad and his wife Emily have been organizing the Wasatch Powder Keg ski mountaineering race for 10 years and he is a founding member of Utah Ski Mountaineering a local nonprofit geared at growing the sport of ski mountaineering and organizing races. Chad has been on the board of the US Ski Mountaineering Association the past 6 years and has acted as coach of the US National Ski Mountaineering Team at the Ski Mountaineering World Championships since 2013. He recently bought a snowmobile for exploring the snow outside the Central Wasatch.
Kate Waller
Development Director
Kate has a passion for making things happen and brings 15 years of for-profit and non-profit experience to UAC. She's all about business development, rocking fundraising, and helping organizations grow by connecting the dots, whether it's people, funds, or resources. As Growth Director at Big Green, Kimbal Musk's nonprofit, Kate raised money from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and large corporations to help build Learning Gardens in schools all over the country to teach kids about science and entrepreneurship. Before that, she spent two years as the Director of Development at the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network. Kate is from Cleveland, Ohio, she's a Miami University grad, and holds a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School. She is a former FIS ski racer and Junior Olympic competitor. She can be found skiing the backcountry, running ultramarathons, biking, and exploring the mountains with her dog Stanley.
Drew Hardesty
Forecaster
Drew's been with us since 1999. After receiving a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado in Boulder, he took a commission with the US Navy as an Intelligence officer during the first Desert Storm. Subsequent to working abroad, he spent a number of years working and guiding for NOLS and Outward Bound in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska. Drew now spends his summers as a climbing ranger in Grand Teton National Park and went to Washington DC in 2012 to receive a Valor Award for his part in a rescue of 17 lightning strike victims near the summit of the Grand Teton. Drew is often described as a story-teller at the forecast center, infusing his forecasts with haiku, metaphor, and allegory. You'll often find references to the Book of Job, Cormac McCarthy, the whale hunter Herman Melville, the dry-fly fisherman Norman Maclean, the French aviator Antoine de St. Exúpery, and Bashō. He started the UAC podcast with Benjamin Bombard in 2017. You can find these podcasts and plenty of musings on risk and the avalanche problem here - drewhardesty.com
Brett Kobernik
Forecaster
Brett Kobernik has been with the Utah Avalanche Center since the 2004-2005 winter season. He has worked as a helicopter skiing guide in Valdez, Alaska in the mid 90s, has been a backcountry ski and snowboard guide for Utah Mountain Adventures for a number of years and has worked as a product tester and designer for Voile Equipment in Salt Lake City. Since Brett was so involved with the development of the split board, he does much of his field work on a split snowboard and is versed on skis, snowmobiles, and snowbikes as well. Brett is also responsible for much of the technical "behind the scenes" work on the UAC's website. He has also done web work for the American Avalanche Association as well.
Eric Trenbeath
Forecaster
Eric Trenbeath is the forecaster for the La Sal and Abajo Mountains near Moab. A Utah native, Eric grew up skiing in the Wasatch Mountains. In 1989 he landed his dream job as a live-in cook with
ski pass at the Goldminer's Daughter in Alta, Utah which lead to a 10 year career on the Alta Ski Patrol. He was the Moab Forecaster from 1999-2003 and, after a several year hiatus, returned as the forecaster for the 2013-14 season.
Nikki Champion
Forecaster
Nikki grew up skiing on the icy hills of Michigan, but transitioned out west as quickly as possible. She earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Montana State University, during that time she worked as an educator for the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, as a research assistant in the Subzero Science and Engineering Lab, and an avalanche instructor for various other services throughout Montana. Following her time in Bozeman, Nikki headed north to Alaska to work with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and teach avalanche courses for the Alaska Avalanche School. During the summers Nikki works as a mountain guide for RMI Expeditions, primarily guiding in the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.
Jeremy Collett
KBYG Coordinator
Jeremy is originally from Maine and moved to Utah in 2014 to attend Westminster College, where he discovered his love for splitboarding. He began working for the Utah Avalanche Center in 2021 as an avalanche educator and has since expanded his role to Know Before You Go Coordinator. Outside of the UAC, Jeremy is an AIARE instructor and enjoys splitboarding, trail running, kayaking, and rafting. In the summer, he transitions from snow to water, working as a river guide on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park.
Trent Meisenheimer
Forecaster
Trent Meisenheimer grew up in Salt Lake City Utah, skiing and snowboarding in the Wasatch mountains since the age of two. He currently works as an avalanche forecaster for the Central Wasatch Mountains, as well as an avalanche education specialist. He also produces and edits lots of the high quality UAC videos such as Know Before You Go. Although busy with work, he is pursuing a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah. With a passion for avalanches much of his time in the winter months is devoted to forecasting and teaching avalanche education and outreach programs. In the summer months you can find him hanging from a rock wall or kayaking down one of the many scenic rivers in the western U.S.
Toby Weed
Forecaster
Toby Weed grew up skiing and ski racing in New Hampshire, ski patrolled at Park City Ski Area for 15 years and was the Snow Safety Director there for four years. He has a bachelor's degree from Goddard College in Vermont. He has spent many summers as a climbing guide in the Sierra Range including on Mt. Shasta. Toby currently works for the Forest Service on fire assignments as a single resource in the off season, and he serves on a Complex Incident Management Team as a Public Information Officer. He does backcountry fieldwork on both snowmobiles and on skis.
Dave Garcia
Moab Community Coordinator, Forecaster
I grew up in Granby, CT. My parents were big skiers and they had me on skis as soon as I could walk. In 2002 I moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah and ski the Wasatch. I earned a BS in Parks, Recreation and Tourism and Natural Resource Management. I took my first avalanche class in 2003. Tom Kimbrough and Evelyn Lees were two of the instructors. I ski bummed in SLC for about 12 years and eventually moved to Moab to work on the rivers. One of the perks of river guiding is having the winter off. I took advantage of this time by exploring and skiing the La Sal Range. I began regularly submitting obs to UAC Moab and met Eric Trenbeath through that. Eric brought me on as a pro observer and I became more involved with UAC Moab each winter. I live in Moab year-round with my wife Starra and our two cats.
Claire Hurty
Events Manager
Claire grew up in Idaho, exploring the mountains and playing in the rivers. She moved to Utah for college but really came for the outdoor access. Claire graduated with a major in marketing and a minor in leadership. While in college, she served on the board of Backcountry Squatters, a club trying to bring more women and nonbinary folks into the outdoors. Claire came to the Utah Avalanche Center as an intern in 2023 and is thrilled to continue serving backcountry users. Claire loves to mountain bike, canyoneer, raft, get into the backcountry, and play outside any chance she gets. Her passion lies in building community and connecting with the people around her.
Liam McDonald
Avalanche Awareness Manager
Liam is a dedicated advocate for avalanche awareness and safety, fueled by the energy of Utah's vibrant backcountry community. With an undergraduate degree in Health Promotion and Education, Liam's journey began with wilderness rescue training and a passion for experiential education. As he looks ahead, Liam is eager to further his impact as the future Avalanche Awareness Coordinator at the Utah Avalanche Center. He envisions orchestrating engaging community touchpoints, from trailhead signs to avalanche rescue practice sessions, fostering a culture of safety. With forecasting, education, and awareness initiatives on the horizon, Liam aims to empower outdoor enthusiasts to explore the mountains safely. Off-duty, you'll find him embracing mountain biking, climbing, and adventures beyond the central Wasatch and Cascade Mountains.
McKinley Talty
Education Manager
McKinley grew up on the icy hills of New York, learning to ride in the Catskill Mountains. He made his way west in 2013 and began exploring the snow-filled mountains around Utah, Montana, and Colorado. His love of backcountry riding brought him to the Snow Science program at Montana State University, where he studied the applications of geographic information systems in identifying avalanche exposure. McKinley began working at the Utah Avalanche Center in 2020 and could not be happier serving the Utah community. In addition to his work at the UAC, McKinley enjoys landscaping in the summer and broadening his guide experience throughout the winter. When he’s not on his splitboard you can find Mack on his mountain bike, casting his fly rod, or exploring new areas for when the snow finally falls.
Laurel Vincent
Social Media and Communications Coordinator
Laurel grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs (Go Birds!) skiing East Coast crust before moving to Salt Lake City in 2022. She graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a double major in Environmental Studies and French. Since arriving in Salt Lake, she’s fallen in love with everything the Wasatch has to offer. Laurel spearheaded Social Media at NOLS before transitioning into the Communications and Social Media role here at the UAC.
In her free time, you can find her and her dog Eddy skiing and mountain biking the Wasatch, working out at Ute CrossFit, or cooking an elaborate meal. She also loves reading and her favorite book is East of Eden!
Greg Gagne
Forecaster
Greg grew up backcountry skiing in the icy, tight, avalanche-proof trees of northern Vermont, and moved to Salt Lake in 1990 where he quickly developed a passion for skiing powder as well as better understanding the dynamics of snow and avalanches. He has worked for the Utah Avalanche Center as an avalanche educator, field observer, and now part-time forecaster. He also is a Professor of computer science at Westminster University and his non-wintertime passions include trail running and climbing. Greg is a continuing education student at the Brett Kobernik School of Garage Science for Snow Nerds.
Brooke Maushund
Forecaster
Growing up a surfer and the daughter of a pilot, Brooke realized the power of being observant at a young age. After learning the value of elbow grease in the boatyard and hangar, she took her B.S. in Resource Science from UC Berkeley to off-grid solar work in Africa and Latin America. She then drove the trash truck in Yosemite Valley to get back to climbing "just for the summer" before grad school—and never made it to class. Brooke pivoted to work as a patroller, observer, educator, and guide en route to interning at NWAC and forecasting at the Sawtooth and E. Sierra. Summers found her on Yosemite Valley Search and Rescue, as a weather station tech in Tuolumne, a climbing ranger on Mt. Rainier, and now, at Argentina's first public avalanche center.
Travis Morrison
Research and Technology Program Manager
Travis grew up in on the cold flats of the Midwest where he broke icy tracks on his over-
sized hand-me down Nordic skis. In 2015 he graduated with his BS in physics and
landed at the University of Utah for his PhD and studied fundamental meteorological
processes, graduating in 2021. Since then, he has held several product development
roles with the focus on increasing measurement accuracy for near surface weather
observations in the support of advancing our modeling and decision-making capabilities.
At the Avalanche Center he is responsible for the development and implementation of
building decision support tools for avalanche forecasters which leverage snow-cover
modeling and machine learning. In his free time, he is an avid backcountry skier and
spends his summers exploring the nooks and crannies of the Utah on foot with his pup
by his side.
Andrew Nassetta
Forecaster
An east coast native, Andrew began carving his journey through the mountains from a young age on a small hill in New England. In 2015 while finishing his degree at Westminster University Andrew interned with the UAC, and has been with our team ever since.
For over a decade, he has held variety of roles at the UAC from managing programs, to educating and forecasting. You can usually find him sliding around the Uinta's on his rig, on the hunt for sunny pow in pretty places with his favorite people. When the snow makes its way to the river, you can find him spinning his wheels on some single track, or throwing flies on a blue line somewhere out in the hills!
Bo Torrey
Forecaster
Bo began his career with the UAC in 2013, interning through the University of Utah before being hired in 2015 to coordinate the Center's education and fundraising programs. In 2020, he transitioned into avalanche forecasting, first as a public forecaster with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and later as an operations forecaster at Park City Powder Cats. Bo has worked with the American Avalanche Institute as an educator, teaching both professional and recreational courses. In the summer and fall months, Bo is a full-time student completing a degree in Civil Engineering.
Artie Cohen
Avalanche Education & Awareness Intern
Artie grew up in Minnesota, learning to ski at his local hill and spending summers up north like many Minnesotans do. In 2014 he moved west to Bozeman, where his passion for skiing and the mountains deepened. Now based in Utah, Artie is excited to share his love for the outdoors and help others stay safe in the backcountry through education and outreach with the UAC.
Dave Kelly
Forecaster
Dave Kelly was born in Colorado and grew up outside of Boston. After finishing a degree in Outdoor Recreation from Plymouth State in New Hampshire he moved to Utah to ski for one season and has been in the Intermountain West since. He has worked as a professional ski patroller, most recently at Alta Ski Area, where he was the coordinator for the Alta Dog Program. His avalanche forecasting includes work at Alta, Turoa on Mt Ruapehu, and in Alaska for the DOT and White Pass/Yukon Railroad. As an educator and instructor, he has worked for various schools across the country including NOLS, the University of Utah, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. On the government side, he has worked as a Trail Crew Lead for the Forest Service in Salt Lake City and as a River Ranger on Desolation Canyon. In the summer you can find Dave biking or boating.
Maddie Stagg
Avalanche Education & Awareness Intern
Maddie grew up in Logan, Utah, where skiing, hiking, and camping in the Wasatch Mountains sparked her love for the outdoors. Introduced to backcountry skiing at a young age, she developed both a passion for exploring Utah’s mountains and a lasting respect for avalanche safety. She is currently finishing her degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Utah. Maddie is excited to bring her background in backcountry skiing, non-profit work, and outdoor education to her role as a UAC intern. When she’s not in class or on skis, you can find Maddie running, reading, or camping in the mountains with friends.
