Effective May 5, 2024, Paige Pagnucco replaces Mark Staples, who successfully led the team for 9 seasons. She has worked at the Nonprofit Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) for the past 19 years in numerous roles, most recently as Program Director, overseeing the avalanche awareness and education programs. In addition to her Program Director role, she forecasted for the Logan region, worked as a highway avalanche forecaster for the Utah Department of Transportation, and has been instrumental in the delivery of both motorized and non-motorized avalanche classes, avalanche awareness events, fundraising events, writing grants, and the development of new education programs.

“I am thrilled to continue promoting avalanche safety and am looking forward to focusing my efforts on the avalanche forecasting program. Most importantly, I feel deeply privileged to collaborate with the exceptional staff of the Utah Avalanche Center, supported by an incredibly dedicated Board of Directors.”

Paige grew up skiing and ski racing in New England and began her snow and avalanche career as a professional ski patroller at Park City Mountain Resort. She was a route leader and avalanche educator and participated in the resort's avalanche rescue dog program as a handler. She credits her patrolling background with her passion for all things avalanche. To hone her business acumen, she received her MBA from Utah State University in 2005.

When she is not busy with snow and avalanches, you’ll find Paige in the mountains hiking, pedaling her mountain bike, or on the dull end of a rope at the local crag. She relishes time with her family and regularly recruits them as backcountry field partners and belayers.

Effective June 10, 2024, Caroline Miller will take over as the new Executive Director, replacing Chad Brackelsberg. Paige and Caroline will work together to lead the UAC into the future. With Paige focusing on leading the forecasting team, Caroline will concentrate on avalanche awareness and education, fundraising, partner development, strategy, communications, and financial accounting. The Utah Avalanche Center’s Forest Service and nonprofit partnership aims to provide tools for people to make informed decisions in the backcountry.

Caroline brings extensive experience from the nonprofit and private sectors, including nonprofit operations, program management, project management, communications, and strategy development and implementation. Originally from Estes Park, Colorado, Caroline grew up exploring and skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park. She attended Montana State University and lived in Bozeman, working primarily in the nonprofit space, always maintaining a connection to the ski industry. After earning her master's degree from the University of Utah, her career in ski industry risk management took her to the Sierras, where she became the Risk Manager and eventually Director of Mountain Operations for Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Caroline left Kirkwood to return to the nonprofit sector and spend more time in the backcountry. Since then, she has been consulting for nonprofits, including the Sierra Avalanche Center, and managing the development of a backcountry hut system in the Sierras. She is excited to return to Utah’s incredible terrain and join such a passionate, knowledgeable, and hardworking team.

After seven years of leading the UAC, Chad Brackelsberg will continue to serve the backcountry community and assist Caroline during her transition. He will teach avalanche classes during the winter and lead special projects, including developing the new website and mobile application, and advancing the use of computer modeling and machine learning in avalanche forecasting.

The Utah Avalanche Center looks forward to this new chapter under the leadership of Paige and Caroline who are both dedicated to continuing the mission of saving lives.