About the committee…

Jennifer K. Zanca: Committee Chair
Jennifer was a personal Coach / Trainer to Diana Golden-Brosnihan for three years during the completion of her illustrious career. She continued coaching the entire U.S. Disabled Ski Team for a total of nine years where she helped lead the Team to two Paralympic and two World Championship Nation Cup victories. After retiring the skis Jennifer came back to the United States Ski Team (USSA) as the Team Manager of the Disabled Alpine and Cross Country ski teams. For two years she oversaw and ran the Domestic World Cup and National Championships Competitions, as well as managed the overall team budgets.

Jennifer is a level III certified coach through the U.S. Coaches association and has worked with a full spectrum of athletes, both able body and disabled, from Junior racers to World Cup Competitors.

Kathy Chandler: Executive Director of Abilityplus, Inc.
Kathy has been in the field of disabled skiing for over 20 years as an instructor, PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) clinician and examiner, race coach and official,

Program director and executive director of AbilityPlus, Inc. She currently has 8 adaptive skiing programs throughout New England, that are fully integrated into the regular alpine ski schools and teach all disabilities and abilities to all ages of individuals. Kathy started the first Ability Plus Program at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire 11 years ago, which now has a strong group of trained and qualified instructors, a developmental race team for young racers, and a reputation as a wonderful, supportive, family resort with a strong adaptive program for disabled skiers. Waterville Valley is the host to the Eastern Regional Championship Race, one of the three level II races and the only one in the east for disabled skiers.

Kirk Bauer: Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA
Kirk Bauer has been executive director of Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA), formerly National Handicapped Sports, for 21 years. As DS/USA’s Executive Director, he has taken a small, all volunteer organization, making it the nation’s largest sports and recreation organization for physically disabled individuals; with more than 80 chapters nationwide, serving 60,000 people annually. Kirk has been a pioneer in working towards full inclusion of athletes with disabilities in the Olympic Movement; culminating in the Ted Stevens' Olympic Amateur Sports Act Amendments of 1998, recognizing athletes as full members of the USOC.

Kirk was selected for the 1998 Gene Autrey Courage Award, the 1986 "Healthy American Fitness Leader," presented by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and he received an appointment to the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. He has also served on the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Kirk was Diana Golden-Brosnihan's first ski instructor!