Eileen Sanford is currently entering her 5th year as President of San Diego Ski Club Council and is also now serving as the Vice President for Council Services on the FWSA Board of Directors. First elected President in June 2008, she has been involved with the Council in various volunteer jobs beginning with the 1998 FWSA Convention in San Diego. She began her volunteer career with the Don Diego Ski Club as the Social Chairman in 1987. For 10 years she served on the Club’s “Black Diamond Nights” Committee in support of the United States Adaptive Recreation Center (USARC), helping to raise an estimated $150,000 dollars in support of adaptive sports in Southern California.

In addition to her many duties as Council President, Eileen has served in various positions with her North Island Snowdrifters (NISD) club as Race Director, Travel Director and Council Representative. She served on the 30th Anniversary committee for NISD and her fund raising efforts netted $500 for that effort. She has also coordinated both North Island and the Council’s participation in the annual Snow Jam ski show conducted at the San Diego Fairgrounds, raising thousands of dollars for both club and council activities. Eileen has served as the SDSCC Woman of the Year twice, in 1996 and in 1997. In a remarkable achievement, she nearly single handedly invigorated a nearly non-existent North Island Snowdrifters racing program to such heights that it won the San Diego Alpine Race League Championship Cup for 11 years in a row, through 2010. Although not Race Director in recent years, that initial leadership effort and involvement translated in to SDSCC’s success in winning the SoCal Racing cup in half of racing contests over the last 10 years.

On that racing subject, Eileen has been incredibly energetic in supporting San Diego’s young Alexa Wehsner in her efforts toward advancing as a J2 junior racer, raising over $2,600 in donations in various coordinated functions to support Alexa’s progression toward the Olympic Team - a real success story.

In 2009, as Council President, Eileen oversaw the San Diego Convention Committee’s efforts in the highly successful FWSA Convention held in Palm Springs, CA. More recently, she assisted in attracting the future ’15 convention back to San Diego. In recent years she has also been extraordinarily successful in attracting monetary sponsorships for club/council events.

As a community volunteer Eileen raised $18,000 in sponsorships from local commercial businesses in support of a local achievement contest in support of elementary school children.

Eileen has been a strong advocate for inclusion of San Diego clubs in Council and Far West trips and activities. She has made nearly every FWSA Ski Week since 1997 and has helped to build a strong relationship with San Diego club leaders. She has also built strong relationships with representatives of many of the premier national and international ski resorts for which SDSCC and FWSA are reliant. She led the first NISD out of country trip to Whistler in 2008.

She attends all NISD, SDSCC and FWSA major events as an outstanding representative of volunteerism and dedication to the sport of skiing.

We are honored to nominate Eileen for the Elizabeth “Schatzi” Wood Award.