The board members of Friends of Hidden Peak are directly involved with the day to day ski patrol and mountain operations in Little Cottonwood Canyon. In addition to their full time jobs, they volunteer their time to serve 1 to 3 year terms on the board.

Erik Hanson

President - Erik was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He started skiing at the age of two. He grew up skiing the small hills of Minnesota and Wisconsin. He started coming to snowbird as a teenager on family trips and immediately fell in love with the mountains. He pursued a career as an automotive mechanic and be came a master certified technician. It was at this point he decided his life was better fit in the mountains. He joined a local ski patrol in Minnesota and started learning what it would take to become a ski patroller. He joined the Snowbird Ski Patrol 2017. The skills he has learned helping people with their vehicles has transferred in to helping people on the mountain and helping people in the community. He is very excited to be a part of Friends of Hidden Peak and serving this amazing community.

Ellie Martin

Secretary - Ellie was born and raised at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon where she started skiing Snowbird at the age of three. She ski raced for the Snowbird Ski Team for 10 years where she developed an intense love for the Little Cottonwood Canyon community. Ellie’s love for the outdoors led her to graduate from the University of Utah with a degree in Natural Resource Management and Public Health. After graduation in 2021, Ellie decided to follow her father’s footsteps and pursue a career as a ski patroller at Snowbird where her passion to help people and learn has been nurtured. Ellie’s love for her job and co-workers is what fuels her commitment to give back to the community that has given her so much. She is honored to serve as a board member.

Melissa Bartlit

Board Member - Mel was born and raised in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. At 18, she applied for her first job at Snowbird as a lift operator — not knowing that bumping chairs would inspire a career in the ski industry.

Over the past 14 years, Mel has worked her way through Snowbird Mountain Operations as a Chickadee Lift Operator, Lift Foreman, TLG Supervisor, and now Mountain Operations Office Manager. Throughout every role, her dedication to the Snowbird Mountain Operations team has remained at the heart of her work.

When she’s not at Snowbird, you can find Mel at the local thrift stores, working in her garden, or trying to enjoy mountain biking with her husband. She loves the ski industry and is truly honored to serve on the Friends of Hidden Peak Board.

Derek Nipkow

Board Member - While growing up in Danville, CA (east of San Francisco), Derek took up skiing in North Lake Tahoe, mainly at Alpine Meadows, Palisades, and Northstar. After spending too much time commuting 3.5 hours each way to ski in Tahoe, Derek moved to Salt Lake City in 1987 to be closer to skiing. In 1990 he got his first job at Snowbird, working nights and skiing days. That all changed in 1994 when he joined the Snowbird Ski Patrol (SSP) and hasn't regretted it since. During his career as a Snowbird patroller, Derek has had many opportunities, including being a gunner, bomb squad member, and dog handler. Recently, he is privileged to be a founding member of the SSP Peer Support Team, supporting mental health for Snowbird's first responders. Derek is honored to be a board member of the Friends of Hidden Peak.

Rich Kropp

Board Member - Rich Kropp is a dedicated snowbird ski patroller with more than 15 years of experience keeping guests safe on the mountain. When he’s not on the slopes, Rich serves the Salt Lake City community as a professional firefighter, bringing the same commitment, teamwork, and calm under pressure to both roles.

Off duty, you’ll find Rich embracing the outdoors—rafting rivers, biking mountain trails, or exploring Utah’s wild places with his beloved dog by his side. A passionate home cook, he’s just as happy experimenting in the kitchen as he is chasing fresh powder or whitewater.

Whether responding to emergencies or seeking the next adventure, Rich brings heart, skill, and enthusiasm to everything he does.

Steve Miller

Fundraising - Steve Miller was born in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Andrew forced his family to move to the town of Bradford, Pennsylvania, where he joined a ski club in middle school and skied Holiday Valley in Ellicotville, NY. He moved to SLC and started working at Snowbird in the year 2000. He joined the Snowbird Ski Patrol in 2002. Steve found his wife, Ashley, at Snowbird and they are raising their two boys Trapper and Ridge. Steve is the Bike Patrol supervisor in the summer and loves spending time with his family outdoors mountain biking, BMX racing, and skiing. He has spent the last several years building relationships and partnerships with businesses to support the Snowbird Ski Patrol, and is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a founding board member to Friends of Hidden Peak.

Kayte Suslavich

Treasurer - Kayte grew up in New England, learning the importance of sharp edges, hand warmers and proper layering in southern VT. She joined her college ski patrol in 2005 and the community she found there convinced her she wanted to be a lifelong patroller. After college she returned to patrol her home mountain, Stratton, VT, but in 2015 could no longer resist the urge to ski deeper snow and joined Snowbird Ski Patrol. Along the way, she graduated from medical school and now splits her time between patrolling and practicing Emergency Medicine in Salt Lake. Kayte is honored to represent her hard working and multi-talented fellow patrollers as a Friends of Hidden Peak board member.

Katherine Buhl

Board Member - Katherine joined the LCC ski patrol community in 2021, shortly after moving from her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, in 2019. She grew up dabbling in ski racing but eventually found her home in big mountain ski competitions. After competing throughout high school and college, she knew the ski community would be forever a part of her life. In addition to working at Snowbird, she loves to spend time climbing, trail running, and reading books. Katherine loves her job as a snowbird ski patroller and is very excited to contribute to the Friends of Hidden Peak community by serving as a board member.

Nat Grainger

Board Member- Nat was born in SLC, UT and returned to the Wasatch after a 20 year interstate leave. He grew up loving skiing with family & friends and happily began patrolling in 2008. He has worked at 3 different resorts and has been at Snowbird since 2014 as a Patrol Trainer, Dog Handler, B Squad Member and general grunt. Nat is glad to be able to give back to the patrol and supporting community by serving on the board.

Past Board Members

Brian Buse - Founding Board Member - 2020-2021

Sandra Turay - Founding Board Member, Secretary - 2020-2021

Tristan Schoeder - Founding Board Member, President 2020- 2023

Tina Biddle - Founding Board Member 2020 - 2023

Eliza Allen - Board Member - 2021-2022

John Bildstein - Board Member 2021-2024

Paul Spranklin - Board Member 2022 - 2025

Dr. Ellen Guthrie - Board Member 2022 - 2025