Ludlow, VT – Okemo Mountain School’s (OMS) Wendy Neal has been head of the ski and snowboard academy since its inception at the winter of 1991-92. She has been affiliated with Okemo Mountain Resort for more than 20 years. Neal recently tendered her resignation to the OMS board of directors but plans to stay on through the search for a qualified candidate and transition of her replacement.n“It will be business as usual for Okemo Mountain School,” said Neal. “It’s hard for me to leave, but it’s time for a change. I hope that some new energy will benefit the school and take it to the next level.”

Neal’s husband, John Neal, has accepted a new position with Hunt Hollow Ski Club, in Naples, N.Y. She plans to pursue her passion for food and cooking through the expansion of her catering company called A Catered Affair.

Neal also plans to stay active with the resort’s race program on a part-time basis after her OMS departure. “I don’t intend to be fully out of skiing. It’s a lifetime commitment,” she said.

“On behalf of the board I want to thank Wendy for all her efforts since the inception of Okemo Mountain School,” said OMS Board of Directors Chairwoman Diane Mueller, co-owner of Okemo Mountain Resort. “Under her leadership, many students have competed at the national and international level in their discipline. Thanks to Wendy and her staff, students gain an understanding of what it takes to be motivated around their passion. They carry that drive to whatever they pursue in life. Wendy will be missed, but the board is thankful that she is willing to stay on to help during the transition.”

Many successful athletes have trained on the slopes of Okemo Mountain Resort as students at Okemo Mountain School. OMS students are highly motivated individuals and the school addresses the needs of these talented skiers and snowboarders, grades 7 through 12, by providing them with an opportunity to train daily and work toward their competitive athletic goals while maintaining high academic standards.