SVSEF Welcomes New Board Members, Says Goodbye To Others

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Board of Directors recently bid farewell to three longtime members and welcomed three new members.

Last Tuesday, board president Jennifer Milgard (above) presided over her last meeting before turning the gavel over to incoming president Sam Adicoff. Milgard served on the SVSEF board for six years. Her daughter, Molly, is a current member of the U16 Alpine Team and oldest daughter, Madi, was part of the alpine program for eight years. Adicoff has been a board member for four years this August.
Two other board members who also came aboard in 2009, vice president Tim Hamilton and secretary Muffy Ritz, attended their final monthly meeting for the SVSEF.
SVSEF Executive Director Rob Clayton remarked, “I am really grateful for the time, contributions and effort that Jen, Tim and Muffy have given the organization during the past six years. Jen spent her final year as the Board Chair. She was a pleasure to work with and through her leadership has left the SVSEF in a better place than she arrived. The same can be said for Tim and Muffy. Their hard work and wisdom have been a great benefit to the SVSEF. We are going to miss all three.”
Two-year board member Charlie Dunn was elected vice president and Kelly Allison secretary. Allison is a SVSEF alumni and member of the board dating back to July 2012. Jim DeWolfe, elected to the board in April, takes over for Adicoff as treasurer.
Two former SVSEF parents and a five-time Swedish national skiing champion were elected to the board Tuesday in the form of Dave Wilson, Rebecca Waycott and Kathinka Tunney.
Wilson, the father of SVSEF alpine alumni Regan and Katie, is a longtime local contractor who served as Mayor of Sun Valley from 1999 to 2004. After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1968, Wilson was employed by the U.S. Justice Department as a supervisory criminal investigator from 1969 to 1977. He established Wilson Construction in 1977 and was an executive member of the National Association of Home Builders for several years, culminating with serving as president in 2005. Following a six-year tenure as chairman of the Idaho Housing Finance Association, Wilson currently serves as Public Interest Director of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Iowa. According to Wilson, the bank possesses 125 billion dollars in assets. Dave and wife Trish reside in Sun Valley.
“I look forward to helping our kids in the valley becoming better young adults,” Wilson said. 
Rebecca Waycott’s two children, Colin and Louisa, are SVSEF alumni as well, with Colin skiing on the alpine team for 11 years. A graduate of Wellesley College, Waycott earned a pair of master’s degrees in international business from Thunderbird Graduate School, and counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate School in California.
“The experience of ski team and the influence our incredible coaches had on our children was irreplaceable,” Waycott said. “It helped make them who the successful young adults that they are today.  I am thrilled to be joining the SVSEF board as I feel that SVSEF is one of the most important nonprofits in our valley.”
In 2002, Waycott co-founded St. Thomas Playhouse in Ketchum and has served as committee chair of the organization since 2007. She is also a current member of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s Education Outreach Committee. Waycott was president of the Community School’s parent’s association from 2006 to 2008. She lives in Ketchum with her husband Richard. The Waycott family moved to Ketchum in 2001 after a period of 20 years spent living in Venezuela and Brazil.
Waycott remarked, “Our wonderful programs combined with a great school system helps to attract great families to the Wood River Valley – families who are interested in a healthy and creative environment for their children combined with athletics and a strong educational system.  I look forward to spreading the word about all of the benefits SVSEF brings to our athletes and their families. It’s a wonderful program.”
Kathinka Tunney was born in Sweden and grew up to be a formidable ski racer, competing for the national team at the 1962 World Championships and 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria. A five-time Swedish National Champion (4DH/1GS), Tunney’s best World Cup finish was seventh place in downhill at St. Moritz. She went on to race on the Sierra Tahoe Pro Circuit in 1975.
Fluent in English, Swedish and French, Tunney graduated from the School of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Married to former U.S. Senator John Tunney, California, the pair shares three children and “one awesome Norwich Terrier,” and reside in Ketchum.
“I look forward to being part of a board that is devoted to enhancing the name of SVSEF in the development of superb race teams in the disciplines of alpine & nordic skiing and assisting more talented young athletes in the community to have access and financial support to participate in the many activities offered by SVSEF that will shape their futures and fill their daily lives with the many joys of sports such as enduring friendships and physical health,” Tunney said.
Tunney sits on the board of advisors for the Positive Coaching Alliance in California and was formerly a member of the Special Olympics, California, and Special Olympics International. She served as chairman of the Special Olympics Sports Rules Committee, World Games Committee and chaired the Site Selection Committee, which selected Los Angeles as the location for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will be the largest single event held LA since the 1984 Summer Olympics with 7,000 athletes representing 170 countries, according to Tunney.
Tunney cites her hobbies as Nordic and alpine skiing, biking, water skiing and climbing the Alps and Mont Blanc.
“Our new members bring great perspective to the Board. Both Dave and Rebecca have had children pass through the SVSEF and know what the benefits of the program are. Kathinka brings a strong competitive background to the SVSEF along with a great deal of nonprofit experience. We are fortunate to gain three well-qualified members to replace our outgoing group of exceptional people,” Clayton said.