CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Carrabassett Valley Academy is excited to announce the hiring of Todd Johnson as the new Snowboard Program Director. Johnson will take over responsibilities from current Snowboard Program Director, Alex Tuttle, as he moves on to a new role as Head Coach of the U.S. Adaptive Boardercross team.
Many familiar with the CVA Snowboard program will recognize Johnson’s name, as he spent several years as a coach at the Academy. Johnson then expanded his coaching experience as Head Coach with Team Utah Snowboarding, Head Coach of the Belgium Paralympic Snowboard Team, and more recently as the Head Snowboard Coach at Hebron Academy in Maine. Johnson is also a U.S. Army veteran and USSA/USASA Level 300 coach.
CVA Head of School, Kate Punderson said of Johnson’s return: “Todd began his coaching career under the guidance and mentorship of former CVA Snowboard Program Director, Mike Mallon. He has also worked closely with outgoing Director, Alex Tuttle over the past few years. Todd shares both Mike’s and Alex’s coaching philosophy on long-term athlete development and personal growth. He will seamlessly pick up the reigns of the program and build of the tradition of success of CVA Snowboard and Ski Cross programs.”
Johnson will begin transitioning to his new role immediately.
CVA also happily announces the hiring of Olympian Jacqueline “Jackie” Hernandez. She is a stellar athlete in her own right, having won the Boardercross World Cup in Valmalenco, Italy, and as a member of the U.S. Snowboard Olympic Team in 2014. Hernandez will graduate from Westminster College in December with a BS in Nursing and will join CVA full-time for the winter in late December.
Outgoing Snowboard Director Alex Tuttle said of Jackie: “[She] knows what it takes to race with the world’s best and is eager to guide and mentor the next generation of elite snowboardcross riders to their full potential.”
When Hernandez is not traveling with the Boardercross team, she will lend her knowledge and passion for snowboarding to the development team and CVA Weekend Program athletes and coaches.
