Quick Turns By Nancy O’Connell Preserving the Past A Conversation with Olympic Ski Museum Foundation Executive Director Jill Milne

Jill Milne is the new Executive Director vide a venue space for longstanding of the Olympic Ski Museum Foundation. organizations and events, including the She has strong ties to the area as a long- Squaw Valley Institute and the Squaw time Squaw Valley skier with two children Valley Community of Writers and even on the Squaw Valley Ski Team. She has the Cadillac Ball. The idea is that this is contributed hundreds of hours to Tahoe- for the entire community, and it’s meant area non-profts including The Shane Mc- to be a venue that can host those events Conkey Foundation and arrives with 20- that are such an important part of the plus years of experience in marketing and social fabric here. It would be the per- fundraising. Quick Turns caught up with fect place for a flm festival, for music, Jill between meetings to learn a little more arts and guest speaker series. There are about her and get the latest news about so many possibilities and the goal is to the museum. really have a place with ongoing annual QT: Tell us about your background . events and other special presentations. JM: I’ve been in corporate marketing, There is also going to be a café, which events and fundraising for 25 years and will help establish the museum as a worked in marketing at the Jackson Hole gathering place that you come back to Mountain Resort. I was also at the 2002 again and again. Olympic Winter Games QT: Where do things stand cur- managing Sprint’s VIP program and de- rently? veloped the Xerox Sponsorship Program JM: We are so busy! We’ve been for the 2004 Summer Olympics. working with Keith Design Group to QT: How did you end up in Tahoe? refne and focus the branding and JM: I was working in San Francisco for marketing strategy so that it truly re- a variety of tech frms and launching a se- fects the overall mission and vision ries of conferences and events. I moved of the museum. The architects are up here in 2006 and telecommuted from deep into the permit process, and we Truckee. We had a home look to have new concept renderings here since 2001, and we photo courtesy Bill Briner Towers soon. GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Olympic were coming up as often QT: The Placer Co. Board of Super- Ski Museum Foundation Executive as possible before moving visors awarded a $125,000 match- Director Jill Milne hopes to see here full-time in 2006. One ing funds grant to the museum foun- North /Truckee’s rich day, I was in the lift line with dation – what’s next? snowsports history showcased Sherry McConkey and she JM: The museum has received over for generations to come. asked me to come to a meet- $80,000 and we need to raise an ad- ing – she had an idea about dition $45,000 by June 30, 2018. This how to carry on Shane’s leg- material here and right is the frst big push and we really need support acy and asked me to be one now, there isn’t one from the community, so we can take the next step. of many to join her in estab- place to discover and To donate go to olympicskimuseum.org or send a lishing The Shane McConkey learn the history. check to PO Box 2697, Olympic Valley, CA 96146 Foundation. Local legends, both and your donation will be doubled thanks to the QT: Tell us about the athletes and snow Placer Co. grant. scope of this project – sports builders, will be QT: What is the projected timeline? isn’t it much broader than honored with a Hall of JM: The Capital Campaign will launch in 2019 Squaw Valley or the 1960 Winter Olympics? Fame. Certainly, there will be some overlap with and look to break ground in 2021. Out goal is to JM: It’s about the 1960 Winter Olympics and the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, but there host the Grand Opening in 2023. how that came to be, and it’s also about the rich winter sports history of the Sierra QT: What are people surprised to learn Nevada region – currently there are 26 ski ‘Simply put, our mission is to preserve about the museum project? areas in the region, along with several that JM: I meet people on a regular basis who are now defunct. Most people don’t know the Olympic and winter sports history really didn’t understand the scope of this about the very frst ski resort here that project. Simply put, our mission is to pre- was planned for Rife Peak at Stateline in of the Sierra Nevada region, to share serve the Olympic and winter sports history 1938. It was going to be connected to the of the Sierra Nevada Region, to share sto- Cal- Neva hotel by an aerial tram. Wayne stories of the legends of winter and ries of the legends of winter, and to inspire Poulsen, who founded Squaw Valley, did a generations to experience the wonder and snow survey and determined that a ski re- to inspire generations to experience passion of our unique mountain spirit. I also sort wasn’t viable at that site. But that snow fnd so many people who are surprised to survey research became the foundation the wonder and passion of our learn about the unique stories that really for most of the resorts that were ultimately haven’t been told. built here. There is just so much history here unique mountain spirit.’ QT: How can people follow the muse- and a lot that happened before and after the um’s progress? Is there a newsletter? 1960 Olympic Winter Games. are also people who are so important to this region JM: Go to the website olympicskimuseum.org QT: Why a museum? Why now? that have been overlooked. In addition, this region for news and updates and to sign up for the news- JM: There is a strong need for a single location has produced record numbers of U.S. Ski Team and letter. Once we fnalize our marketing and brand- that curates and exhibits our extraordinary winter Olympic Team members – and the only other place ing strategies, we’ll also be posting our progress sports history, both as an educational facility and that has numbers like that is in Steamboat Springs. via social media. You can look for those updates one that is entertaining as well. Squaw Valley is the QT: Are there any other benefts to the com- on the website as well. only Olympic site in the world that does not have munity? QT: How can people get involved? a museum. When you add that to the other amaz- JM: The proposed facility includes a state-of- JM: Contact me! You can reach me via ing stories, from Snowshoe Thompson to the 10th the art events center that the community will have email: [email protected] or call Mountain Division – there is a lot of interesting the opportunity to use. It has the potential to pro- me at 415/254-5868 Squaw Valley Times 15