Board of Trustees

Alicia has a long history being involved with independent schools. She served on the board at the Montessori School of Denver for ten years where she oversaw their campus expansion. Alicia’s educational background includes The Kent School, Dickinson College, The Culinary Institute of America, and the University of Denver – Daniels College of Business (MBA/MS RECM). Alicia is the Director of Development and Construction at Gravity Haus which she founded with her husband, Jim. Her son, Jake attends VMS and she has two daughters, Chloe at NYU and Amelia at IMG Academy. 

Pepper grew up in the Vail Valley and, along with his two siblings, attended VMS from Kindergarten through Senior Year ('98).  He studied Cultural Anthropology and International Eco-tourism at Colorado State University before returning to the Valley where he met his wife, Jody, while they were working locally as whitewater raft guides. In addition to many years as a guide around the world, Pepper also ran a freelance photography company before attending PA school at The George Washington University. After several years in Minnesota working for the Mayo Clinic health system, Pepper returned to the Valley and currently works as a Physician Assistant with Vail Health and Colorado Mountain Medical. Pepper and Jody have two children at VMS, Bodhi '29 and Kayla '26. Pepper has been active on the VMS Strategic Planning Committee and Alumni Committees and looks forward to extending his service to the school as a member of the Board.  

Markian Feduschak has lived in the Eagle Valley since 2007 and served as Executive Director and President of Walking Mountains Science Center since 2004. Walking Mountains has grown significantly since its founding in 1998, including opening the doors of the Tang Campus in Avon and serving all public and private schools in Vail/Eagle valley, including a close relationship with VMS. Markian grew up in Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in English Literature. Prior to Walking Mountains, Markian worked as a professional ski patroller and for the Colorado Outward Bound School as an instructor, course director and program director. Markian is married with two daughters, both of whom graduated from Eagle Valley High School. Markian has volunteered his time with various outdoor nonprofits and currently serves as board chair of the Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center. 

Joe Hanlon was raised in Vail and graduated from Vail Mountain School in 1988. He went on to earn his degree from Cornell University in 1992. After college, Joe built a successful career in television production with ABC Sports, where he covered a wide range of events—from the NYC Marathon and the Iditarod to college football and the PGA Tour.

Today, Joe oversees operations at Wild Bill’s, the iconic store founded by his father in 1968. He currently serves on the board of the Vail Memorial Park and previously completed two terms as Board Chair of the Vail Recreation District. He is also a proud father of twins in the VMS Class of 2030.

Larisa Haytmanek and her family moved to the Vail Valley in 2017. Larisa holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University and a MBA from Villanova School of Business. Larisa has served on the Board of Children’s Garden of Learning Preschool, VMS Gala committee, and Parent Partners Homebase Parents. Larisa’s two daughters have attended VMS since Kindergarten. 

Juan Carlos Hernandez Barraza (JC) is a Vail Mountain School Alumnus. He grew up in Eagle County and attended Vail Mountain School for upper School grades 9-12. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Colorado Mesa University, and later earned his Master of Arts Degree in Counseling with a concentration in Multicultural Clinical Mental Health from the University of Colorado Denver.

He is a licensed Behavioral Health provider holding licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), and is a Addiction Counselor Candidate (ADDC). In his current position, he is an Outpatient Behavioral Health Specialty Clinician at Vail Health Behavioral Health.

His commitment and love for the Vail Valley was a big reason for his return to our community in 2022, he is committed and dedicated to creating positive change in our community.

Susanne Johnson and her husband Ted operate Vail Valley Waste and Edwards Excavating; family businesses serving the Vail Valley. She has served on various Board committees as well as co-chair of Parent Partners. Like so many others, Susanne came to the Vail Valley for “just one season” shortly after earning a degree in Marketing from Michigan State University. She enjoyed her work as Admissions Director for Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder, has served as the Marketing Director for the Vail Recreation District, and played a key role in the development of Chatfield Corners in Gypsum. Susanne and her husband are the proud parents of one current VMS student, one former student and one VMS alum.

McKinley and her family moved to the Vail Valley in 2019 from Charlottesville, VA. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, she is a graduate of Colorado College and the University of Montana, where she received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. McKinley practiced physical therapy for more than a decade in both acute care at the University of Virginia and outpatient care at Howard Head Sports Medicine.

She has served as Chair of the VMS Gala (2023, 2024), co-chair for the Annual Book Fair and Holiday Market (2021–2023), and on the Development Committee at the Vail Valley Foundation. She also currently serves on the boards of the Vail Valley Foundation and the Vail Valley Lacrosse Club.

McKinley’s two children have attended Vail Mountain School since kindergarten.

Craig was drawn to Vail by his passion for skiing and cycling and opened a snowboard shop on Bridge Street in 1998. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Vail and have been part of the VMS community since their daughter, Ariana, started Kindergarten in 2018.

Craig’s real estate development career has evolved from mountain resorts to healthcare. Most recently, serving as Chief Real Estate Development Officer for Vail Health. Before joining Vail Health, he was President of Real Estate for Alterra Mountain Company.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver.

An active member of the community, Craig has served on the Vail Chamber of Commerce, the Vail Local Housing Authority, the Eagle County Housing Task Force, and various Town of Vail appointed committees.

Nicole Magistro is a reader, writer, mentor, journalist, consultant and community leader. She is the mother of Silas (Class of 2030) and lives in Minturn with her husband, Zach Locke. Nicole moved to Vail in 2002 and owned The Bookworm of Edwards for 15 years, during which time she was the recipient of the ABA's Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, WNBA's Pannell Award and James Patterson indie bookseller grant. Magistro judged the Kirkus Prize for Fiction and has served various nonprofits including the American Booksellers' Association, The Literacy Project, and The Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers' Association. Nicole has served on various Parent Partners committees, including the VMS Bookfair, and been integral in the Board Strategic Planning process.

Jeffrey, his wife Sophie and their family became members of the VMS community in 2021 having moved to Vail from Geneva, Switzerland.  Jeffrey was born and raised in New York City and after graduating from Dartmouth College in 1990, spent the last 30 years in Europe working in global energy trading. Sophie, a French citizen, grew up in the shadow of Mont-Blanc and is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (ENSA).  Jeffrey and Sophie have two boys attending VMS in grades 9 and 8.

Philip Pillsbury III moved to the Vail Valley in 2019 with his wife Cynthia, and 3 children, two of whom are current students and one is a Class of 2023 alum. His love of Vail was cemented during family trips starting in 1985, fortified during his undergraduate years at CU - Boulder, and finalized during longer visits where he and his family recognized the amazing VMS community and the entire Vail Valley. Philip’s career has included work in state politics, video production, the digital music market, online marketing software sales, and most recently Phil’s Secret Sauce, which he started in 2020. Philip’s volunteer work and board involvement has included VPAC, The Hotchkiss School, Musicians on Call and Bread and Roses, which brings hope and healing through live music.

Melissa Provencher and her family moved to the Vail Valley in 2016 from Boston. She is a graduate of Cornell University and University of San Diego School of Law. Prior to moving to Vail, Melissa practiced complex business litigation in California for more than a decade. Melissa and her husband Matt have three children at VMS and one Class of 2022 alum. She chaired the VMS Gala in 2018 and 2019 and is on the board of the Vail Valley Lacrosse Club

Meredith, a proud Vail Mountain School alumna ('99), is an appellate attorney with the Office of the State Public Defender, representing clients convicted of serious crimes at the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court. Meredith graduated from Wellesley College before attending law school at UNC Chapel Hill. Her legal career followed her “first career” as an instructor with the North Carolina Outward Bound School, which sparked a life-long interest in outdoor and experiential education. Now residing in Denver with her wife, Anne, and their two dogs, Meredith frequently returns to Vail to visit family, see friends, and play in the outdoors. She recently served on VMS's Strategic Planning Committee and looks forward to continued involvement as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Adi Slifer is a proud Vail native and Vail Mountain School alumna, deeply connected to the community she calls home. She spent K-12 at VMS before earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University. Adi began her career in consulting in New York City, later pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Following business school, Adi joined DaVita Healthcare, where she spent seven years with the Corporate Development team. Adi’s heart remained in the Vail Valley, and she returned to her roots to honor her father’s legacy, now working at Slifer Smith & Frampton.   Adi and her husband, Alex, a fellow Vail native and VMS alumnus, have three sons — Walker (4), Preston (3), and Rodney (1 month) — who keep life lively and full of adventure. Adi also serves on the Board of Directors for the Vail Valley Foundation and is active with the VMS Strategic Planning Committee and Alumni Committees and is thrilled to continue her commitment to the school through her participation on the Board.

Nick Thompson's bio is forthcoming. 

Nick is a Managing Director and Operating Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock.  Previously, he was a Partner with McKinsey and Company where he was a member of the Firm’s Energy Practice, led the North America Implementation Practice, and helped co-found their Denver office in 2014. He is a passionate supporter of K-12 education also serving on the Vail Valley Foundation Board where he sits on the Education Committee. Nick holds a BS from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. Nick and his wife, Lissie, are the proud parents of three daughters at VMS.