Vermont Academy hires Chester business owner as snow sports manager

Burleigh Sunflower

“The coaches have a lot of passion for what the school’s program is about,” Sunflower said. “I’m excited about the prospect of continuing the snow sports legacy here.”

Sunflower brings 25 years of in-depth experience to this critical role. He is a Professional Ski Instructors of America certified Level 2 ski instructor, a PSIA Level 2 children’s specialist, and an American Association of Snowboard Instructors Level 3 snowboard instructor.

AASI Level 3 instructors are certified to work with any level of student, up to and including competitive freestyle riders. This certification also helped Sunflower to become an AASI Examiner — a position where he trains and certifies snowboard instructors at resorts all over the East Coast.

For the last 10 years, Sunflower has worked in senior leadership roles at Bromley Mountain, Okemo Mountain Resort and Vail Resorts managing snow sports schools, resort operations and resort marketing. These skills and experience will help him keep Vermont Academy sports on snow programs thriving and drive them to even greater success in the years to come.