CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Kevin Burns, chairman of the board of trustees of Carrabassett Valley Academy (CVA), has announced that after 25 years of service to the academy, John Ritzo will be leaving his position as headmaster. Kate Webber Punderson has been named head of school by the board of trustees and will begin that role on July 1, 2011. As of September 1, 2011, Ritzo will begin a new post at Thornton Academy in Saco as associate head of advancement and admissions.
“John’s vision and leadership during his tenure has been exemplary,” said Burns, “and Kate’s knowledge and thorough understanding of the CVA mission and core values will allow for a strong, sustained leadership transition. On behalf of the CVA board of trustees, I want to thank John for his outstanding service and wish Kate the very best as she steps into her new role.”
A native of the town of Carrabassett Valley, Punderson attended Kingfield Elementary School and then CVA, where she graduated as valedictorian in the Class of 1989. She did a post- graduate year at Stratton Mountain School before spending four years at Middlebury College, where she was a member of the alpine ski team, a three-time NCAA team member and team captain. She worked as the head women’s alpine ski team coach at Killington Mountain School, then as assistant alpine ski team coach at Middlebury College. She became the head of school at The Academy at Adventure Quest in Brownsville, VT, while earning a master’s in Educational Leadership at the University of Vermont. She returned to work at CVA in 2001, when she co-created the ALPS program, which offers leadership training through back-country ski adventures worldwide. Over the past 10 years at CVA she has served as coach, dorm parent, director of development and alumni relations, and director of finance.
Punderson, 39, is the daughter of Peter and the late Martha B. Webber. She is married to Sam Punderson, who is director of Camp Mowglis in New Hampshire, and they have one son, Calvin, who is six years old. Calvin is a fourth generation member of the Sugarloaf Ski Club. Punderson’s paternal grandparents, Margaret and Norton Webber, were founding members of the Sugarloaf Ski Club and her maternal grandparents, Waldo and Florence Beck, were also Sugarloafers. Punderson’s parents were founding members of the CVA board of trustees.
“The head of school position is an inspiring new challenge and one I take very seriously,” said Punderson. “It is a step I am ready and eager to take. I want to thank John for his mentoring and guidance and I am humbled by the overwhelming support of the board of trustees. I am excited to continue championing CVA’s mission on campus and beyond. As the school approaches its 30th anniversary in 2012, we are strong in every respect, from our board of trustees, to the academic, athletic and community programs, to the support from Sugarloaf, the Sugarloaf Ski Club, the town of Carrabassett Valley, our alumni and friends. Every aspect of the institution is functioning at a very high level.”
The strength of the academy is credited largely to Ritzo’s leadership. During his 25 year tenure at CVA, Ritzo has guided the school from a very young institution with only 40 students, to a stable, strong and successful academy with over 100 students. The first thing he did upon his arrival in 1986 was to secure accreditation for CVA from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). During his tenure, CVA graduates have gone on to such colleges as Harvard, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Colby, Bates, West Point, Brown and Stanford among others. Under his watch, CVA student-athletes have also won three golds, three silvers and two bronze medals in the Olympics. The academy’s campus, called the “King Cummings Campus” in honor of one of the academy’s founders, has grown to include a new dormitory, and the Anti-Gravity Center in partnership with the town of Carrabassett Valley.
Ritzo said, “In 1986, when King Cummings hired me as head of school at CVA, and my wife Patty and I moved our young family to Sugarloaf, little did we realize that this was to be a 25- year amazing adventure! The people that we have had the privilege to come to know, including the students, parents, staff, trustees, Sugarloaf area community members and friends have enriched our lives. CVA is woven into the very fabric of the Ritzo family and the CVA community is our extended family. Words cannot fully describe the emotion that I feel at this time. Being the head of this academy has been my life’s work, and I am extremely proud of the institution that I have helped to build with the united effort of many, many people who shared the vision and believed in the mission of CVA. There is much to be proud of, namely the incredible accomplishments of CVA students and alumni, a new campus and a ‘world class’ reputation as a snow sports academy that excels in both athletics and academics. However, far more important to Patty and me than these accomplishments, are the almost 1000 young people that we had the honor to live, learn and work with for the past twenty five years. This is a lasting legacy that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.”
Ritzo added, “Kate Punderson represents everything good about CVA. She exemplifies the school’s mission, because she has lived it. Kate possesses all of the skills, experience and leadership qualities required to be a truly outstanding head of school and the ideal person to lead CVA into the next generation. I want to thank everyone for the tremendous support that I have received over the years. Serving CVA has been an honor and a pleasure.”
Ritzo and Burns said they are extremely proud to see the academy’s alumni taking leadership roles in guiding the school into its next phase. In addition to Punderson, there are many alums working at the school and serving on the board of trustees.
