Utah Avalanche Center has named Nazz Kurth as its new executive director. Credit: Photo courtesy of Marie Compton The Utah Avalanche Center has a new Executive Director. Nazz Kurth officially joined the organization in June, following the departure of the previous director, Caroline Miller, in A pril of this year. Kurth, originally from New Hampshire, has lived in Utah for the past 20 years. As an avid backcountry skier, the Utah Avalanche Center forecasts have been part of his daily winter life since then. “It’s exciting,” Kurth said, “to kind of be on the other side and to be part of that team that’s responsible for raising awareness, education and getting out phenomenal forecasts for the backcountry community.” Before joining the Utah Avalanche Center, Kurth had a career in outdoor recreation industry leadership. Now, he’s looking forward to directing a non-profit because of the avalanche center’s mission. “Saving lives through avalanche forecasting, awareness and education is really compelling for me,” Kurth said. “Having been in the mountains, kind of like my whole adult life, you see when things go wrong, you lose friends and colleagues. So being a part of an organization that’s really focused on trying to help people be safer in the backcountry, for me, that’s really compelling.” The Utah Avalanche Control’s Dawn Patrol forecasts are particularly impactful in Kurth’s personal life. One of the things he loves most about the Utah mountains is being close enough to ski in the morning and still make it to work by 9 a.m. Listening to these forecasts every morning is how Kurth and countless others are able to make informed decisions and stay safe while getting those early morning turns in.  Nazz Kurth, Utah Avalanche Center’s new executive director, is an avid backcountry skier. Credit: Photo courtesy of Dave Green The Utah Avalanche Center was founded in 1980 and works alongside the U.S. Forest Service to provide education and forecasting for snow conditions in and around the state of Utah. According to Kurth, the relationship between the Utah Avalanche Center and the U.S. Forest Service is a public/private partnership. The center helps raise funds and promotes necessary education and awareness programming. The Know Before You Go avalanche awareness campaign, for example, has become a worldwide safety standard for backcountry recreation.  Throughout his career, Kurth has learned that the most important part of a successful organization is the people involved.  “This is an organization that has an incredibly solid foundation. I think part of that is, again, the people,” Kurth said.  Kurth said he’s focused on expanding and continuing the work already being done by the team of forecasters. A large part of Kurth’s role as executive director will be overseeing the financial standing of the organization. He said he’s making sure they have the funds to continue these life-saving programs. Seventy-five percent of the nonprofit’s revenue comes from donations, he said. Kurth invited the community to engage and get involved through classes and fundraising events. The annual Backcountry Benefit, coming up in September, is a celebration of the Utah Avalanche Center and a kickoff to the winter season. Keep an eye on the center’s website for avalanche classes individualized for specific needs and sports. The post The Utah Avalanche Center has a new executive director appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less