Photo by Jason Els Class of 2015 (Lees-McRae College) at Beech Mountain Ski Resort
Collaboration is one of those catchy terms marketers and speakers like to throw out a lot these days. In an age where all we hear is how divided our country is it’s encouraging to see this term gaining traction on a national and local stage. A great example of this on a local level is the working relationship that Lees-McRae College and Beech Mountain Resort have nurtured.
Lees-McRae dedicated the Dr. Thomas Brigham Classroom in partnership with Beech Mountain Resort where students will be able to receive onsite tutelage in LMC’s programs in Ski Industry and Business Instruction and Outdoor Recreation Management. The classroom will also serve as the base for the college’s ski and snowboard team.
These classrooms will undoubtedly be a great resource for students to get real-life experience and will help to groom the future outdoor leaders in our region’s ever-growing outdoor recreation sector.
Dr. Brigham is often referred to as “The Father of Southern Skiing” and was instrumental in developing some of the area’s most beloved ski areas of Beech and Sugar Mountain in North Carolina and Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. He was a bit of a renaissance man who worked professionally as a dentist while enjoying the outdoors and painting, who certainly collaborated with others in making his dream of southern skiing a reality.
