Board of Directors
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President | Head of Marketing Committee
Josh Chang
Originally from the Boston area, Josh started skiing from a young age in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, and began touring and venturing into the backcountry in 2018. As the son of Taiwanese immigrants, Josh is passionate about increasing representation of Asian and other minority athletes in outdoor sports and skiing.
Over the years, Josh has found joy in sharing his love of ski touring and the backcountry with friends and newcomers. Drawn to IST's mission of developing an inclusive uphill community and making backcountry skiing more accessible, he joined IST as a volunteer in 2024, served as the Mountain Coordinator for IST programs at Cranmore during the 2024-2025 season, and joined the IST board in the summer of 2025. He sees uphill skiing as the ideal blend of physical challenge, technical skill, and time in nature with community.
Outside of skiing, Josh is the Director of Marketing Strategy & Operations at HubSpot, a Cambridge-based software company. He lives north of Boston with his partner and dog and
in the warmer months, you'll find him out on the golf course, trail-running, or training for his next marathon. -

Director | Director of Women's Programs
Meg Pierce
Meg grew up casually alpine and nordic skiing with her family. She started touring on telemark skis in 2021, but decided to leave dropping knees to the resort setting and got her first alpine touring setup in 2022.
Her social, enthusiastic, and fun-loving nature has always led her to encourage others to join her for outdoor adventures. After leading tours for Inclusive Ski Touring’s Women’s Program starting in January 2022, she realized how passionate she was about formalizing her efforts to help break down barriers for women in the outdoors. Meg joined the board of IST where she has worked to expand the Women's Program including organizing the Women's Uphill Bash in the spring.
Meg lives in the Greater Boston area with her partner, daughter, and dog. She works as an Engineer and spends her free time passionately pursuing her endless outdoor hobbies. -

Director | Head of Media Relations
Sam Trombley
Sam Trombley is a marketing and public relations professional focused on the outdoor recreation industry and community development. For years she led marketing efforts for Granite Outdoor Alliance and the Mt. Washington Backcountry Ski Festival, and she now works for HEB Engineers. Sam is passionate about making outdoor recreation more accessible while helping communities sustainably leverage the outdoors for economic vitality.
Sam grew up skiing casually but fell in love with uphill touring in 2020 when her best friend Kelsey introduced her to the backcountry. After four years in Boston, she moved to New Hampshire in 2022 to be closer to the mountains and started volunteering with Inclusive Ski Touring during the 22/23 season. Now based in Gorham, NH with her partner Stuart and their pup Scarlett, Sam spends her free time hosting “SalmonStew Trivia” across Mt. Washington Valley and Coös County, serving on the Gorham Destination Management Committee, and volunteering with Summits in Solidarity to support racial justice and equity in outdoor spaces.
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Treasurer | Head of Finance Committee
Abby Cough
Abby grew up in Portland, Maine and found a love of touring in 2019 - exploring the terrains of Carrabassett Valley and the White Mountains. Humbled by all the folks who helped to foster her backcountry skiing knowledge, she wanted to give back and found out about Inclusive Ski Touring in 2023. Abby volunteered that season - inspired by the mission and excited to drive inclusion and community in the Northeast. She aspires to help grow the organization and bring ski touring to as many communities as possible.
To support her hobbies, Abby is a consultant at BRG where she focuses on turnaround and restructuring.
Outside of skiing, Abby enjoys running and racing sailboats with her husband Pat.
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Secretary | Head of Grants & Fundraising Committee
Bill Cobb
Bill is the Vice President of Consulting Services at Offprem Technology, a Salesforce implementation partner. He previously led the Protect Our Winters (POW) New England Local Alliance, a group of volunteers across New England working to enact local campaigns and events to support POW's mission. Bill has a background in adaptive sports, serving as a volunteer skiing and climbing instructor and a member of the Communications & Marketing Committee for Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country.
When it's not ski season, Bill can be found training for his next ultramarathon or spending time on the lake. He lives in New Hampshire with his partner Kelsey and their two dogs.
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Director | Director of Volunteers
Sam Andrews
Sam’s love for skiing began early, thanks to her mom’s resourcefulness. From trading a class presentation for lift tickets to earning ski days through Maine Adaptive volunteer hours, they found creative ways to access the mountains together.
Today, Sam supports Inclusive Ski Touring (IST) to help grow community and access in the backcountry. She has the privilege of working alongside IST’s 75+ incredible volunteers. What motivates her most about this work? Well, she believes time outdoors is essential for our mental and physical well-being-- and touring is just another fun way to get outside!
Sam works for Colby College as the Assistant Director of Outdoor Programs. When she’s not on skis, she’s finding other ways to spend time in nature with the people she loves most!
Founder & Executive Director
Zachary McCarthy
Born and raised in Saco, Maine, Zach is a dynamic individual on a mission to create more inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation opportunities. With a degree in Economics from the University of Southern Maine, Zach is the Founder and Executive Director of Inclusive Ski Touring and the former Marketing Director at Mt. Abram Family Resort. He is also one of the founding board members of the non-profit organization Uphill New England. His approach to partnership development and programming has made outdoor adventures more financially accessible, while boosting public relations and business revenues.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Zach embodies the spirit of adventure, finding fulfillment, inspiration, and drive through backcountry skiing, trail running, biking, and photography.
Zach's future aspirations include expanding Inclusive Ski Touring and developing alternative nationwide outdoor accessibility initiatives.
Backcountry Program Guides
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Mack Connor
She, Her, Hers
Guiding and Instructing since 2019, Mack Connor is originally from Cape Cod, MA, and did not have access to mountains growing up. Her passion for outdoor education began in the early stages of her undergraduate career at the University of Maine where she studied Environmental Science and Outdoor Leadership while also instructing rock climbing, paddling, and mountaineering trips with the outdoor education program on campus, Maine Bound Adventure Center. It was there that she gained an understanding of the benefits and implications of experiential education and her passion for wanting to share these activities with others developed. After graduating with her B.S. Mack made the easy decision of pursuing a Master's in Teaching and staying in the realm of outdoor education as an Instructor for Acadia Mountain Guides, while also breaking into the ski guiding world. As a female voice, it is her goal to provide outdoor and nature-based educational opportunities to the underserved while fostering an inclusive, safe, and fun environment where growth, mental health, and lifelong learning are a priority. In between guiding and outdoor pursuits, Mack can be found teaching science in Bethel, ME., baking, working in her garden, and crafting earrings out of beans!
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Stuart Hickey
He, Him, His
Coming to us from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Stu began guiding in 2011 as a whitewater guide on the Ocoee River in Tennessee, where he first discovered his passion for making the outdoors more accessible. That passion eventually led him to New England, where he could stay rooted in the Appalachian Mountains, explore all of his outdoor pursuits, and ski daily through the winter months.
Over the years, Stu’s guiding style has become increasingly education-focused. He has taught fly casting and archery for L.L.Bean, trained whitewater paddlers in Swiftwater Rescue, and guided for the Backcountry Skiing Program at Carrabassett Valley Academy, pursuing outdoor education from many angles. A longtime volunteer with Inclusive Ski Touring’s On-Resort Programs, Stu is incredibly excited to step into a backcountry role where his commitment to accessibility in the outdoors aligns so closely with our mission. Whether it is backcountry skiing, paddling whitewater, rock climbing, or anything in between, Stu is always eager to share his knowledge with anyone who asks.