Meet the SVSA Staff

Four people in ski gear on a snowy mountain

SVSA Staff

Hannah BenDavid, SVSA Assistant Program Coordinator + Assistant Dorm Director

Hannah BenDavid joined the Sun Valley Ski Academy staff as its Assistant Program Coordinator in 2023. In addition, Hannah will be the Assistant Director of Rufus M. Brown Hall.

A recent graduate of Brandeis University, Hannah holds a BS in Neuroscience and a minor in French. Hannah brings experience teaching Upper School- and collegiate-level students and has a strong grasp of the sciences. Most recently, she was a Science Teaching Assistant at Steamboat Mountain School in Colorado where she assisted in teaching 9th-grade Biology and 11th/12th-grade Anatomy and Physiology; she also led outdoor expedition trips and assisted with residential staff duties for the school’s boarding students. During her time at Brandeis, Hannah was a Teaching Assistant for the Quantitative Biology Research Community, an Undergraduate Researcher for the Turrigiano Lab, and a Neuroscience Undergraduate Department Representative. She is proficient in French, is Wilderness First Aid-certified, and was the President of the Brandeis Mountain Club.

Houston Deck, High Performance Coordinator

Houston Deck assumed the role as High Performance Coordinator in the Julia Argyros Training Center in early August 2024. Houston most recently served as Exercise Science Adjunct Faculty for Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Previously Houston worked as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Barca Residency Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona where, among other responsibilities, he designed and led instruction for all athletic development programs for U14-U19 teams. Houston also served as an Athletic Development Coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard from 2019-2021, where he designed and delivered Strength and Conditioning programs for rookie/national team athletes for both freeski and freestyle disciplines.

Houston holds a BS in Human Performance from Florida Southern College and a MS in Exercise Science from Liberty University.

Vicky Kelley, Residence Hall Assistant Cook

The Residence Hall welcomed Vicky Kelley as its new assistant cook in the fall of 2022. In her role, Vicky will cook healthy breakfasts and assist with dinner. Vicky brings a plethora of experience cooking at private schools and restaurants. Prior to joining Sun Valley Community School, Vicky was a hot lunch provider at Lighthouse Christian School. Since 2014, she also worked for Ketchum’s Rasberry’s Catering and Bistro, where she assisted with catering needs and food prep and planning.

John Lane, SVSA Academic Coordinator

John Lane joined Sun Valley Community School in August 2022 in a part-time capacity, teaching Upper School math in addition to serving as an SVSA Academic Coordinator.

Prior to joining the Cutthroat community, John served in a variety of mathematical roles in the Cayman Islands. Most recently, he was a Mathematics Tutor with Cayman Tutors where he tutored students in secondary mathematics from Algebra to Calculus as well as IB Maths A.1 11 and 12. Prior, he was the Mathematics Teacher at the Bren Subic International School teaching Math 6, 7, 8, and 9. And from 2015-2020, he was the Mathematics Teacher at Cayman International School, teaching Math 6, 8, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, and IB Maths A.1 11 and 12.

John holds a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Spanish from California Polytechnic University. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time in the outdoors.

Jonna Mendes, SVSA Program Director

As the director of the Sun Valley Ski Academy since 2011, Jonna Mendes has an impressive background as an athlete and coach. A two-time Olympian—at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games—Jonna was also a four-time National Champion (twice in downhill, twice in giant slalom) and earned a bronze medal in super-G at the 2003 Alpine World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Following her 2006 retirement from the U.S. Ski Team, Jonna honed her coaching skills as a U.S. Ski Team development coach from 2006-10, working with athletes at national and regional projects and competitions. In addition to her role as SVSA Program Director, Jonna coaches the U16s with Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Jonna’s unique perspective and experience as an elite athlete and coach is an asset to the development of our SVSA student-athletes. In her free time, Jonna loves chasing her son, Declan, down the mountain and camping with Declan and her husband, Will.

Christine Reid, Residence Hall Chef

Students and staff at Rufus M. Brown Hall welcomed Christine Reid as the new Residence Hall Chef in August 2024.

Christine has 25+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, with a focus on menu development, front and back of house staff management, and comprehensive cooking instructions. She currently is the principal for Chez Christine, a Boise-based company where she serves as a personal chef and kitchen concierge services. From 2010-2022, Christine was the owner and Executive Chef for Locavore in Boise, where she developed evolving menus, oversaw staff and established close relationships with local farmers, neighbors, and clientele. Between 2001-2010, she served two stints as co-owner and Executive Chef of two Boise-area restaurants, Pair and Aubergine.

Christine holds a BA in French and English from Seattle University.

Mitch Thompson, Residence Hall Assistant Cook

Joining Christine Reid in Rufus M. Brown Hall’s kitchen is Mitch Thompson.

Mitch is a graduate of the University of Idaho with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Prior to working in the restaurant industry, Mitch was a Design Database Manager at Micron Technologies. Since leaving the electrical engineering field, Mitch has devoted himself to the restaurant and service industry, helping Christine run successful restaurants in the Boise area for over 20 years.

Clay Wawner, Director of Residential Life

Clay Wawner joined our staff in 2018 as Director of Residential. Clay joined Sun Valley Community School from Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia, where, since 2013, he served as Dean of Students, history teacher, Community Service Coordinator, Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach, Residential Duty Team Chief, Student Advisor, and Senior Administrative Team member.

In addition to his extensive academic, residential, and coaching experience, Clay has over ten years’ experience as an outdoor education instructor, having led wilderness experiences around the U.S. and globally, including two summers employed as a fishing and river guide for The River Company in Stanley.

Clay, along with his wife Maggie, bring warmth, a familial approach, clear expectations, and great residential experience to the dorm, while also working to expand programmatic offerings for all Sun Valley Community School students.

Clay is a graduate of Denison University, where he captained the men’s lacrosse team for two years and graduated with a degree in history. In his reflection of his visit to Community School, Clay shared, “Through a strong set of guiding values, I believe that I can help define a culture that successfully integrates the residential life program into the greater community, bridges the gap between day and boarding students and faculty, and creates a fun and safe environment for our students.”

Clay enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife Maggie and their two sons.

From every angle, the SVSA program is one that I wish I had access to as a young ski racer. While I did get the opportunity to play soccer and ski, I feel like I missed out on being a ‘normal’ high school student. For SVSA student-athletes, the sky’s the limit: from dances, to drama, to music, our kids have endless opportunities at their fingertips. While most come here to ski, they are able to do so much more.

-Jonna Mendes, SVSA Program Director