The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation has selected Annie Bommer as the new executive director of the Alf Engen Ski Museum.

Bommer, an avid skier with extensive experience in the museum and nonprofit sector, is scheduled to step into her new role on April 1, replacing Connie Nelson, who announced her retirement after 22 years. 

“I am so thrilled to be part of this organization,” Bommer said. “I have loved museums since I was little, and I have loved skiing since I was little. So this intersects two of my passions, and I can’t wait to be on board.”

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Bommer, who lives in Draper with her husband Erik Stolberg and their mini poodle Copper, is a board member of the Draper City Historic Preservation Commission. She comes with a long list of credentials, including her tenure as director of Layton City’s Heritage Museum, gallery coordinator for the Davis County Arts Council and curator of the Syracuse City Museum.

I think that nonprofits like the Alf Engen Museum play amazing roles in communities by making history available to everyone while teaching people all kinds of different things.” Annie Bommer, Alf Engen Ski Museum’s new executive director

Her experience also includes serving as architectural historian, archeologist, museum collections manager, museum education assistant, museum curator and museum director.

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Bommer’s interest in museums was ignited when she was 7 through the “Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Scarlet Hand” video game.

“You played as the assistant curator at a Mayan Museum, and I said to my mom that this was what I wanted to do when I grew up,” she said. “I love the collections side of things. I started off my career as a collections manager, so I love looking at everything in the archive and seeing what’s in the storage that isn’t seen regularly by the public.”

Bommer, who earned her master of liberal arts degree through Harvard University’s Extension School, where she completed her Field of Museum studies, also has a bachelor’s of arts and archaeology degree from Weber State University in Ogden.

She considers her presentation of the architectural difficulties of adapting medieval castles into museums at the European Castleology Conference in Austria her greatest accomplishment so far.

“I also love getting everything organized, managing and writing policies,” she said. 

Bommer’s love for skiing was sparked by her family, especially her father.

“He did ski patrol before I was born, and he got us into skis as we all learned to walk and steady ourselves,” she said. “I think I was first in skis when I was 5, and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Bommer, who is originally from Ogden, called Nordic Valley her home base.

“It’s a small hill, but has a great skiing atmosphere,” she said. “I still go up there a couple of times a year.”

So, to work at a ski museum, which is home to artifacts used and owned by the late Olympic Gold Medalist Stein Eriksen, World Cup Gold Medalist Ski Jumper Sarah Hendrickson and Olympic Gold Medalist Alpine Skier Ted Ligety, is Bommer’s dream come true.

“As we all know, skiing and winter sports are big things here, but I was still so surprised to see all the artifacts we have in the archive room,” she said. “It is amazing to see all of the stuff and collections just waiting in the wings. It blows my mind how much they have.”

Boomer also likes how the museum uses science and technology in its exhibits.

“I love how much interaction there is with these exhibits because I think it’s such an important part in today’s learning to have something hands-on, while bringing in something with technology as well,” she said. “That’s what speaks to kids these days, and it gets them involved.”

The educational programming is also something Bommer looks forward to sustaining.

“We’re doing a field trip on Wednesday, so I’ll get to see the inner workings of that,” she said. “I think it’s great that local schools come out here.”

In addition to schools, Bommer looks forward to increasing the number of people who can see the museum’s artifacts or participate in its programming.

“I think that nonprofits like the Alf Engen Museum play amazing roles in communities by making history available to everyone while teaching people all kinds of different things,” she said. “I remember being here for a workshop a couple of years ago, and I thought everything they’d done was amazing while I walked through and visited the different exhibits.”

Bommer is also amazed at the work outgoing Executive Director Connie Nelson did to magnify the museum’s reputation in the museum community.

“She’s done such amazing things, and everyone looks up to it,” she said. “So there’s a lot of pressure to keep up what she’s done and keep things going. But the staff I have met so far is amazing, and I think this will be a great experience.”

Nelson is confident that Bommer will continue to build on that groundwork.

“Annie is bubbly, and she’s got experience,” she said. “She loves museums, and she is someone who has experience in archive rooms, which is something that we’ve lacked.”

That experience will help the Alf Engen Ski Museum’s efforts to become a fully accredited museum, Nelson said.

“That’s a big task,” she said. “My strengths of getting things organized and getting things together has laid a foundation, but Annie has that experience and knowledge to take it to the next level. And I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Ron Steele, president of the Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation board of trustees, is happy Bommer accepted the position.

“Her depth of knowledge of museum operations, fundraising, youth programs and museum visitor engagement will build on the solid foundation established by her predecessor and keep our museums on their world-class trajectory,” he said in a statement.