Talent Under 30

July 2014

Talent Under 30

SAM takes its annual look at some of the talent in the industry under 30 years of age. Our future looks to be in good hands. Written by: Katie Bailey

Push to The Latest: No
Show in The Latest?: No

Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life, right? It’s a credo brought to life every year with SAM’s young guns, 10 (or, in this case, 11) individuals under 30 who are making a difference with their passion, smarts and dedication.

This year’s class is no exception. From a director of food and beverage who manages a full plate with aplomb, to a passionate marketer who chased her love of skiing, analytics, and ice all the way to Alaska, this year’s young guns all share a clear vision of what success looks like and how to get there. All while squeezing in a few runs every powder day they can. The focus on creating top-notch experiences, for fellow employees as well as for guests, is paramount with every individual featured here. It’s an important evolution in the industry, and one that will help ensure mountain resorts are places people continue to consider when planning their weekends and weeks off. What would really be a game changer, though, would be granting the young guns the super powers they’d most wish to possess. With controlling the weather and teleportation the most popular choices, they could well be running half the mountain resorts in North America in no time.

We chose this group based on nominations from you, our readers. To all you nominators, we extend our sincere thanks. The number of talented, up-and-coming managers and leaders you highlighted is truly impressive. We received more than 40 nominations, and it was not an easy task to choose 11 stars to profile. We made our selections to reflect the diversity in experiences, resort types, sizes, and locations, as well as for their accomplishments.

LaurenEverest

LAUREN EVEREST
Public Relations Supervisor
Whistler Blackcomb, B.C.
Age: 28
Education: B.A. Communications from Wilfred Laurier University;
Graduate Certificate in Corporate Comm’s
from Sheridan College Inst. of Technology and Advanced Learning
First job in the industry: public relations coordinator at Whistler Blackcomb
Super power: The ability to control the weather, like Storm from X-Men.
Six-word bio: “Dreamer with a passion for communication.”

Few of us have media directly scrutinizing our jobs. How do you ensure media folks get what they need?
I try to be as strategic and thoughtful as possible. The biggest challenge is seeing the full picture and helping to get the reporters/writers/photographers everything they’ve asked for, and maybe something they didn’t even know they needed.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your role so far?

When I became a supervisor, having other people on my team looking to me for guidance and leadership was a struggle at first. In addition, having the confidence to make decisions that will impact a team member’s work experience and the confidence to delegate took time to develop. I think I’ve got the hang of it now, though, and those supervisory responsibilities are fast becoming one of my favorite parts of the job.

TESS HOBBS
Marketing & Communications Manager,
Woodward Tahoe and Boreal Mountain, Calif.
Age: 28
Education: B.A., University of Vermont
First job in the industry: events coordinator at Killington Resort
Super power: The ability to grant wishes, and of course, control the weather!
Six-word bio: “Passionate powder-hound and hard-working marketing guru.”

You’ve received an award for Excellence in Guest Service—so, what makes a great guest experience?
In multi-resort locations like Tahoe or Vermont, guests have many options. Good service makes them happy, but great service makes them a passholder. Treat them as individuals and anticipate their needs. It only take a few seconds for me to stop and teach a six-year-old how to carry her skis, but for the mom waiting with armloads of gear, that could be a game changer for their whole visit.

What makes a great leader, and how do you apply that to your career?

I’m fortunate to have some terrific mentors. In addition to having their support and guidance, I’ve learned a lot from watching them in action. They’ve taught me to not be afraid to try things that are new. Also, you have to lead by example, and be ready to step in at any time to help out. Sometimes, it may be sunset photo shoots or glamorous TV interviews. Other times, you’ll be renting out snow pants during President’s Weekend. It’s all part of leading in this industry.

TylerHollingsworth
TYLER HOLLINGSWORTH
Resort Services Manager
Telluride Ski Resort, Colo.
Age: 29
Education: B.S in Environmental and Natural Resource Management, Clemson University
First job in the industry: lift operator
Super power: Teleportation for sure.
Six-word bio: “Lots of energy, happy to share.”

How would you describe your leadership style?
It’s evolving, but always supportive and energetic. I’m a firm believer that our guests have the best interactions with team members who are genuinely happy with their situation and proud to be representing our resort. It’s my job as a manager to help create that environment. If our team members aren’t enjoying their winter, it’s hard to ask them to help someone else enjoy theirs.

Tell us about the ticket scanning system you developed.
Ticket checking is a hard job. No one wants to be considered “the bad guy,” but occasionally people make ticket checkers feel like they are just that. One of the first things I identified was our team members were using nonspecific logins for the scan guns. This made it harder to hold individuals accountable, and easier to choose not to get involved in an uncomfortable situation. I put in place a different system for logging in using employee passes. This new login method creates more accountability for the team member, but in turn provides them access to a few pieces of customer information, making it easier for them to identify fraudulent pass use.

ERICA KELLEHER
Interactive Marketing Manager
Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo.
Age: 27
Education: B.S. in Recreation Resource & Ski Resort Management & Marketing Minor,
Lyndon State College, Vt.
First job in the industry: junior ski instructor at Okemo Mountain, Vt.
Super power: Make it snow powder on demand.
Six-word bio: “Enthusiastic piñata-making ski resort marketer.”

Your work in earning CBMR top-town status in Powder Magazine’s Ski Town Throwdown impressed many people. Tell us about the strategy.

First, it was a team and community effort. My part, besides standing downtown dressed up as mountain mascot Betty Bear to “rock the vote,” involved creating a digital campaign to generate an avid and loyal voting base. Whether it was social-media targeting, a robust e-mail strategy to keep voters voting, or putting up digital billboards on highways across Colorado, the most important element was generating enthusiasm and sharing the spirit of Crested Butte.

A certain giant piñata was brought up in a number of your nominations. What gives?

My role expands far beyond marketing, and that is one of the strongest motivators for me. The piñata lowdown: I created a five-foot tall and four-foot wide piñata for CBMR's 50th birthday celebration on opening day a few years ago. It was a big birthday and I just felt we needed a big piñata to make the day more fun! Whether its pulling all-nighters to make a piñata, scanning tickets, handing out burgers, busing tables, or being the mountain mascot, I do what I can to be the best team player I can possibly be.

ErikKerr

ERIK KERR
Web and Art Director
Red Mountain, B.C.
Age: 28
Education: B.A. Multimedia, concentration in Graphic Design and Web Development/Design,
California Lutheran University, Calif.
First job in the industry: ski instructor
Super power: The ability to change my superpowers at will.
Six-word bio: “Passionate, enthusiastic, design-loving, music-crazy ski bum.”

Tell us about your approach to marketing: it seems you have a very specific vision for it.

We want to communicate our unique experience at Red with the audience that we believe would enjoy it the most. Our vision is to create a specifically curated experience for our guests that involves not only our incredible terrain for die-hard skiers and veteran skiing families, but to craft a ski resort for the next generation of skiers, providing entertainment such as concerts and beer festivals to complement the vibe of our resort and funky town. It’s all about having fun, and we want our audience to realize that.

What gets you fired up about coming into work every day?

For starters, I love the opportunity—and the need—to wear multiple hats within our company. The idea that I can come into the office and be working on a variety of projects at any given time keeps me on my toes and keeps things new and fresh. And while it can be overwhelming from time to time, it’s incredibly rewarding. I’m fortunate to work for a ski resort that values the enjoyment of the sport, the culture, and the lifestyle and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It makes what I do so much more enjoyable.

DALLAS LEONARD
Employee Housing Manager,
Copper Mountain Resort, Colo.
Age: 28
Education: B.A., Management; Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan.
First job in the industry: Employee housing specialist, Copper Mountain
Super power: Teleportation.
Six-word bio: “A genuinely sarcastic, adventurous, Warrior Dash champion.”

Describe your approach to leadership and employee engagement.

Just as we request our staff to provide the best possible service to our guests, I aspire to serve, support, engage, celebrate and challenge my staff and the employees across the resort. I believe that investing in staff, engaging them with projects, empowering them to make decisions, and challenging them develops a commitment to the company and strengthens the bond of trust within their department.

Does the quality of the housing environment impact staff morale?

I do believe the housing environment and roommate assignments can make or break an employee’s morale and performance. Our office uses a basic housing application to assign roommates based on cleanliness, day or night shift, snoring, smoking, etc., but no application will tell us whether or not two personalities will mesh—it’s a shot in the dark. We hope for the best, but when issues are brought to our attention, we act on them to remedy the situation. By troubleshooting issues with the employees directly, it establishes confidence that we are here to support the wellbeing of staff, on and off the clock. In return we often see a boost in morale and overall performance.

TOMMY LONG
Snowmaking Manager
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, N.M.
Age: 28
Education: BBA with a concentration in organizational leadership, University of New Mexico
First job in the industry: ski instructor
Superpower: control the weather
Six-word bio: “Hard working, passionate and driven.”

You work in practically a family business [dad Tom is GM]. How did you develop your skill set to excel within it?

My drive has always been a great love for skiing. My parents instilled this love at a very early age, along with a strong work ethic. I started as a ski instructor when I was 14, and I really enjoyed introducing the sport to new people. I [then] started to help in any department that needed it. This allowed me to learn how a ski area works as a whole. There are so many different parts that have to work together to make a ski area successful, seeing it all come together is really neat.

What are the greatest challenges facing small ski areas such as Pajarito?

People don’t ski the way they used to. People used to go skiing every weekend, from the time their local ski area opened to when the springtime pond-skimming event was held. Now, kids activities start earlier or go year-round. Combine that with the elevated cost of our industry, and you have a challenging recipe.

JESSICA PEZAK
Director of Marketing
Alyeska Resort & The Hotel Alyeska, Alaska
Age: 29
Education: B.S., Communication, Boston University
First job in the industry: communications director, Hunter Mountain
Super power: I’d want to see a person’s deepest fear.
Six-word bio: “Chasing ice.”

What drove you to make a major move, both professionally and personally, from Hunter Mountain, N.Y., to Girdwood, Alaska?

I had always wanted to return to the north after shuttling to and from Scandinavia throughout college. For many years I dreamt of moving to higher latitudes; there is nowhere more beautiful to me than the far north. I feel very much at home. I arrived here with a lot to learn—about working with people, shouldering a lot of responsibility, and interacting with so many different personalities. I took a chance, loaded up my car, and drove all the way here not knowing anyone. I reflect on that sense of adventure to the fullest extent every day.

What do you love about your work, and what is the most challenging?

On the macro level, the opportunity to sell Alaska as a package experience is the best part of my job. More specifically, picking through data and looking for consumer trends would be the highlight. As my career has progressed, I’ve learned that managing tactical operations well takes a team effort. I enjoy the constant focus on big-picture strategizing and the ability to assess our planning and execution from different points of view. I would say this has been my area of greatest growth and my largest challenge.

JORDAN SPEAR
Manager, Ticket Sales, Season's Pass,
Pico Sports Center & Ambassadors
Killington & Pico Ski Resorts, Vt.
Age: 26
Education: B.S. Resort and Hospitality Management, Green Mountain College
First job in the industry: Snowboard instructor at Brantling Ski Slopes, N.Y.
Super power: Teleportation.
Six-word bio: “Enjoy what you do, success follows.”

Tell us about the lost-and-found system that impressed your supervisors.

Killington has five base lodges, and guests’ stuff ends up all over the mountain. When I started in guest services, agents had to call each base lodge to check for items every time a guest was missing something. It was time-consuming and didn’t work. So I created a web-based database where staff lists found items and takes reports of missing items. Both are in one place and easily visible for easy matchmaking. It was easy to use, intuitive and helpful, and created happy guests.

What accomplishments are you most proud of in your career so far?

The Vermont Student Pass program. There had been an academic excellence program, offering a heavily discounted pass to local honor roll students, but nearly all other students were paying full price. The program was also a bear to administer. I proposed offering the pass to all Vermont kids in grades K-12, found the right price, and was given the green light. Getting kids hooked is so important for our long-term success as an industry.

TIMOTHY STONE
Ski School Director,
Mountain Creek, N.J.
Age: 25
Education: Architectural Design and Construction,
SUNY Orange, N.Y.
First job in the industry: Snowboard instructor, Mountain Creek, N.J.
Super power: No sleep!
Six-word bio: “A passionate leader who loves progression.”

How has the area’s management structure helped you evolve your career?

Leadership is very important to us. From our resort president and general manager to our departmental managers, we all understand the importance of great customer service, employee satisfaction and fun. I feel supported by each of these people in a unique way, which has helped me develop into a professional myself.

What accomplishments in your career are you most proud of so far?

This season, my first as SaSS director, our leadership team had a huge impact on employee satisfaction and retention. Out of 247 instructors, 92 percent are committed to returning next season. This was achieved through development of employee recognition programs, rewards for hard work, staff functions and maintaining a fair balance of work and play. We also reduced our total labor costs to 31 percent of revenues, resulting in a 69 percent profit. By offering first-time group lessons every hour on the hour and advanced group lessons every two hours, we were able to increase participation, guest and employee satisfaction, and instructor availability for private lessons. This helped to prevent overworking instructors while boosting morale.

ADAM THATCHER
Director, Food and Beverage
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Calif.
Age: 29
Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Richmond
First job in the industry: dishwasher
Super power: Perfect memory.
Six-word bio: “C’mon, we can finish it together.”

Your nomination described you as highly committed to developing the next generation of leaders. Why?

When I first became a manager, I quickly learned that my success depended upon the whole team’s success. When I became the F&B director two years ago, I learned again that there was no room for competition as a leader of a large management team. Instead, as I learn management principles, techniques, and tools, I share them with my team so they can become better leaders. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a manager of a small venue ready to take on a larger operation!

Tell us about your vision for sustainable food and beverage programs.

During my first season as the F&B director I got a lot of feedback from guests asking for “fresh” food. While our top sellers will always be [fast food], I knew there was a minority demanding higher quality. At the same time, I was writing the business plan for two new food trucks. Susie Sutphin of the Tahoe Food Hub came along selling regionally-grown produce, and we clicked. I asked my boss, “What if the food trucks concept served regionally, sustainably sourced food?” We got such positive feedback from the idea that we ran wild with it.

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