SAM Magazine—Truckee, Calif., Nov. 1, 2024—Vail Resorts has named Tara Schoedinger vice president and general manager of Northstar California Resort, effective Nov. 11. She moves from Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo., where she served in the same role. At Northstar, Schoedinger takes over for Amy Ohran, who became president and COO of Palisades Tahoe, Calif., in September.

Schoedinger began her Vail Resorts career on the company’s IT team in 2010, the same year she was elected Mayor of Jamestown, Colo., a small, historic town located in the foothills west of Boulder. In September 2013, devastating floods nearly destroyed the community, so she left Vail Resorts to guide recovery efforts full time. It took three years for the town to rebuild. Schoedinger returned to Vail Resorts in 2016, helping with the Whistler Blackcomb (B.C.) integration, and later became chief of staff for the CMO and then chief of staff for the president of the Mountain Division before being named as VP and GM of Crested Butte in 2021, the resort’s first woman in that role. 

“Tara is perfectly suited to lead the team at Northstar,” said Jody Churich, SVP & COO of Vail Resorts’ West Region. “Her commitment to operational excellence, paired with a passion for supporting small communities, is perfectly aligned to the values and experience that Northstar offers. … I am confident that Tara will lead the resort with the dedication, passion, and partnership that are the hallmarks of her leadership.”  

“I am honored to lead this team and am eager to jump in with both feet as we prepare for the winter ahead,” said Schoedinger. “The Northstar spirit and ethos aligns with my own values and approach to mountain operations and experience, and I can’t wait to join the resort’s team, guests, and community as I embark on my first season in North Lake Tahoe.”