SAM Magazine-Durango, Colo., Aug 10 2005-Hank Thiess will become general manager and COO for Durango Mountain Resort in September, with responsibility for all aspects of resort operations. That includes the mountain, village, lodging, food and beverage and sales and marketing. He replaces Bill Rock, who left in June to become GM at Snowshoe, W.Va.

Thiess moves to Durango from fast-growing Wisp Resort in Maryland, where he has been GM and COO for the past few years. During his tenure at Wisp, Thiess led the area to record visits, drove revenues to new levels, and implemented operational standards that led to higher levels of guest satisfaction. Prior to Wisp, Thiess was VP of resort operations at Keystone. He has been in the ski industry for more than 25 years, including positions at Steamboat and Alpine Meadows, and served on the PSIA Rocky Mountain division board of directors.