SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 4, 2024—Nine mentors have been named for the seventh annual SAM Summit Series leadership development program, which will explore the theme “Leadership During Times of Constant Change” this year.

In the mentor/mentee program, emerging resort leaders engage and learn from top industry veterans on a variety of topics affecting mountain resorts. The program aims to create connections and opportunities for learning that will provide the next generation of leaders the knowledge and skills to successfully lead our industry forward.

The Mentors

This year’s mentors, listed below, are a strong and varied group of leaders with more than a century of combined experience. This esteemed group includes:

• Ross Boisvert, VP and GM, McIntyre Ski Area, Manchester, N.H.
• Shannon Buhler, VP and GM, Keystone Resort, Colo.
• Kim Jones, VP and General Counsel, WinSport Olympic Park, Calgary, Alberta
• Karl Kapuscinski, CEO, California Mountain Resort Company, Calif.
• Bridget Legnavsky, CEO and President, Sugar Bowl, Calif.
• J.R. Murray, Chief Planning Officer, Mountain Capital Partners
• Ken Rider, General Manager, Brundage Mountain, Idaho 
• Karyn Thorr, COO, Crystal Mountain, Mich.
• Brent Tregaskis, President and GM, Eldora Mountain, Colo.

Learn more about the mentors here.

The Focus

This year's course topics will take a deep dive into self and team management during times of constant change, with opportunities during each conversation for mentees to ask questions and problem solve with the mentors.

Specific topics among mentors and mentees will include:

• Mastering Your Mindset… Feeling overwhelmed and underprepared can create self-limiting thoughts, low-performance, unmet expectations, higher stress, dissatisfaction, and even disillusionment. Through a combination of practical tips and tricks learned by our mentors and some coaching from our facilitator, mentees will dive into how to strengthen their own mental toughness and mindset to draw out higher performance from others.

• Leading Teams Through Change… The pace of change has increased dramatically over the past decade, and we’ve seen this intensify more recently. How do leaders manage through the increased pace of change and keep their teams energized for sustained peak organization performance? There is a science to change management and different approaches to consider.

• Tackling Tough Leadership Questions… Leadership comes with its share of challenges—whether it's managing imposter syndrome, balancing your professional and personal life, or making tough decisions like letting a team member go. The mentees will have an opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions of the mentors to gain insights from those who have navigated these dilemmas before. 

• The Mentee Show: You’re in Charge. Now What?... Imagine you’re the general manager of your ski area. How will your leadership style guide your resort to success? In small groups, the mentees will work through scenarios. Mentors will be on-hand to review their approach and offer guidance from their extensive experience.    

Mentees—Apply Today!

The deadline to apply for one of the 10 coveted mentee spots is fast-approaching—applications must be received by Sept. 13. If you or someone on your team would like to be considered for one of the 10 spots, please fill out the submission form here. Potential mentees must be currently employed within the mountain resort industry and willing to critically assess their skill sets and development. 

Mentees from 2023 shared the following feedback: 

“Being able to link up with key players in the ski industry around the country is an amazing place for knowledge, insight, and frankly, this program and my Summit Series mentor gave me more confidence than anything.”

“There is so much to learn from each other in the industry by asking pointed questions like ‘what are you doing / have done?’ or ‘why do you do it this way?’ and being able to dig into a leader’s experience and reason behind something. For me, as a mentee, I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I’ve never thought about it that way,’ or ‘Hey, that would work for me, too.’”

Supporting this effort to develop emerging leaders is Summit Series sponsor MountainGuard.

“SAM’s Summit Series program has provided an arena for rising stars in the ski industry to connect with and to learn from some of the brightest veterans in the business,” said MountainGuard senior vice president Tim Barnhorst. “MountainGuard continues to support this program, not only for the participants, but also for the benefit to the ski industry through the production and distribution of the PODSAM podcast.”

For questions or comments, email producer Karolyn Towle at karolyn@saminfo.com.