Ski area leaders juggle two demanding roles: developing people and delivering projects. This session with the Class of 2025-26 Summit Series cohort dives into how mentors strike that balance — keeping teams motivated while hitting deadlines, shaping culture while driving results, and navigating the constant pull between personalities and priorities.

Mentors:

• John Melcher, CEO, Crystal Mountain, Mich.
• Jean Mikulas, President and GM, Red Lodge Mountain, Mont.
• Lori Phillips, GM, Ski Big Bear, Pa.
• Hugh Reynolds, Partner and CMO, SNOW Partners, N.J.
• Ryan Schramm, GM, Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Colo.

Mentees:

• Chris Adams, VP of Mountain Experience, Boyne Mountain Resort, Mich.
• Beck Badger, Lead Marketing Coordinator, Gunstock Mountain Resort, N.H
• Drew Brewer, Director of Mountain Experience, Alyeska Resort, Alaska
• Sam Burns, Snowmaking Supervisor, Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.
• Julie Bush, Marketing Specialist, Wisp Resort, Md.
• Teagan Knudson, Front Desk & Guest Services and Ski Patrol Manager, Snowriver Mountain Resort, Mich.
• Ryan Leclerc, Location Manager, Adult & Private Lesson Programs, Beaver Creek, Colo.
• Rebecca Repp, Director of Food & Beverage, Brundage Mountain Resort, Idaho
• Shayna Silverman, Communications Manager, Arapahoe Basin, Colo.
• Gabriel Sudermann, Manager of Mountain Operations, Camp Fortune, Que.

Leadership Coach:

• Lex Curtis, Founder, Field of Play Consulting

Thank you to our sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program.

In this episode, we explore how ski areas are using artificial intelligence to better understand performance, streamline reporting, and make more informed decisions across their operations.

This conversation comes from SAM and Eternity’s Ski Resort AI Bootcamp session held in October 2025, where industry leaders gathered to share practical examples of how AI is being applied across resort operations.

As resorts collect more data than ever—from ticketing and marketing to weather and staffing—the challenge has shifted from access to insight. AI is opening new possibilities, but it also raises important questions about data governance, security, and responsible use.

In this conversation, SAM publisher Olivia Rowan is joined by three industry leaders to discuss how they’re applying AI in practical, meaningful ways:

• Dave Amirault, Chief Innovation Officer, SNOW Partners
• Michael Anselmi, Vice President, Revenue Strategy and Business Development, Boyne Resorts
• Matt Peterson, Vice President of Marketing, Palisades Tahoe, Calif.

They share real-world examples of how better data structure leads to faster decision-making, where AI is already delivering value, and what resorts should be thinking about as these tools continue to evolve.

In this episode, we head to northern Michigan, where a late-season storm left one of the Midwest’s largest ski resorts encased in ice.

The Highlands, part of Boyne Resorts, took the brunt of a March 2025 weather event so severe it shattered tree limbs like matchsticks, buried trails, and left parts of the property without power for weeks. What followed was a massive recovery effort—bolstered by grit, camaraderie, and a whole lot of chainsaws.

SAM’s senior editor Katie Brinton and publisher Olivia Rowan sat down with The Highlands general manager Mike Chumbler, resort services director Mari Kissinger, area manager Robby Ortlieb, and Boyne Resorts vice president of mountain sports development Jeremy Cooper to hear how the team navigated danger in the immediate aftermath, rallied help from across the Boyne network, and turned a crisis into an opportunity to strengthen community and prepare for the future.

Read "After the Ice" in the September 2025 issue of SAM.