SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., July 29, 2010-Vail Resorts, Inc. (VR) has revamped the senior leadership teams at Beaver Creek, Keystone and Heavenly. Keystone Resort COO Doug Lovell is now vice president and COO of Beaver Creek; John Buhler, director of skier services for Breckenridge, has become vice president and general manager of Keystone; and Vail Ski & Snowboard School director Pete Sonntag moves to Heavenly as vice president and general manager.

Lovell will report to Mountain Division c0-president John Garnsey, while Buhler and Sonntag will report to c0-president Blaise Carrig.

These changes come as Garnsey and Carrig are assuming greater strategic responsibility for fostering growth within VR's existing resorts and through new opportunities. The two no longer have direct responsibilities for any particular resort. Garnsey retains oversight of Vail and Beaver Creek resorts, while Carrig retains oversight of Heavenly, Breckenridge and Keystone.

Lovell has been vice president and COO of Keystone since October 2009, and prior to that, vice president of mountain operations for the resort since 2007. Prior to that, Lovell had been director of mountain operations for Beaver Creek, where he began his ski career in 1994. He held positions including snowmaker controller, ski patroller and guest services supervisor as well. Prior to joining Beaver Creek, Lovell worked in marketing, sales and finance in Denver, Boston and Loveland, Texas.

Buhler has been director of skier services for Breckenridge since 2006, and was responsible for the ski and ride school, product sales, ticketing and ticket scanning, guest services and child care. In his 16 years at Breck, he previously held positions as ski and ride school manager, assistant director and director. Prior to that, Buhler was ski school director (1993-1994) and assistant ski school director (1988-1992) at Mountain High, Calif., and assistant ski school director (1992-1993) at Bear Mountain, Calif.

Sonntag has directed the Vail Snowsports School since 2009. He was responsible for all operations of the world's largest ski and snowboard school and its staff of more than 1,200 employees. From 2007-2009 he was director of the Ski & Snowboard School for Beaver Creek, and from 2005-2007, director of skier services at Keystone. He began his ski career as a supervisor and private lesson manager for the Beaver Creek Ski & Snowboard School in 2000 and was promoted to adult ski and snowboard school director in 2001. Sonntag spent from 2003-2005 as director of the ski and ride school for Copper Mountain Resort.

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