Four outstanding individuals have been recognized with a 2024 SAMMY Leadership Award for their forward-thinking, boots-on-the-ground dedication, and caring and inspirational leadership. The four honorees are: Jeremy Cooper, vice president of mountain sports development, Boyne Resorts; Katie Ertl, senior vice president of mountain operations, Aspen ...

Four remarkable leaders have been recognized with a 2025 SAMMY Leadership Award for their vision, hands-on dedication, and people-first leadership. This year’s honorees are: Bo Bigelow, executive director, Midwest Ski Areas Association and Minnesota Ski Areas Association; Greg Gavrilets, general manager, Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, Nev.; Melissa Robe...

• Resort Development
• Marketing

  2023 SAMMY Leadership Award Nominees  The four individuals being recognized with 2023 SAMMY Leadership Awards demonstrate the innovative thinking, collaborative spirit, and transparent leadership needed to guide our industry through its next evolution. This year’s honorees are: Preston Cline, safety advocate; Nadia Pepin, champion of commun...

• Marketing

Meet the 2019 SAMMY winners: The 2019 SAMMY Leadership Award winners include a sustainability leader, a change leader, a guest experience guru, and an innovative marketer: Dawn Boulware, Geoff Buchheister, Simon Pagé and Hugh Reynolds. The four, nominated by their peers, have demonstrated the leadership skills needed to help steer the snowsports ...

• Resort Development
• Snowmaking

SAM's annual SAMMY Awards honors those individuals in the mountain resort industry who, at mid-career, demonstrate the enthusiasm, passion and creativity that will shape our future. SAMMY Award recipients are selected through a peer nomination process. Join us in identifying the dynamic personalities who will contribute to the growth and excitement...

• Ski School
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM's annual SAMMY Awards honors those individuals in the mountain resort industry who, at mid-career, demonstrate the enthusiasm, passion and creativity that will shape our future. SAMMY Award recipients are selected through a peer nomination process. Join us in identifying the dynamic personalities who will contribute to the growth and excitement...

• Pub Memo

“These four individuals were nominated by their peers, who acknowledged that this quartet embodies the leadership qualities that will help the industry adapt to and flourish in changing times,” said SAM publisher Olivia Rowan. “We are proud to recognize their accomplishments and the passion they bring to our industry.” Meet the 2016 SAMMY ...

Meet the 2015 SAMMY winners: Beth Howard, vice president and chief operating officer, Vail Mountain. Beth started her career at Vail as an intern 30 years ago. Through her work ethic, leadership skills and passion for service, she has made her mark in every role she has taken on for the company. "She worked her way up through Vail Resort's F&am...

Where you were in your career when you won a SAMMY, and big moments since? I was at Mammoth when I was awarded a SAMMY in 2002. Big moments: After Mammoth, I was president and CEO at Colorado Ski Country USA for six years before joining Intrawest (again). I’m now the President and COO of Steamboat and I have two teenage daughters (who were b...

PATRICIA CAMPBELL :: executive vice president and chief operating officer BRECKENRIDGE, CO Patricia Campbell started out as a ski school instructor for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1985. Pat joined Vail Resorts in July 1999 as the director of ski school at Breckenridge, Colo. She moved quickly up the ranks to COO of Keystone Resort, Colo., b...

ryan bell :: manager, asset management CNL FINANCIAL GROUP Ryan may have found his way into the ski industry through Orlando-based CNL, but his passion for winter sports was embedded early on, growing up in North Dakota and making early turns at Midwest ski areas like Terry Peak and Buena Vista. After earning a degree in Finance from the Univer...

  JODY CHURICH :: PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER BOREAL, SODA SPRINGS RESORTS & WOODWARD TAHOE, CALIFORNIA A native of California and a graduate of Chico State University with a degree in Public Relations & Communications, Marketing, Jody started her ski career working weekends as a children’s ski school instructor at Squaw Valley ...

FIRST ANNUAL SAMMY LEADERSHIP AWARDS The ski industry has been blessed with outstanding leadership over the years and every year many of those leaders are appropriately recognized with Lifetime Achievement Awards, election to the Hall of Fame and other such honorifics. SAM applauds them.  The new SAMMY Future Leadership Awards will be awarded on...

Tom Fortune :: GM - Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho Tom Fortune began his career at Stevens Pass at the age of 15. Starting in the rental department, Fortune worked his way through retail, base management and director of operations. He is described by his peers as innovative, creative and compassionate, an example of his many initiatives is one called,...

  Greg Murtha, Sugar Bowl, Calif. On his way to his current position, where he has produced three consecutive years of record growth in attendance and revenues, Greg has practiced his ebullient marketing style at Squaw Valley and Kirkwood in California, as well as Angel Fire, N.M. Grass doesn’t grow under Greg’s marketing feet. He scored bi...

Pam Cruickshank, Okemo Mountain Pam’s first working experience at Okemo was as a lift operator during her college years. After a few years outside the industry, Pam returned to Okemo in 1986 as the customer service manager. In 1990, she was promoted to marketing manager and then director of public relations. In addition to being credited with h...

William A. Jensen, Senior VP/COO, Vail Ski Resort Bill is the recipient of a Special SAMMY Recognition award. While he has long been the quintessential SAMMY nominee, Bill’s rich fulfillment in top leadership roles make it difficult to focus attention on his potential, no matter how great that might be. We honor him just as much for what one nom...

Bill Benneyan, Marketing Director, Mountain Creek, N.J. Benneyan started his industry career as the executive director of Cross Country Ski Areas Association. In the last 10 years, Benneyan has made Mountain Creek his home and has concentrated on attracting the urban youth market, to great success. Genevieve Gunnarson, Director of Marketing, Bear...

  Jeff Boliba :: Global Progression Mgr. - Burton :: Sales Mgr. - Anon & Red Jeff Boliba grew up in northern California on a skateboard, a love he brought to snow in 1986 when he first tried snowboarding at Donner Pass. In 1996, Boliba joined the Park City Mountain Resort team to help the area get ready for the 2002 Olympics. In 2000, Bolib...

Jon Mahanna :: General Manager :: Angel Fire Resort, N.M. Jon Mahanna started his career at age 14 as a ski instructor at Bousquet, Mass. After serving in the Air Force, Mahanna became a freestyle pioneer. As a member of the International Freestyle Skiers’ Association he was one of the first to perform inverted aerials. He traded this life for h...

Alexa Bernotavicz :: Director of Mountain Operations :: Wildcat Mountain, N.H. Alexa Bernotavicz started her career at Wildcat just eight short years ago as director of the children's ski school. The following year, she went out on the slopes as a full-time patroller. During the summer months, Alexa worked as a Backcountry Wilderness Ranger in the...

CHRIS JARNOT, SVP MARKETING AND SALES, VAIL RESORTS, COLORADO Chris is a Vail guy through and through. Having grown up skiing on its slopes, it was fitting that he would set his professional stakes with the company. Chris graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in tourism management and marketing. Wasting no time, he quickly landed...

KATHY HUBBARD :: DEPUTY DIRECTOR :: CALIFORNIA SKI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Kathy Hubbard is the Deputy Director of the California Ski Industry Association (CSIA). A New England native, Kathy moved to the Bay Area shortly after receiving her B.A. in History from Dartmouth College. After only 2 1/2 years, Kathy has already made her mark at the organiza...

JESSE BOYD :: PRESIDENT :: JACK FROST/BIG BOULDER, PENNSYLVANIA Jesse brings years of experience with him as a result of growing up and working in the ski industry. In 2003, Jesse and his wife, Jessica, were involved in the construction and operation of Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire. After the inaugural season of Crotched, the Boyds moved to ...

TRACY SAMPLES :: HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR :: SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN RESORT, WEST VIRGINIA Tracy joined Snowshoe Mountain’ s resort team in 2001, but had been involved with introducing youth to the mountain several years prior. As an extension field faculty agent for West Virginia University, she was stationed in the Snowshoe area and worked with the ...

JOE HESSION :: VP, GENERAL MANAGER :: MOUNTAIN CREEK, N.J. Joe began his career at age 14 as a parking attendant at Vernon Valley Great Gorge, currently known as Mountain Creek. Since then, Joe has steadily worked his way up the ranks, having held a position in just about every resort department—from rental technician to rental manager, F&B ...