SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., June 22, 2026—LMOE 2026Despite a challenging winter season in the West, Ski California’s 2026 Lift Maintenance and Operations Education (LMOE) Conference drew 387 attendees from ski areas in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah, just 16 shy of last year’s record attendance.

Held June 2-4 across three venues near Reno—the J Resort, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, and the Prinoth shop in Verdi, Nev.—the conference centered on the theme “Elevating Operational Readiness.” A total of 74 hands-on and classroom-style sessions were facilitated by 73 industry professionals who volunteered their time. 

“Coming off of a winter like the West just had, we were certainly aware that many ski area operators would be looking at ways to reduce their expenses going into the summer,” said John Rice, president of Ski California, which represents 36 ski areas in California and Nevada. “We were pleased to have had such strong attendance and commitment from resort leaders who recognize the long-term benefit and value of providing their teams with access to training and networking opportunities like LMOE.”

In post-event surveys, attendees working in lift maintenance, lift operations, vehicle maintenance, risk management, ski patrol, and other operations roles cited the variety of perspectives, actionable takeaways, and robust discussions among the highlights of the event.

Lift maintenance sessions focused on the final 10 topics of the Lift Maintenance Resource Guide, ranging from drive control systems, safety circuits, and communication systems to rigging, hydraulics, conveyors, preventative maintenance and more. An expanded vehicle maintenance session framework included two-and-a-half days of classroom and hands-on sessions, including a winch rope rebuild and an opportunity to work on snowmobile, ATV, and snowblower engines, among others.

Lift operations leaders led roundtable sessions on the topics of technology and the future of lift operations, unseated passengers, and changing guest behavior. Leadership development and risk management sessions were also well received, with attendees indicating they found particular value in sessions focused on resiliency, next-level leadership, and creating clear, usable procedures that help crews work consistently, safely, and confidently.

The keynote was delivered by motivational leadership speaker Jesse Mogle, who talked about the importance of personal responsibility and ownership, evolving the standard, and “bad day minimums.” The conference also included a trade show and networking events for attendees and exhibitors that included live music, outdoor games, food, drinks, and raffle prizes from Milwaukee Tools and Ski California.


Industry Awards

Ski California celebrated several industry leaders during the conference. Bruce Leach of Palisades Tahoe, Calif., received the Dave McCoy Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill Ely of Homewood Mountain Resort, Calif., earned the Paul Beran Lift Maintenance Person of the Year Award. Stacey Cook of Mammoth Mountain, Calif., was named Don Lowder Lift Operations Person of the Year, and Mike Stephenson of Stephenson Engineering received the California Ski Industry Impact Award.

The Next Gen Leader awards were presented to Maeve Saldaña of Northstar California Resort and Olivia Ray of Sugar Bowl Resort, Calif.

Two new award categories were introduced this year: Outstanding Safety Leader went to Jenny Weaver of Mammoth Mountain, and the Vehicle Maintenance “Golden Wrench” recipient was Steffany Schalnat of Northstar California Resort. 

Also new this year, Ski California introduced a scholarship program for eligible applicants. The program covered conference registration and two nights of lodging for 20 employees from member resorts.

“We know that investing in training benefits staff well beyond its cost and recognize that some may face financial barriers to attending off-season programs,” said Rice. “To help, we established the LMOE Scholarship Fund for those needing assistance.”

Ski California’s 2027 LMOE Conference is tentatively scheduled for June 8-10, 2027.


Report by Jess Weaver on behalf of Ski California.