SAM Magazine—Leadville, Colo., Nov. 2, 2026—Ski Cooper hired Jake Webster to succeed Dan Torsell as the nonprofit ski area’s president and general manager. He started Sept. 24 and just completed a five-week handoff period beside Torsell to learn the ropes of the operation, according to a report from the Herald Democrat.
Prior to joining Ski Cooper, most of Webster’s ski area operations experience came at Jay Peak, Vt., where he spent more than 15 years, 10 of which as vice president of real estate and development until 2016. He’s had different roles in project management since then and most recently served as operations manager for Village at Copper, the association that manages the base area village at Copper Mountain, Colo.
He said in an introductory video on Ski Cooper’s social media that he’d like to tackle some elements of the ski area’s master development plan—a desire that reflects his experience in development and management. “[B]etween infrastructure, wastewater systems and then more guest accommodating features like expansions of base lodge and ski school facilities, those are where I can jump in while supporting the operating team and partnering,” he told the Herald Democrat.
Torsell retired after 14 years as Ski Cooper president and general manager, where he introduced a variety of unique initiatives, such as a streamlined pricing structure for lift tickets and having a single entry point to the ski area for better access control.
Photo credit: Cameron Barnard, Herald Democrat
