SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., May 29, 2026—Vail Resorts has appointed Trent Poole as Heavenly Mountain Resort vice president and general manager. He currently serves in the same role at Hunter Mountain, N.Y., and succeeds former Heavenly chief Shaydar Edelmann, who was named as Vail Mountain, Colo., VP and COO in April. 

This will be Poole’s fourth general manager role in the Vail Resorts ecosystem since December 2019, when he became the GM at Mad River Mountain, Ohio. He moved on to lead Jack Frost Big Boulder, Pa., in 2021 and started at Hunter in October 2023. Poole has been with Vail Resorts since 2005, spending more than a decade in finance and accounting leadership roles.

“Trent is a passionate and charismatic leader with deep experience across mountain operations, finance, and project management at Vail Resorts," said Tim Baker, senior vice president of Vail Resorts’ regional destination resorts. “His leadership style makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Heavenly team and build on the resort's momentum in partnership with employees, guests, and the broader community.”  

Poole is also engaged in community leadership and industry collaboration, and he currently serves as an executive board member for the Ski Areas of New York, and on the greater Hunter area comprehensive planning task force. 

“I have long admired the Heavenly team’s resilience, grit, and commitment to service and the resort experience,” said Poole. “I’m looking forward to joining the team and working alongside the broader community to continue to elevate Heavenly and South Lake Tahoe as an incredible place to live, work, and recreate.” 

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Poole is a graduate of Ohio University. He and his family will be relocating to the Tahoe region in the coming weeks.