SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 17, 2026—Summit Series 2026 Mentors 2 440x340After eight years of connecting small cohorts of emerging mountain resort professionals with industry leaders, SAM is expanding its Summit Series from 10 participants to 60, opening the leadership development program to more rising industry leaders.

The newly expanded Summit Series Rising Leader Program, developed in partnership with leadership coach Lex Curtis of Field of Play Consulting, combines facilitated leadership development with practical application, peer discussion and guidance from experienced mountain resort leaders. Ten industry leaders will serve as mentors for the fall program. The program is sponsored by longtime Summit Series supporter MountainGuard.

“Summit Series has always been about investing in the people who will lead this industry forward,” said SAM publisher Olivia Rowan. “This next evolution gives us an opportunity to bring leadership development to more people while keeping it grounded in the realities of the mountain resort industry. By combining Lex’s leadership expertise with the experience of our industry mentors, we can give rising leaders tools they can put to work while also creating opportunities to learn from people who understand the unique challenges of this business.”

Registration is now open for the fall series, which begins with an orientation Oct. 20 and is limited to 60 participants. The paid program will be offered in two seasonal series, fall and spring, which can be taken independently or together. Each series will include three 90-minute, live, interactive sessions led by Curtis, with participants putting their learnings into action between sessions.

Participants will also be divided into smaller cohorts, each supported by an industry mentor. Cohort members and mentors will remain together throughout the series, allowing participants to build deeper relationships with their group as they discuss challenges, share experiences and apply leadership concepts to their work.

The Mentors

The 10 industry leaders serving as mentors for the fall series bring experience from across mountain resort operations, marketing, sustainability and executive leadership.

The mentors are:

  • Dawn Boulware, vice president of social and environmental responsibility, Taos Ski Valley, N.M. 
  • Andrew Gast, president and general manager, Eldora Mountain Resort, Colo. 
  • Greg Gavrilets, general manager, Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, Nev. 
  • Stacey Glaser, head of marketing, Mountain Capital Partners 
  • Adam Mahler, mountain manager, Trollhaugen, Wis. 
  • Matt Peterson, vice president of marketing and sales, Palisades Tahoe, Calif. 
  • Deirdre Riley, general manager, Attitash and Wildcat, N.H. 
  • Katherine Seleski, project manager, Castle Mountain Resort, Alberta 
  • Brandon Swartz, general manager, Smugglers' Notch, Vt. 
  • Steve Wright, president and general manager, Jay Peak Resort, Vt. 

Leadership Built for the Mountain Resort Industry

The fall and spring series are built to follow the rhythm of the winter season, with each session focused on leadership skills participants can put to work as their teams move from preseason preparation into daily operations.

Following an orientation on Oct. 20, the fall series will include three sessions:

  • Develop and Lead Yourself, Oct. 27: Build self-awareness, confidence and resilience while developing the mindset and habits needed to lead effectively through changing conditions and competing priorities. 
  • Communicate with Clarity, Nov. 10: Explore how to communicate effectively across departments, roles and communication styles, with a focus on listening, reducing misunderstandings and building stronger working relationships. 
  • Build Strong Teams, Dec. 1: Focus on building trust, strengthening collaboration and creating healthy team dynamics as seasonal teams move into the busiest part of the winter. 

The spring series will build on the fall curriculum with sessions focused on strengthening performance, developing others, and finishing strong. Participants can enroll in the spring series whether or not they participate in the fall series.

The program is designed for mountain resort professionals across departments and disciplines who are currently employed at a ski area and growing into leadership roles, whether they are new to managing people and projects or preparing for the next stage of their careers.

Join the Fall Series

Registration for the fall series is $149 for SAM subscribers and $199 for non-subscribers, which includes a one-year SAM magazine subscription. Participants who register for the fall and spring series at the same time save an additional 15 percent.

For questions about the Summit Series Rising Leader Program, contact producer Karolyn Towle at karolyn@saminfo.com. Learn more and register at saminfo.com/the-summit-series.