Sugarbush Resort has announced several changes to its senior management team. Candice White, who has served as Vice President of Marketing for the past six years, is stepping into a newly-created role as Vice President of Communications and Brand Management. White will continue to be responsible for the Sugarbush brand, will oversee all resort communications and press relations, and will continue to oversee guest services.  She will also work to develop several strategic partnerships for the Resort.

Ted Fisher of Charlotte, Vermont, has accepted the new position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  He is a graduate of the University of Vermont where he earned a BA in History and Economics. Fisher’s prior experience includes serving as Marketing & Sales Director for Kilawatt Technologies, Marketing and Public Relations Director for Burlington City Arts, Sales Manager for Gardener’s Supply, and Vice President/Regional Sales Manager for Vermont Federal Bank.  Early in his career, Fisher worked at Killington Resort,  and he and his family have been avid Sugarbush skiers for over two decades.

John Hammond, currently Vice President of Mountain Operations, will take on the additional responsibility of overseeing the resort’s winter rental and repair operation.

Jim Westhelle, Vice President of Lodging and Facilities, will assume the additional responsibility of overseeing future real estate development. Westhelle was instrumental in finalizing the resort’s most recent Rice Brook Residences project, which has sold fourteen of fifteen homes. He, along with local architecture firm The Design Group, is leading the early planning phase for the next development project which will be located adjacent to Rice Brook.

Win Smith, president and majority owner of the resort, says of the changes, “I have the strongest team I’ve ever had at Sugarbush—from the executives right down to the hourly wage earners--and it’s great to be able to promote my team and watch them grow and succeed. Ted Fisher will be a great addition to the existing team, and I look forward to his arrival.”

Photo: Candice White new Sugarbush VP of Communication and brand Management at Sugarbush (Sugarbush Resort)

Rob Bevier has been named Loon Mountain’s new Snowsports Director. Bevier comes to Loon from Okemo Mountain Resort, where he has worked since 1991 - most recently as Assistant Director for the resort’s Ski and Ride School. 

Dennis Barquinero named general manager at the Jackson Gore Inn at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vt.

Jim Seely, a Las Vegas native and current member of the resort’s marketing staff, has been named Director of Marketing for  Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (LVSSR).

Occupancy and revenues at mountain resorts in the Far West and Rocky Mountains continue to trend positive for the third consecutive year, according to the Mountain Market Briefing by DestiMetrics.

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced that statewide skier visits totaled an estimated 12.6 million for the 2013/14 ski season, the best season on record in the state. Colorado was up more than 10 percent compared to last season and more than 8 percent compared to the five-year-average. This report is courtesy of our partners, Mountain i Journals and was written by Allen Harvey.

Numbers are in for New Hampshire ski resorts for the 2013-14 season and, as Ski New Hampshire’s Karl Stone puts it, “it was a success for skiers and ski area operators alike… resulting in impressive business levels.”

Vermont’s resorts celebrated a stellar season at the Vermont Ski Areas Association annual meeting at Killington Resort. There were 4,503,269 skier and rider visits, nearly identical to last year’s near-record numbers.

Winter lodging books have closed according to DestiMetrics latest Mountain Market Briefing and summer’s early look is good. 

Conway, NH resident Jessyca Keeler has been selected by Ski New Hampshire's board of directors to serve as Executive Director for Ski New Hampshire. 

An ad campaign for Swiss Tourism, dubbed “Pure White” and created by LIQWID, has won the “Best Travel Online Award” presented by the Web Marketing Association. The ad campaign was specifically created for delivery on SnoCountry.com this winter.

A wave of laughter swept over the audience of several hundred mountain travel professionals when Denver Post staff reporter Jason Blevins opened his interview with Vail CEO Rob Katz during a general session Sunday at the 39th annual Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) with the comment “so you just got back from Park City?” More than 1,200 people are attending the week-long business-to-business event in Breckenridge, Colo. 

Lodges throughout the country have posted a 10.4 percent increase in revenue this winter, according to the just released monthly data report released by DestiMetrics. Western resorts have already eclipsed last year’s total overall revenues.