2nd half of article:
Awards and Accolades
The VSAA awarded three Ski Vermont Industry Achievement Awards at its Annual Meeting:
The first went to Eric Friedman, who recently retired after 24 seasons as marketing director at Mad River Glen. During Eric’s time at one of the few cooperatively-owned alpine ski areas in the country, MRG has raised more than $7 million over two successful capital campaigns. Eric will continue to promote and support the Mad River Valley as executive director of its Chamber of Commerce.
Rob Megnin, who is retiring as director of sales and marketing at Killington Resort, received the second Industry Achievement Award. With a career spanning several mountain resorts across three states, Rob has played a key role in major events including three World Cups and helped earn numerous national awards for marketing and programs. Rob will continue to share his expertise as a teacher in the Castleton University Killington School for Resort Management.
The third Industry Achievement Award was given to Tracy Taylor, Killington Resort’s retiring business development and special projects manager. Tracy has been blazing new paths at Killington and Pico since 1987 when he arrived right out of college in the first of many positions he would hold at Killington, Travel Industry Marketing Manager. Throughout the years and different responsibilities Tracy held, he brought his passion for the sport of alpine skiing to many through group tours, field sales, and a new international marketing program.
This year’s class of Career Employee Awards included: John Ayers from Mad River Glen; Angela Boisvert, Gerry Jagoda, Robert White from Killington Resort; Patrick Gordon from Bromley Mountain; George Griggs from Okemo Mountain Resort; and Phyllis Van Horn from Smugglers’ Notch Resort. These staff members served their respective ski areas for over 25 years and in some cases more than 40 years.
Other awards bestowed at Ski Vermont’s Annual Meeting included an Industry Champion Award to Cabot Creamery – which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year - for its many years of partnership with Ski Vermont and tremendous support in furthering the Vermont brand. A Friend of the Industry Award went to Rick Spear, former president of Leitner Poma of America, another longtime supporter of the Vermont ski industry.
Vermont Business Magazine Best of Business Awards 2019
Smugglers’ Notch Resort: Best Downhill Ski Area
Trapp Family Lodge: Best Cross-Country Ski Area
National Ski Areas Association
Killington Resort: Best Overall Marketing Campaign (over 500k visits); Best #RideAnotherDay Program
Stratton Mountain Resort: Best Overall Safety Program (under 500k visits); Best Safety Photo
Sugarbush Resort: Golden Eagle Sustainability Climate Change Impact Award
Liftopia Best in Snow 2019 - Top Overall Ski Areas
Magic Mountain: #1 Ski Area in North America
Mad River Glen: #3 Ski Area in North America
Jay Peak Resort: #9 Ski Area in North America
SKI Magazine Rankings - 7 of the top 10 Best in the East
Smugglers’ Notch Resort: #1
Sugarbush Resort: #2
Mount Snow Resort: #3
Jay Peak Resort: #5
Mad River Glen: #6
Stowe Mountain Resort: #8
Okemo Mountain Resort: #9
Ski Vermont (Vermont Ski Areas Association) is a proud ambassador of the thriving winter tourism industry in Vermont, where the legislature has designated skiing and snowboarding as the official state sports. Vermont is not only the #1 ski state in the east and fourth in the US, but also reigns supreme in snowmaking quality and coverage, variety of terrain and historical impact on the sports of skiing and snowboarding - making it one of the most significant ski and ride destinations in the world. Ski Vermont’s mission is to help create a legislative, economic and social environment in which the state's ski areas can grow and prosper. It serves its 20 Alpine and 30 Nordic member resorts in three major areas: Governmental Affairs, Marketing and Public Affairs.
Source: MONTPELIER, Vt. (June 6, 2019) – Ski Vermont