Mount Sunapee Director Of Mountain Operations Alan Ritchie Retires After 39 Years

 After 46 winters in the ski industry, and 39 years with Mount Sunapee, Director of Mountain Operations Alan Ritchie is retiring.

“Mount Sunapee has been so fortunate to have Alan at the helm for the past 11 years as well as his time spent in other departments,” said Mount Sunapee Resort Vice President and General Manager Bruce Schmidt. “Alan never shied away from any challenges and has been a driver of the great snowmaking and grooming that Mount Sunapee continues to be known for. The entire Mount Sunapee team owes Alan tremendous gratitude for all his hard work, professionalism and wonderful teamwork through the years.”

A native of Newbury, N.H., Ritchie is a third-generation Mount Sunapee employee. His grandfather was a ticket seller, and his father worked as the resort’s business manager for 37 years, starting in the mid-1940s.

Ritchie started his career at Mount Sunapee working in ski patrol when he was 18. He worked as a groomer operator and as a grooming supervisor. He was assistant mountain manager for four years prior to becoming the director of mountain operations, a position he has held for 11 years.

“What I’ve enjoyed most about working at Mount Sunapee Resort is the people, and working with those people toward a common goal,” said Ritchie.

Ritchie is planning to spend his retirement enjoying more time with his wife, with whom he will be celebrating a fortieth wedding anniversary in October. He also plans to work on his house, resume an exercise regimen, and he may even find a seasonal position in the ski business.

In an interesting turn of events, Ritchie noted that his successor and predecessor are one in the same. Chris Corliss will be returning to Mount Sunapee to fill Ritchie’s position. Prior to Ritchie’s promotion to his current role, Corliss was Mount Sunapee’s Mountain Manager for 11 years. Before that, he was the night operations supervisor at Okemo Mountain Resort, in Vermont. He left Mount Sunapee in 2008 to become mountain manager at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, in Colo.