Pistols Drawn As Gunstock's Entire Senior Management Team Resigns, Resort Suspends Op's
It's pistols drawn at New Hampshire's Gunstock where the Adventure Park, Retail Shop, and Food & Beverage have all temporarily closed to public for an undisclosed amount of time as a result of mass staff resignations.
Gunstock President and General Manager, Tom Day, along with the entirety of the resort’s Senior Planning Team, tendered their resignations at the Gunstock Area Commission meeting on Wednesday, July 20.
The resignations appear to be as a result of tensikons between the resort's sensior mangement ansd the Gunstock Area Commission , a 5-member board appointed by the Belknap County Delegation with the responsibility of managing Gunstock Mountain Resort (also known as Gunstock Area) as a financially independent, self-sustaining organization.
At the Gunstock Area Commission's monthly meeting last night, the GAC planned discussions with management about ongoing expansion plans. Instead of discussing those plans, the GAC was met with an unsolicited and spontaneous resignation by senior managers and a commissioner. The GAC will not speculate as to why those persons took those actions.
The GAC’s duty under New Hampshire law is to manage and supervise the operations of the Gunstock Mountain Resort. GAC members are elected by the Belknap County Delegation, i.e, those members of the New Hampshire house of representatives representing the taxpayers of Belknap County.
In light of last night's unprecedented actions, the GAC is developing plans to ensure Gunstock’s continued operations as seamlessly as possible. Gunstock has an important legacy in the ski industry's history and the GAC intends to maintain that legacy.
The GAC’s objectives are to remain open, continue employment of valuable staff, provide guests with exceptional experiences and fulfill the GAC’s obligations to the taxpayers by securing financial stability of the Gunstock Mountain Resort.
Following the resignation of the upper management, middle management and both seasonal and year-round employees convened at the resort and were addressed by members of the Gunstock Area Commission, who attempted to assert a business-as-usual approach to the resort’s summer operations.
Middle management unanimously decided to suspend operations in the Adventure Park, Retail Shop, and Food and Beverage temporarily, while staff recalibrates, and meetings are had to decide how to proceed with summer operations.
The resort said:
"Gunstock Mountain Resort staff would like to extend their sincerest apologies to guests who had reservations at the mountain this week, or those with plans to visit and partake in summer adventures. They are devastated by the enormous shift in command and have a lot of questions about how to operate going forward.
"Guests who had reservations in the Adventure Park are encouraged to contact Gunstock Admissions staff at services@gunstock.com to either or accept a refund or reschedule their adventures. Folks are asked to refer to gunstock.com and Gunstock’s social media channels for up-to-date information.
'Gunstock’s staff will meet both internally and with members of the Gunstock Area Commission to generate a plan of action to address the challenges ahead. The consensus among management is to address the staff’s concerns first and foremost with a goal of reopening the Adventure Park and other services as soon as possible.
"In the meantime, functions, events, and weddings will take place as scheduled at the resort, including the upcoming SoulFest event, the largest Christian music festival in New England. Gunstock Campground and the Camp Store will operate as usual.
"Gunstock staff appreciates the patience and understanding of their guests, and the vast outpouring of community support."
NH Governor Sununu blasted the commission, saying:
"Gunstock is truly one of the jewels of the lakes region, but what has been happening over the last year surrounding the Gunstock Area Commission's inability and unwillingness to work collaboratively with the management team at Gunstock is deeply concerning.
"Yesterday, we witnessed the final straw, where the hardworking management team at Gunstock felt there was no viable path forward and submitted their resignations.
'Representatives Mike Sylvia, Norm Silber, and Gregg Hough, along with the remaining members of the Gunstock Area Commission have lost the trust of the citizens of Belknap County. These individuals have made bad decisions, and until they are removed from their positions and replaced with good people who recognize the wonderful asset that Gunstock is, the County will continue to suffer.
"As someone who has worked in the resort industry, I can say without hesitation that the management team at Gunstock who submitted their resignations yesterday are among the best New Hampshire has to offer, and the loss oftheir expertise will be felt at Gunstock for years to come.
"Immediately upon hearing of their resignations, I called General Manager Tom Day and informed him that if a resolution is not reached then he and his team would always have opportunities with our Parks Department and Cannon Mountain. Their loss is immeasurable for Gunstock and we all hope that this crisis can be avoided."
SIN suspects this story has legs....
