Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO, Dan Graves To Retire At End Of 2021/22 Ski Season
The 2021/22 Ski Season will be the final season for Whitefish Mountain Resort with Dan Graves as CEO. Graves has been CEO of Whitefish Mountain Resort since July, 2007. The list of accomplishments under Graves is long and the growth and health of the resort has been impressive under his watch.
“When I promoted Dan to the role of CEO back in 2007 the resort was a break even proposition at best,” said Winter Sports Inc. Board Chairman Bill Foley. “What Dan was able to accomplish in his time here in regard to improvements to the resort experience and the financial health of the resort and, by extension, for the community of Whitefish has been very impressive and I am thankful for what he has given to this resort and town.”
What follows is a timeline of just some of the improvements under current ownership and Graves:
- 2009 – Summer activities expansion begins with zip line tours, alpine slide and bike park expansion
- 2010 – More zip lines added
- 2011 – Bad Rock Chair installed, improving flow out of Base Lodge
- 2012 – Aerial Adventure Park added to Summer activities
- 2013 – New runs cut in Flower Point area, five new trails added to the Bike Park, Base Lodge gets expanded
- 2014 – Flower Point lift installed, Base Lodge Food Court expanded to accommodate additional skier traffic
- 2015 – Phase one of Summit House remodel and other Summit building improvements
- 2016 – Phase two of Summit House remodel
- 2017 – Chair five relocation from Ptarmigan Bowl to East Rim, Ed and Mully’s building exterior remodel
- 2018 – Ed and Mully’s building interior remodel
- 2019 – Addition of second Alpine Slide and reroute of original Alpine Slide
- 2020 – Phase one of Hellroaring Basin improvement project begins with six new runs cut and significant glading in six other zones
- 2021 - Phase two of Hellroaring Basin improvement project with additional trail work and the move of chair eight, grading work and tree removal begins for installation of new chair four, a high speed six pack that will be installed in Summer of 2022
“It has been an absolute honor and pleasure working for Whitefish Mountain Resort over these last 15 years. It goes without saying that I’m going to miss the people, the challenges, and the successes very much”, Graves stated. “I enjoyed tremendous support from our ownership and can’t thank them enough for the opportunity they gave me. Looking back over the list of improvements and accomplishments that I’ve been lucky enough to share with this incredible staff, it is a testament to their dedication and teamwork.”
Graves will be replaced by Nick Polumbus who has served as the resort’s Director of Marketing and Sales since April, 2007 and has worked in the industry since 1996. Polumbus will assume the position of President effective immediately and fill the CEO role upon Graves’ retirement in April of 2022.
“I am really delighted to see Nick Polumbus taking over the leadership of this resort”, said Graves. “In the 14 years that I have worked with Nick, I have come to respect and cherish his friendship, and his input about critical elements of the business. He has been instrumental in creating and protecting our stated mission of delivering quality products and services at a value in an unpretentious manner. I see the resort continuing to flourish under Nick’s stewardship and look forward to the improvements that will come about under his leadership.”
