There’s a new person at the top at Kirkwood Mountain ski resort.
Vail Resorts, Inc. announced this week that Matt Jones will be the new Vice President and General Manager for Kirkwood Mountain.
Jones replaces Tom Fortune, who now oversees Heavenly Mountain Resort and will be relocating from Colorado to the Tahoe region. Vail Resorts also owns Northstar Mountain in Lake Tahoe.
“I can’t wait to get out on the mountain,” Jones said. “Kirkwood is a special place with amazing terrain. It offers everything a skier could ask for and I am excited to be able to join the Kirkwood team and explore more of the resort with my family.”
Jones started with Vail Resorts in 1998 and has held several roles in Human Resources. As the Corporate HR Director, he helped lead the relocation of the corporate headquarters from Vail to Broomfield, Colorado, in 2006.
From the corporate office back to the mountains, Jones took on the role of HR Director at Vail Mountain in 2007, a role he held for 10 years. Most recently, Jones served as Vice President of Human Resources, overseeing the Colorado Resorts and employee housing initiatives. He’s also been a member of various boards, including the Epic Promise Foundation and Vail Resorts’ Emergency Grants Committee.
“For over 20 years, Matt has been a key part of our Colorado leadership team,” said Pete Sonntag, Senior Vice President, North America West and Australia Regions. “His keen understanding of mountain operations and his true passion for the people who live, work and play in the mountains, will keep Kirkwood’s adventurous spirit alive and well.”
Jones and his wife have two sons. They pride themselves on being an adventure family that enjoys skiing, biking, paddle boarding and rafting together. Jones will take on the new role on October 15th.
Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 37 mountain resorts and urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana.