By now, everyone associated with Magic Mountain is aware that marketing director/mountain manager Matt Lillard has left to continue his resort operations career in Alaska. Matt is the new general manager at Eaglecrest, a Magic sized ski area in Juneau. He has already been embraced by the community, chosen for his experience and variety of skills developed during his years at Magic.
Let me take you back down memory lane. When Matt came on board the mountain was emerging from a period of mismanagement and misappropriation of resources. The website was grossly amateurish and other forms of social networking not utilized. Magic's marketing platform was gibberish, it's trail map complete with lifts and trails that didn't exist and the infrastructure pieced together with hope and duct tape. There was a vacuum at the top, in-fighting in the middle and disinterest at the bottom, leaving the people who loved it wondering how Magic could ever survive. Into this came Jim Sullivan and his hand-picked marketing guy, Matt Lillard. The task was daunting and his efforts largely under-appreciated. Matt walked point, leading the mountain's marketing in a new direction. He became the lightning rod for change, always a big target, always easy to find. Looking back it's strange how many of us resisted the changes he represented, given the desperate situation that he and Jim were left.
When Jim needed someone he could trust to keep mountain operations on task he sent in Matt. Despite the fact he had no experience with lifts, snowmaking or diesel mechanics, and despite the fact he already had a full-time job as marketing director, he accepted the responsibility. We often hear about people willing to step up huge, determined to do whatever it takes to succeed. Anyone who knows Matt knows one of those people.
His reward for his hard work and dedication is a top executive position at a dynamic little ski resort in Alaska. Our reward is a ski area that makes lots of fantastic snow and grooms it perfectly, a lift that is properly maintained, a consistent marketing message that continues to attract new Magic converts and a knowledgeable staff that's in it for more than a paycheck.
Thank you, Matt.
