knack Fine Art Gallery to Open
TRUCKEE
Nancy Holliday and Lorien Powers join forces to open a new fine art gallery. The studio revolves around combining one’s photography with the other’s jewelry. “I wanted the walls, she wanted the floor, so it worked perfectly,” Holliday said.
Holliday, who is partners with her husband Rick at Holliday Development — the developer of the Truckee Railyard project (see here) — describes her work as an opportunity to “understand motion, design, and function in a new light,” and says her favorite images “capture fleeting details of everyday life that will never happen again in exactly the same way.”
Powers, a Truckee local who specializes in industrial and contemporary style jewelry and currently owns a shop next to Moody’s, wanted a bigger and quieter place for custom work and to showcase higher-end jewelry. She will keep both her shops going, though she plans to focus her studio work in knack.
The artists anticipate a soft opening for the gallery in December. Info: Find “knack Truckee” on Instagram and Facebook, 9932 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, knacktruckee.com
Mamasake Closes After 15 Years
SQUAW VALLEY
In October, owner Elsa Corrigan announced she was closing Mamasake Squaw after 15 years in business. “It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce the closure of Mamasake Squaw … for many reasons, none of which is significant alone,” she wrote in a press release. For the time being, Corrigan says she will continue to support various nonprofit organizations in the Truckee/Tahoe area and continue to work at her restaurant locations in Fiji.
Locals Help Design Town and Country World Tour
INCLINE VILLAGE
Town and Country magazine is celebrating their 170-year anniversary in style, with a 170-day world travel itinerary reminiscent of the Grand Tour of centuries past, a rite of passage for privileged young Brits. In order to create the most comprehensive travel plan possible, Town and Country hired Dr. Toni Neubauer and Allie Almario of Incline Village-based travel agency Myths and Mountains to help craft the modern day tour. According to its website, the company specializes in customizing “luxury travel with casual elegance” for clients across the globe, and the voyage it created for Town and Country includes a detailed hour-by-hour plan for each of the 170 days across 40 countries. The full itinerary can be found at townandcountrymag.com.
Northstar California Looks for New General Manager
TRUCKEE
Beth Howard recently left her post as Northstar California general manager to become the chief operating officer of Beaver Creek Resort, where she spent the first 30 years of her career. Northstar California will be immediately looking for a replacement for Howard, who headed the resort for two years. Howard’s farewell involves a game of upper management musical chairs at Vail Resorts. Vail Mountain’s chief operating officer, Chris Jarnot, became the new mountain division vice president, to be replaced by Doug Lowell, who Howard will be replacing at Beaver Creek. The company is very supportive of the move, and says it is looking to create “new opportunities for several experienced leaders at the company.”
Squaw Valley Promotes New Vice President of Marketing
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Tom Feiten has been promoted to Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows’ new vice president of marketing and business development. Feiten has been working in the resort’s marketing and sales department for five years, during which time he focused on strong brand positioning, sales channel optimization, and research-based product development. He also has three years prior experience with Teton Gravity Research and eight years with Booth Creek Ski Holdings in Vail, Colo.
Sugar Bowl Welcomes Dave Rathbun as Chief Marketing Officer
DONNER SUMMIT
Sugar Bowl hired Dave Rathbun as their new CMO this October. He recently finished an eight-year engagement as the president and general manager of Mt. Bachelor, Ore. During his time there, Rathburn supervised four record years, coordinated a successful master plan update, directed a major rebranding effort, and managed numerous mountain improvement projects. His career in the ski industry spans 30 years at mountains such as Killington, Vt.; Copper Mountain, Colo.; and Stratton Mountain, Vt.
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows Suspends Mandatory Drug Testing
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows will discontinue its policy of mandatory pre-employment drug testing this year, and will only administer tests on the basis of reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and post-incident. The resort still maintains its policy against employees’ use of drugs or illegal substances, which calls for discipline up to and including termination for the use, possession, or sale, of illegal drugs. The resort is also implementing an education program in which experts instruct management-level employees on how to identify suspicious behaviors related to drugs and alcohol, prepare appropriate responses, and identify support resources.
