Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Announces Upcoming Retirement
Dan Graves has been in role since 2007; Nick Polumbus to replace him as CEO in April 2022
By Skye Lucas
The 2021/22 ski season will be Dan Graves’ last as chief executive officer of Whitefish Mountain Resort, a position he has held for 15 years.
Graves was promoted to the role of CEO in 2007, and the resort said in an Oct. 6 press release “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,” Winter Sports Inc. Board Chairman Bill Foley said in a statement. “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.”
Whitefish Mountain Resort’s director of marketing and sales, Nick 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,” Graves said. “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.”
Among the improvements and projects overseen by Graves was the expansion of summer activities, beginning in 2009 with zip line tours, the alpine slide and the bike park expansion, along with later additions such as the aerial adventure park.
The Bad Rock Chair was installed in 2011, followed by the Flower Point lift in 2014. Other projects included the Summit House remodel, chair five relocation, Ed and Mully’s remodel and the Hellroaring Basin improvement project.
“It has been an absolute honor and pleasure working for Whitefish Mountain Resort over these last 15 years,” Graves said. “It goes without saying that I’m going to miss the people, the challenges, and the successes very much. 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.”