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Longtime Purgatory CEO stepping down

Gary Derck, 58, to run his own business

Longtime chief executive officer of Purgatory Resort Gary Derck announced Tuesday he will be leaving after 16 years working for the ski mountain’s resort operations.

Derck told The Durango Herald he intends to focus on his real estate and resort consulting company, Mountainsprings, LLC, based in Durango, which will manage development around the ski area, as well as other clients in the region.

“I’m not ancient yet, but I’ve been doing this a long time,” Derck, 58, said. “Sixteen years is a long time to be running a ski area with a lot of moving parts. It was just time for me to start my own company.”

When Derck took over as CEO in 2000, he said the plaza was asphalt, there was no tunnel to connect the base area with the beginner hill, and there was only one high- speed lift.

“We got a lot done in 16 years,” he said.

Derck said, among other improvements, his team was able to install two high-speed lifts at chairs 1 and 8, and laid the foundation for other mountain improvements, including new lights, expansion of expert terrain, enhanced snowmaking, as well as additional terrain park features.

He is also credited with spearheading the resort’s environmental committee that raised Purgatory’s Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition Environmental Scorecard ranking from a “D” to an “A,” the news release said.

“Thanks to the groundwork Gary and his team laid, we have been able to rapidly enhance the overall skier experience at Purgatory by installing new lifts and trails,” James Coleman, owner of Purgatory, said in a prepared statement.

Oyler said Purgatory will search for a new general manager.

During the transition, Mark Seiter, a 22-year employee and chief financial officer, will serve as interim general manager. Derck will stay on to guide the transition.

Derck is the second longtime employee to leave Purgatory Resort in recent months.

Last spring, senior vice president of mountain operations and general manager Mike McCormack retired after working 34 years at Purgatory.

His position was filled by Ed Youmans, who has worked at Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Timberline Lodge and Ski Area and Mountain Creek Resort.

Coleman purchased Purgatory Resort in 2015, and most recently, acquired the small-sized Hesperus Ski Area, 11 miles west of Durango, which offers day and night skiing.



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