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Summary
Just over Berthoud Pass on the western slope of the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains, the Town of Winter Park (pop. 1,235, 16.8 sq mi, including 13 sq mi of USFS land) is one of Colorado’s most beloved destination ski resort and mountain towns. The Winter Park Resort, managed by the Alterra Mountain Company, is Colorado’s longest continually operating ski resort and the bedrock of the town’s winter economy. The town and resort enjoy the competitive advantage of proximity to Denver (70 miles) and all the amenities of a major metropolitan area. Denver International Airport is less than two hours away. The FY 2025 budget of $38.2M (GF $14.98M) supports 49 FTE, plus 14 seasonal. Reserves total $23.1M, and total municipal debt is $27.3M.
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Job Description
The town council is looking for a candidate who can hit the ground sprinting and ensure that momentum is maintained as to all of Winter Park’s major initiatives, a professional and proactive leader capable of looking ahead five, 10, and 15 years. She or he has the experience and commitment to lead the town through significant growth and change.
This is an extremely attractive opportunity. Winter Park has enjoyed great stability with only two town managers serving in the last 17 years, the most recent manager serving for nearly seven years. The next manager will inherit a respectful, informed town council and an experienced, skilled, and cohesive leadership team, all working within a positive, professional culture. Wholesale organizational changes are not needed. The interim town manager is not eligible to apply for the permanent town manager position.
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Job Requirements
A bachelor’s degree in public administration, community and regional planning, business, or a related field is required. A master’s degree in public administration or a comparable degree is preferred. A minimum of five years of management experience in municipal government of comparable size and structure is required. Experience in a mountain or resort community is desirable. Residency within Winter Park corporate limits is not required.
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Special Instructions
The hiring range for this position is $210,000 to $260,000 DOQE. In addition, the town provides an attractive benefits package, including medical and dental insurances (10% employee contribution for employee coverage and 25% employee contribution for spouse and dependents); vision, life ($50,000), long- and short-term disability, and AD&D insurances (100% town contribution to all); wellness program, $500 annual wellness payment, and flexible spending account; and Employee Assistance Program. Retirement benefits are offered through MissionSquare Retirement: mandatory 401(a) (7.65%, with equal town match) in lieu of Social Security, optional 457(b) (town match up to 4%). This position enjoys paid time off (144 hours/ year), eleven paid holidays, access to shared Grand Passes, professional association dues, and registration fees and travel related to professional development. Relocation assistance, housing allowance, or other housing alternatives are subject to negotiation as may be needed.
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Additional Information
Filing Deadline: September 14, 2025
Contact: Andrew (Drew) Gorgey at (970) 987-1238 (direct)
Full information: https://columbialtd.com/recruitments
Cover letter and resume only to: apply@columbialtd.com
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Columbia ltd
Show moreColumbia ltd provides executive search services to local government agencies throughout the western United States. Incorporated in 2016 by Andrew Gorgey, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and lead recruiter, the firm maintains its principal place of business and headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, please visit https://columbialtd.com.
Mayors, commissioners, supervisors, council members, trustees, directors, and board members trust Columbia ltd to help them with one of the most important decisions they will ever make, choosing their next manager. Similarly, professional local government managers and human resources professionals trust Columbia ltd to find high-performing, ethical professionals to complete their executive leadership teams.
“Excellence in Executive Recruiting.” The essence of “Excellence in Executive Recruiting” is a deep commitment to our clients and the communities we serve. We listen actively, and carefully. Through diligence, a strong work ethic, working with a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and anticipation of every client agency’s unique needs, we are able to find the chief executive, director, manager, or department head, who best fits the community, its elected officials, the organization, and its professional management. We help you find the ideal candidate to address the challenges you are facing now, to execute faithfully your policy priorities, to help develop strategy and meet your goals, and to provide solid, consistent leadership and management for years to come.
Values-based. Mission-driven. Columbia ltd is the executive recruiter of choice in the western United States. This is because we are completely committed to a principle-centered, values-based approach to the essential local government function of bringing the best-qualified professionals into the organization. Everything we do is fueled by these eight values: Excellence, Professionalism, Ethics, Courage, Adaptability, Innovation, Continual Improvement, and Service. These are not just words – these are core values to which we adhere every day.
Living our values allows us to meet Our Mission:
We serve local governments and their citizens through excellence in executive recruiting, advancing organizations, improving teams, and enhancing communities, one recruitment at a time.
We ensure each client agency has meaningful choice between highly-qualified candidates, in every professional discipline, who meet the needs of the organization and community.
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