Mike Goar is saying goodbye to Park City Mountain Resort and traveling to Switzerland in July
A day after officially handing over the reins of Park City Mountain Resort, Mike Goar reflected on his time at Park City.
Goar oversaw PCMR during the turbulent COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with dramatic operational changes for health and safety reasons, site closures due in part to years of low snowfall and sick employees, and traffic and parking issues. Those issues even spilled over into local government when two dozen residents expressed their frustration with the resort experience to Park City Council in February.
In response, Goar reached out to the council and discussed the issues later that month, and the resort announced new parking and transportation plans ahead of President’s Day weekend. These measures remained in place until the end of the season and some versions of them will also be implemented next winter.
Vail Resorts announced Goar’s departure as PCMR’s vice president and chief operating officer in early May. Goar will relocate to another Vail-owned property in Switzerland to become VP, COO and Managing Director of Andermatt-Sedrun, located about 70 miles south of Zurich in the Swiss Alps. Vail announced it would acquire a majority stake in the Swiss resort in April.
Goar’s replacement at Park City is Deirdra Walsh, who is returning to PCMR after serving as VP and General Manager of the Northstar Resort in the Lake Tahoe area since 2019. Walsh began her resort career in 2007 in Park City.
Goar said it was no coincidence that Walsh was chosen for the Park City job.
“Sometimes we pat someone on the back and say, ‘Hey, we think this is an opportunity that could be a good fit for your development and growth. Would that be something you would be interested in?’” he said. “Sometimes jobs are posted and we usually go through an internal application process first.”
Goar began his career in the ski industry as a ski patrol at Sunrise Park Resort in Arizona before coming to Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah in 1981 to work in mountain operations.
After 27 years at Solitude, Goar moved to what was then Canyons Resort in 2007, where he was involved in the 2013 acquisition by Vail.
Goar then spent time managing Vail properties in Colorado and Lake Tahoe before returning to Park City in 2019 to serve as PCMR’s VP and COO. His last day at PCMR was May 30th.
Goar said he will be in Park City for at least the next month.
“We’re still setting the final dates,” Goar said. “I’ll be taking a trip next week to meet more of the team, but a final move is probably early July.”
Goar said with over 40 years of experience in the industry, he knows retirement is near, but he’s not ready to give up his skis just yet.
“I’m always hesitant to say that for sure because I love the work, I love the teamwork, and I think I have a lot left in me,” he said. “I hesitate to say for sure, but without a doubt, getting closer.”
Goar said he and his family still consider Park City their home. He said they would keep their house and come back.
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