General Manager Troy Nedved will step into Middleton’s role as president and COO
EBS STAFF
Editor’s note: Middleton’s comments were added after this story was published in its original version. In addition, the headline was modified to reflect his continued involvement with Big Sky Resort.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 3, Big Sky Resort announced that President and COO Taylor Middleton will step down from his role on Oct. 1.
Middleton began working for Big Sky Resort in 1981 as a desk clerk at Huntley Lodge. He became general manager in 1996 and has spent nearly three decades as a key leader of the resort.
“I couldn’t have known when I landed here just a year out of college that this would be my forever home and that I would have the opportunity to lead a big team in serving our customers and community,” Middleton stated in an email to EBS. “And yet here I am four decades later looking back on a career that has been tremendously rewarding and humbling.”
“As I reflect on Taylor’s remarkable career, his wise, long-term vision has played a pivotal role in Big Sky Resort’s trajectory,” Stephen Kircher, CEO of parent company Boyne Resorts, stated in a Big Sky Resort press release. “His leadership has consistently focused on the betterment of the resort and the surrounding community, leaving an indelible mark on the region. Taylor has led with enthusiasm for the mission and love for what Big Sky is and what it can and will be.”
Troy Nedved, current resort GM, will assume Middleton’s role as president and COO. Middleton will continue to serve the company in a new strategic and advisory role, according to the release.
Nedved also began his Big Sky Resort career as a seasonal employee, when he took a job as a ski instructor in 1995.
“I’m honored to take on this new role and build upon the strong foundation Taylor has established,” Nedved stated.
Kircher praised Nedved for his strengths in strategic and organizational thinking, his experience in guest service and operations, and his passion for mountain sports and the Big Sky community.
As Nedved vacates the general manager role, the position will be split into two roles: general managers of hospitality, and of mountain experience. Kircher stated that the realignment will “support our substantial growth in both size and aspirations.”
“These new positions will allow us to focus more deeply on specific aspects of our operations,” Nedved stated. “By specializing our leadership, we can ensure that every facet of the guest experience receives the attention and expertise it deserves.”
Middleton emphasized that he and his wife, Barbara Rowley, have no intention of leaving Big Sky or being any less engaged with the community in which they raised their family—both daughters will be ski patrollers this winter, he added.
“It has been a thrill and honor to serve teammates, guests, and community, and to be able to be a part of building the pieces of a town I love so much and the mountains I treasure,” Middleton stated. “I see a bright future coming and the right team is in place to handle it thoughtfully.”
