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Growing the Sport

GETTING TO KNOW TIM SILVA,
NSAA’S NEW CHAIR

TIM SILVA, THE GENERAL MANAGER and vice president of Courtesy Sun Valley Resort
Sun Valley Resort since 2009, was elected chair of the
NSAA Board of Directors at the annual Convention and
Tradeshow, held May 18–21 in Nashville, Tenn. Silva will
serve a two-year term.

As head boss at the iconic and beloved Sun Valley
Resort—and as a longtime respected figure in the northern
Rocky Mountain region and ski industry at large—Silva
brings vast experience in ski area operations to the role
of NSAA chair.

The NSAA Journal recently caught up with Silva to find
out what he envisions for the ski industry, what motivates
him, and what advice he has for emerging leaders.

NJ: You’ve been in the ski industry a long time. How Tim Silva, Sun Valley’s GM, takes the podium at a community celebration
did you start out? recognizing Kaitlyn Farrington’s halfpipe gold medal at Sochi, Russia.
TS: I started on the rope tow at Dodge Ridge in 1964.
I fell in love with the sport through participation in the NJ: What are you most proud of accomplishing at Sun
Mogul Ski Club, a youth ski program for kids from the Valley since you returned as GM in 2009?
Bay Area, and it was during this time in high school TS: It has been amazing to be a part of an area that has
that I set a goal of running a ski area someday. So, such world-class facilities and that focuses on deliv-
when I was in college, to prepare for this, I focused on ering a world-class resort experience. We’ve recently
natural resource science and business, which included completed a major renovation of the iconic Sun Valley
writing a master’s thesis on factors affecting use at Lodge, expanding it to include a beautiful spa, fitness
Utah ski areas. facility, and pool, along with enlarged and upgraded
Even back then Sun Valley had a reputation as a guest rooms. The mountains continue to offer a pre-
great place to work, and I had friends in the area too, mier experience, with a particular focus on excellent
so I applied to the management training program grooming, terrain parks, and lack of crowds. We con-
there. I started as a lift operator on Bald Mountain, tinue to foster direct air service into Sun Valley and
then got involved in mountain operations manage- to promote awareness of it as an original and yet still
ment at Sun Valley, particularly lift operations and unspoiled mountain resort. Sun Valley is an American
maintenance, training, and risk management. I got institution, and its best days are yet to come.
an opportunity to join an exceptionally talented And, on a personal note, I met Leslie, my wife of
team at Northstar at Tahoe during an exciting period 30 years, at this resort, and our two children were born
of growth and expansion, first as director of opera- here, in what was then Moritz Hospital and now serves
tions for the resort, and in 1995 as general manager. as the human resources and accounting offices! So, the
I was involved in major expansion and renovation of fact that my own family’s history is so intertwined with
the mountain village and surrounding resort prop- the resort is something I’m also proud of, even if it’s
erty, and became pretty involved in the local com- from a sentimental standpoint.
munity too.

8 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2016