Snow Better

Snowshoe Mountain Resort’s female leadership is propelling the resort to new heights.

ruth bachman

Executive Assistant to the President
Ruth Bachman, a native of Valley Head, started working for the resort on the weekends in the housekeeping department at age 16. She said the resort allowed her the opportunity to find her passion and where she really belonged. Her job titles have included postmaster, sales agent, lift attendant, dispatcher, waitress, and finally now executive assistant to the president. “When I first started to work at Snowshoe in the executive offices in the early 1990s, there were no women in charge,” Bachman says. “I’ve seen a lot of changes during my time here.

Patti duncan

Chief Operating Officer
It has been a year since Alterra Mountain Company promoted long-time Snowshoe Mountain Resort employee and West Virginia native Patti Duncan as its president and chief operating officer. She is the first female leader in the resort’s 45-year history. In her 19 years as a resort employee, Duncan has served as vice president of resort operations and director of retail and has worked in rentals, outdoor adventures, and in the spa. She’s now using her expertise in financial management, leadership, personal development, strategic planning, and team building as well as the stakeholder trust she’s earned to launch the resort into the future.

Jen Shannon

Ski School Director

Jen Shannon joined the Snowshoe Mountain Resort ski school as a snowboarding instructor fresh out of college. The experience segued to a supervisor position in 2004, and she bounced from Outdoor Adventure to the golf course and events, depending on the season. She took over management of the ski school and ultimately was named its director—her current title. She says she derives deep satisfaction from coaching and guiding her instructors and management team, and that she’s proud of the way Snowshoe has helped carve out a special place for women to excel at winter sports.

Kandy Ramos

VP of Finance and Facilities
Kandy Ramos moved to Snowshoe with her husband Marc in 2001, permanently relocating from Charleston, South Carolina, motivated by their shared love of this special place. Her career with the resort started in cash accounting. She was quickly promoted to staff accountant, then became the food and beverage controller, then food and beverage group manager. She went back to accounting in 2010 as the finance manager and, in 2019, was named the vice president of finance and facilities. She says she loves the challenges of her position and working with all divisions of the resort.

sarah guyette

VP for Marketing and Sale
Sarah Guyette grew up on Snowshoe Mountain, and her first job was in the resort coffee shop. She left for college, lived out West for a spell, then returned to where her working life had begun. She was hired for a video editor and producer position and jumped at the chance to pursue her passion in her own backyard. She’s worked in multiple roles within the department to immerse herself and learn all facets of the marketing world. She now has the best job in the world, she says, as vice president of marketing and sales for “an amazing slice of the world.”

Malea Gum

Director of Sales
Malea Gum grew up 10 miles from Snowshoe Mountain Resort and worked there in housekeeping as a teenager. She moved on to the call center and there developed a love for business systems and information technology. She worked her way up to director of sales, her current title, and appreciates being surrounded by amazing women every day. “They have helped mentor, shape, and guide me to where I am now,” Gum says of her female colleagues. “I can look around and see how far we have come and what an amazing female leadership team we have here.”

Coby Brown

Human Resources Director

Coby Brown is a Pocahontas County native who first worked for Snowshoe Mountain Resort as part of the ski patrol and in the ski clinic in the mid-’80s. She followed other career paths, and ultimately returned to the resort in 2002 to charter the Snowshoe Foundation, and she launched the first public–private partnership with WorkForce West Virginia, establishing the Snowshoe Career Center in Marlinton. She was named the human resources director after that and has never looked back. She offers this piece of advice to young women in West Virginia—“Get your education and stay in our state. Put your skills to work locally to grow and positively impact your communities, our cities, and our state.”

erica roth

Director of Retail and Merchandising
Erica Roth has been at Snowshoe Mountain Resort since 2004. Her love for the outdoors and winter sports took her there, and her professional success working for the resort has kept her there. She is the director of retail and merchandising, and she gets a special rush seeing new products that haven’t hit shelves yet. “I knew I wanted to be a part of the Snowshoe team because we share the same values. We work well as a team. Regardless of the position you hold, we come together as one mountain when things need to get done.”