Leader of the Pack

Barry Tucker’s Okemo roots are planted way back in the first year the mountain was open, when he skied in the junior racing program, eventually becoming a coach for about seven years. When Tim and Diane Mueller purchased the mountain in 1982 Barry was in the construction business, a summer-only occupation. So, when he saw they were looking for a year-round mountain manager, he decided to apply.

Fast forward 28 years and meet Barry Tucker, VP of Mountain Operations at Okemo. Barry leads the snowmaking, grooming, and lift operations teams that have earned the mountain many awards and accolades over the years. Among his many responsibilities, Barry focuses on the making, moving and grooming of snow. He is passionate about his work, but quick to point out that it is the strength of his team and their cohesive direction that puts Okemo on top of the charts for snow quality.

With advancing technology and modern equipment, you would think the snowmaking equation is simple (more on that later). Enter Mother Nature in New England.

"The key with snowmaking, from a capital and efficiency point of view, hinges on the ability to respond quickly to brief periods of cold weather," Tucker says. "You need large storage and pumping ability and an efficient distribution system. We clearly understand the hardships Mother Nature throws at us. We do not look at the negative perspective. We look at the hardships as an opportunity to show what we can do in relation to the whole industry."

And that is exactly what sets Okemo apart in the industry. In fact, finding ways to make snow more efficiently and at temperatures closer to freezing is one of his top priorities. His tools? A skilled and loyal staff that go way above and beyond just doing a job, but take personal pride in what they can accomplish.

Meet the team leaders, who combined have over 200 years of history with Okemo – now that is amazing!

Eb Kinney, Mountain Manager - with Okemo for 20 years
Brian Boudro, Night Operations Manager – with Okemo for 17 years
George Griggs, Office Manager, Shuttle Services Manager – with Okemo 27 years
Greg Carter – Lift Maintenance, with Okemo 27 years
Ray Kennedy, Snowmaking Manager, with Okemo 16 years
Norm Koch, Manager of Skier Services, with Okemo 20 years
Dennis Brady, Manager of Parks & Pipes, with Okemo 17 years
Dave Thompson, with Okemo 9 years
Bill Johnson, Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance, 17 years
Dan Boyer, Electrical Manager, with Okemo 26 years
Jim Seiberling, First Aid, with Okemo 10 years