Steamboat Springs Opening Remarks

Sonja was elected as Routt County Commissioner in November of 2022 and sworn into office on January 10, 2023. She was held a variety of elected positions in the Yampa Valley, including two terms as a Steamboat Spring City Council Member and one term on the Yampa Valley Electric Association Board. 

Sonja and her husband, Chuck Willard, live near the Steamboat Ski Area but the south valley is close to their hearts. They were engaged at South Shore in Stagecoach and married at High Meadows Rand on Lynx Pass. 

Sonja’s professional background is in natural resources. Locally, she has served as Executive Director of the non-profit environmental education organization Yampatika, and worked for the Colorado Division of Water Resources. 

She enjoys horseback riding, skiing hiking, camping and attending bluegrass festivals. 

Michael Buccino was reelected to his second term on City Council after winning the District II seat in the November 2023 election. He understands the multiple aspects of living in a mountain community through the lens of a family, small business and municipal perspective. 

Prior to securing his current council seat, Buccino was appointed to Planning Commission, filling a vacancy. In 2019, he was reappointed to a three-year term on the Planning Commission, where he focused on helping remove zoning and regulation process road blocks.

A third generation designer, Buccino moved to Steamboat Springs during the summer of 1996 and shortly afterward established Steamboat Interiors in 2000, which combines both residential and corporate design. With a passion for solving problems through design, Buccino is a tiny home advocate and founder of Micro Living, LLC. He also serves as regional director and board member of the American Tiny Home Association.

Outside of council, Buccino is involved with various non-profit organizations including the United Way where he currently sits on the Board of Directors and also serves as Campaign Chair. He can be found enjoying all the Yampa Valley and Colorado has to offer with his wife, Janelle, and three children – Mikey, Anya and Grayson.

Steamboat Ski Resort Vice President of Mountain Operations Dave Hunter has been announced as the resort’s President & Chief Operating Officer effective immediately, after serving as interim resort lead during the six-month search to fill the position when former President & COO Rob Perlman was promoted to Executive Vice President Regional Operations for Alterra Mountain Company.

Hunter is a 30+ year veteran in the ski industry, who joined the Steamboat Leadership team in 2017. Prior to Steamboat Hunter was the Director of North American Sales for snowcat manufacturer Prinoth and the Director of Operations at Eldora Mountain Resort outside of Boulder, Colorado for more than 15 years. Throughout his career, Hunter has made it a priority to serve his community and currently serves as the President of Steamboat Mountain Village and is the Vice Chair on the Steering Committee for the Yampa River Fund in Steamboat. He has also served as the Chairman of the Colorado Ski Country USA Snowmaking Slope Maintenance Committee and currently serves as the Vice Chair on the Colorado Passenger Safety Tramway Board. Hunter grew up on the slopes of Mt. Tom Ski Area in Holyoke, Massachusetts where his family played a large role in operating the mountain and Hunter had his first job as a busser and restroom cleaner.

“Dave has been around the ski business his entire life and for the past decade, Dave has worked for the world’s leading snowcat manufacturer based in heart of the Alps and then honed his leadership skills running resort operations at Steamboat while being a key contributor to our resort transformation with Full Steam Ahead,” said Perlman. “I am proud to continue to work with Dave in his new role, the Steamboat team and the Yampa Valley community on the next phase of the resort including the Gondola Transportation Center, regional transportation efforts and the mountain rail opportunity.”

Hunter transitioned from leading the resort’s mountain operations teams, including slope maintenance, snowmaking, lift maintenance and operations and ski patrol, to overseeing the resort’s day to day operations and strategic direction in November; officially assuming the role of President & Chief Operating Offer this week.

“As a young kid on the slopes of a small Massachusetts resort I had grand visions of moving out west and living the ski dream,” said Hunter. “I am in awe that that dream came true, and I can now share my outdoor passion on the highest level. Steamboat is like no other resort or community and I am humbled by the opportunity to continue fostering the special relationship the resort has with its staff, guests and locals.”