HEAD OF THE HILL

Aspen Skico Head Pat O’Donnell Retiring

By David Frey, 9-14-06

It's not a surprise, exactly, but Pat O'Donnell has made it official. He's stepping down as head of the Aspen Skiing Co.

"Obviously it's with mixed emotions," he told the Aspen Times. "I'll always have a love of the business."

O'Donnell, 67, is retiring atthe end of the ski season, after 14 years with the Skico and 29 in the industry. In that time, he's been the chiseled face of a changing Aspen. His environmentalism has helped make the company a champion of energy efficiency and it's been outspoken on the issue of global warming. As a snowboarder himself, he lifted the controversial ban on boards at Aspen Mountain, despite the predictable heat he took from oldtimers who didn't take too kindly to sharing the slopes with knuckle-draggers.

O'Donnell's career as a ski industry executive started at Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe in 1969. He spent 11 years at Colorado's Keystone resort as vice president of operations. After leaving the industry to head up outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia for seven years, he returned to run Whistler, in Canada. In 1994, he became second-in-command at the Skico, then the commander-in-chief.

His retirement takes him to warmer -- but nearby -- climes. He and his wife are settling in their home south of Grand Junction. It has access to cycling, access to rafting. It's close to Moab's desert country. And yes, it's not too far from Aspen, either.

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