Lessons from Gunstock: Management, Leadership, and Democracy
By Tyler Ray
Gunstock Mountain Summit, October 2020
Game, set, match. And so the Gunstock Mountain Resort saga ended with the return of management and reopening of the resort, all following an overhaul of the Commission. And when we say Resort, we mean community recreation asset, as Gunstock is owned by Belknap County, which made the potential consequence of closure over ideological differences severe for its residents. While the whole fiasco is multi-layered and complicated, the lessons learned are quite timely as we enter a new high-stakes political season come November. Here are some afternoon thoughts:
Leadership. Gunstock's senior management team went to the back of the playbook for the "nuclear option" of mass resignation as its final public act to draw attention to the mismanagement of the Commission and leverage the massive and loyal Gunstock following to speak up for them. The risky yet courageous move worked; Gunstock immediately made headlines from The Boston Globe to Ski Magazine galvanizing support and ultimately saving Gunstock. Throughout the ordeal dating back to 2021, GM Tom Day exemplified Theodore Roosevelt's diplomatic "Speak softly and carry a big stick" mantra and was able to lead his team to a dramatic walk-out. And make no mistake, this was no Jerry McGuire walk-out. With livelihoods on the line, the management team all followed, having faith in Day and trusting the plan. Leadership personified.
Ideology. NH is a target-rich environment for so-called Freestaters, which is more of a movement and not a political party per se, with anti-government priorities that lurk under the Republican flag. (See the New York Times article on the NH town of Croydon for another example). Between Gunstock and Croydon, or recreation and education, one must wonder what public body or asset is next for an attempted takeover. Identify the red flags happening in your town by paying attention, asking questions, and, most importantly, having a plan at the voting booth. For example, NH State Reps. who opposed any Gunstock resolution are Reps. Sylvia, Silber, Aldrich, Johnson, Terry, Varney, Comtois, and Howard. Gov. Sununu criticized the actions of these officials in an open letter to Belknap residents, encouraging them to choose representatives who actually care about the wellbeing of the County in the future.
Democracy. The big and obvious takeaway from the Gunstock saga goes straight to the core of democratic principles: VOTING! The public process is designed to follow the will of the people but only when those citizens participate. It's easy and convenient to skip this process, assuming others will do the right thing - but as we have seen that perspective is flawed and potentially destructive. While there was a positive outcome in the Gunstock situation, the long game is still at play both in the primaries on September 13th and general elections on November 8th.
Bottom line: showing up, paying attention, and participating in the democratic process is paramount to a successful community. Don't have regrets come November!