Leavenworth Winter Sports Club reverses course amid difficult winter

LEAVENWORTH — Amid unseasonably warm temperatures, rain and low snowfall, the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club (LWSC) operations have been suspended since early February, prompting the board to cut its first-ever executive director position.

“It was a tough decision for the board to do that, but I think it was the right decision financially,” said LWSC Board President Greg Peck.

Starting with December’s destructive storm that resulted in hundreds of downed trees, power outages and highway closures, winter has been exceptionally challenging for the club. With minimal snowfall to follow, the club leaned into snow making operations and even trucking in snow. By early January, it was able to open with limited operations.

“It’s been a pretty bleak year for us,” said Peck.

By early February, all snow activities, including Ski Hill, Icicle River Trails, and the Golf Course, were suspended. The club usually employs roughly 100 seasonal staff for winter operations, but with activities paused, most were put on standby, said former Executive Director Murray Bartholomew. Although springtime conditions have continued to persist, temperatures held enough for the ski hill to hold its annual pond skim event on Feb. 28.

“This winter has been exceptionally difficult for the Club,” said Bartholomew, noting the conditions. “I’m very proud of the team for creating fun experiences on limited snow, however it was very clear as winter progressed the financial situation was getting worse with each passing month.”

Bartholomew told Ward Media that he presented the board several operating scenarios for the remainder of the year, but the board decided on eliminating the executive director role to stabilize finances. Peck said the decision was strictly a financial one, characterizing it as a “proactive” move to avoid having to dip into any reserves.

“While it won’t be easy to navigate a year such as this, with the industrious staff, the hardworking board, and community support, I believe the Club is in a position to weather this difficult season. I’m also willing to continue to support any time the staff or board need me,” said Bartholomew.

The decision to eliminate the executive director position follows a series of organizational changes and internal tensions at LWSC in the past year. The board hired a consultant in early 2025 to help it shift from a working board to a governance board, as well as hire the club’s first-ever executive director. According to the board, the changes were necessary to ease the workload of both the board and the small team of staff, which was stretched thin by the club’s rapid growth. Bartholomew was announced executive director of LWSC in July 2025.

However, the hiring process and organizational changes of the board created friction with some staff, who felt excluded from planning discussions and decisions. The tensions led to the resignation of Director of Programs and Membership Callie Baker in late summer, followed by General Manager James Munly in the fall. The former staff members raised concerns about the board’s transparency, the club’s financial outlook, and the hiring process itself.

“I voiced my concerns over and over again. When I realized it was falling on deaf ears, I had to make a choice of either staying and facilitating the new direction that I didn't believe in, or walk away,” Munly told Ward Media following his resignation.

Following the resignations, over 50 club members gathered at LWSC’s community meeting last November, raising candid concerns about the board’s decisions, mission alignment and long-term planning. While some worried about the loss of the longstanding employees’ institutional knowledge, others voiced concerns about the financial viability of hiring an executive director with increasingly unreliable winter weather. In response, the board assured that the executive director role would be the first to be eliminated if the club faced an exceptionally bad winter season.

“We wanted to honor what we said to the membership and be as transparent as we could,” said Peck.

According to Peck, LWSC would likely hold off on any major restructuring or hiring, and instead focus on maintaining the club’s financial position for next year. He said the organization would be carried forward by current staff.

“We have a really talented staff,” said Peck, “They are really willing to step up and do what they can as a team.”

Peck told Ward Media that, in hindsight, maintaining the club’s previous structure would have been simpler, but the process had produced positive outcomes. Peck emphasized the need for and benefit of having an executive director position, and commended Bartholomew’s work building and expanding on partnerships with other local agencies and organizations.

Bartholomew said he remains proud of the work accomplished during his time, particularly with strengthening partnerships, expanding community collaboration, and creating lasting community experiences despite the limited snow.

“The new team’s leadership, adaptability, and perseverance during this challenging winter was exceptional,” said Bartholomew. “We loved making winter break fun, like the Soaked Santa Fun Run, the Lodge festivities, and lots of silliness. In addition, the operations team nailed the snowmaking and even made a sweet kicker for the alpine ski team.”

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media