News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Scott Huntsman.
The property owners of Black Butte Ranch were looking for dynamic, energetic leadership when they set out to replace former Ranch general manager Loy Helmly.
Scott Huntsman of Bend believes he can provide that leadership.
Huntsman was selected from among 175 candidates for the job as President and CEO of Black Butte Ranch Corporation and General Manager of the Ranch association.
"It was not only a professional opportunity," Huntsman told The Nugget, "it was a real blessing to me and my family, because we really wanted to stay in the area."
Huntsman arrived in Central Oregon about a year-and-a-half ago when he was assigned by his employer, Dolce, a management company, to take on the management of the Tetherow Resort near Bend.
"I jumped at the opportunity," said Huntsman, who had spent seven years in the Los Angeles area.
However, the project never got off the ground, and Huntsman was grounded with it. He joked that he couldn't convince Dolce to pay him to mountain bike around Central Oregon, so when he was approached about the BBR job he was ready to throw his hat into the ring.
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Huntsman is a 1990 graduate of Whitworth College, where he earned a B.A. degree in International Relations. He brings diverse management experience from properties throughout the western United States, including Salishan Lodge and Skamania Lodge.
Huntsman says that Black Butte Ranch lives up to its unique reputation.
"The Ranch was created with a very unique vision," he said. "The Ranch brings a lot of unique attributes that don't exist in a lot of the hospitality marketplace."
These include recreational opportunities; unsurpassed natural beauty; cross-generational experiences; and the chance to participate in the wide range of cultural opportunities offered by the greater Sisters community.
Huntsman noted that Sisters has improved its reputation as a destination since the times he remembers visiting it in his youth and that reputation helps the Ranch just as the Ranch attracts people to Sisters.
Huntsman said he brings strong entrepreneurial skills to bear on the challenge of managing an independent property in the current climate.
"Growing revenue in these economic times is going to be the biggest challenge," Huntsman said. People are ratcheting back in their expenditures, there's no question. Finding a niche in a competitive marketplace is going to be a real opportunity for us."
He also recognizes some of the challenges that face BBR. He acknowledged that most of the people he talked to about the challenges at the Ranch listed food and beverage services in their top three issues - often as number one.
"I feel strongly about the role food and beverage plays in a memorable hospitality experience," he said. "It will absolutely be a goal to have an exceptional reputation for food and beverage."
The goal of creating memorable experiences is central to Huntsman's philosophy. He regards Black Butte Ranch as an ideal place for people to create lifelong family memories.
Huntsman plans to spend the next few weeks getting to know staff and residents at BBR and getting prepared for the busy season before he takes the reins officially on March 16.
He says he is "honestly excited" about the job and eager to "build on the real solid work that Mr. Helmly did over the last 10 years or more."
Scott and his wife, Christy, live in Bend with their three children. They are expecting a fourth child in June. Huntsman said he has no immediate plans to move from Bend, but he'd like to move into the Sisters community at some point.
As he gets his feet under him at the Ranch, Huntsman plans to become involved in the greater Sisters community.
"That's a key responsibility of a general manager and honestly one of the more enjoyable parts of the job, too," he said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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