Purgatory Resort reshuffles leadership to strengthen long-term growth

Purgatory Resort is changing how it runs the mountain at a moment when every decision can ripple into skiing, biking and summer traffic across its 1,635 skiable acres. Dave Rathbun has moved from general manager to CEO, Josh Benson has shifted from guest services into the new role of senior director of resort operations, and Michael Rosenfeld has taken on a broader portfolio that includes community services, lodging, HOA management, and real estate sales and development.

Rathbun laid out the change in an April 10 blog post, saying the goal is to free leadership from daily operational fire drills so it can focus more sharply on strategy, compliance and permitting. That is not just corporate housekeeping at a place like Purgatory. At a mountain with 11 lifts, 107 trails and four terrain parks, the people steering permits and long-range planning help determine how quickly new lifts, trail connectors and guest-facing improvements can move from concept to reality.

The move also signals where the resort wants its attention to go next. Benson’s move out of guest services and into resort operations suggests a tighter link between what visitors experience on the ground and how the mountain is staffed day to day. Rosenfeld’s expanded responsibilities reach beyond the slopes into lodging, HOA work and development, three areas that can shape how the resort feels to homeowners, overnight guests and anyone staying longer than a lift ticket.

The timing matters. In March 2025, management was already looking for ways to cut expenses and improve the bottom line, with a target of adding $900,000 by the end of April, roughly $14,000 a day. Purgatory was also navigating a low-snowfall season while trying to stay ahead of the rest of the industry. That backdrop makes this reshuffle look less like a routine title change and more like a response to pressure on both operations and future growth.

It also comes as Purgatory keeps pushing capital plans. The resort announced in April 2025 that it wanted a new chairlift and up to five new trails and trail connectors ahead of the 2025-26 season. Its own materials also point to snowmaking upgrades and other infrastructure work from the 2022/23 season. For a mountain that has operated for nearly six decades and sits inside the Mountain Capital Partners network of resorts across the West and Chile, the leadership structure now appears built to keep long-term projects moving while the daily business stays on track.

For skiers, riders and summer visitors, the real question is how fast that new structure turns into visible changes on the hill.