Arizona Ski Resort Appoints New GM & COO Ahead of Winter Season
Arizona Snowbowl has named a new General Manager and COO ahead of the 2026-27 ski season as it carries out more than $1M in capital investments.
Longtime Arizona Snowbowl employee and Flagstaff local Dale Haglin has been promoted to chief operating officer from his role as director of mountain operations, in a continuation of his 45-year career with the resort.
“I’ve spent nearly five decades watching Snowbowl evolve, and I’ve seen firsthand what thoughtful investment can do for our guests, our employees, and the way the mountain runs,” said Haglin in a press release.
Brandon Thom has been named the resort’s new general manager. Thom has more than 15 years of experience in leadership roles across the hospitality industry, including his most recent role as the senior director of operations at Margaritaville at Sea.
“Brandon is a proven leader who understands how to manage complex operations and build strong teams, and has a genuine passion for skiing,” said Scott Price, president of Mountain Capital Partners, which owns and operates Arizona Snowbowl.
With Haglin at the helm of Arizona Snowbowl’s long-term operational planning and major capital projects, and Thom in charge of day-to-day operations, guest experiences, and employee engagement, Price said their “Complementary strengths create a strong foundation for Snowbowl’s future.”
Courtesy of Arizona Snowbowl
Since last year, Arizona Snowbowl has invested in improvements across the mountain’s infrastructure, guest services, and experiences.
In the summer of 2025, Arizona Snowbowl opened a virtual reality ski simulator to allow people the opportunity to keep up ski fitness in the off-season and for use as a bootfitting tool. That same summer, the resort announced a $1.5M investment in work across the mountain to clean up forest debris from slopes, upgrade snowmaking systems, and expand the mountain’s rental equipment fleet.
Earlier this year, Arizona Snowbowl also announced $1M in improvements ahead of the 2026-27 season. The resort said it would work to remove dead and downed trees from the mountain to reduce wildfire fuels and hazards for skiers.
Snowbowl also plans to further expand its snowmaking fleet with four new snowmaking guns to improve early-season terrain access and snow reliability, alongside implementing the use of RFID tickets and passes, with self-serve pickup boxes for the upcoming season.
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