Town Of Mountain Village
Introducing MV’s new mayor, entrepreneur Dan Jansen, to answer the question.
The name game is big business. Corporations spend mega bucks to find the best way to brand themselves and the products they make, everything from cars to perfume to sporting goods and cereals – even townships like the Telluride region’s Mountain Village.
Mountain Village. The somewhat generic handle allows us to fill in the blanks, but it does suggest a sleepy address lost in the mists of time. “Sound of Music” meets Shangri-La. The reality is something altogether different, though no less appealing. Telluride’s sister town, Mountain Village, is at an all-time high and still climbing, with plenty of juice in reserve. Who knows how high is up? The town’s new mayor Dan Jansen , a successful entrepreneur, has lofty ideas.
A look at the history of the place before drilling down to specifics.
Mountain Village, past and present:
In 1968, entrepreneur Joe Zoline began to assemble the land needed to build his resort, including the Gorrono and Adams Ranches. Land in hand, his next challenge was to convince the Town of Telluride and the United States Forest Service about his choice for the location of an “official winter sports site” – the present Mountain Village. Enlisting the expertise of former French world champion skier Emile Allais, hailed as the “Father of Modern Skiing,” Zoline planned to develop the ski resort in stages.
In 1972, the first of the lifts and ski runs opened for business. In 1978, Ron Allred and Jim Wells purchased the Telluride Ski Resort from Zoline.
Allred and Wells determined to develop their property – 3.5 square miles of land on what was once sheep ranches – based on the look and feel of ski resorts in the Alps, iconic places such as Zermatt, Chamonix, and Allais’ former home, Megeve. Like them, Mountain Village would have a pedestrian-friendly core, its business center, surrounded by a network of winter and summer trails, walking paths, and single-family estates tucked into the landscape.
Since the, with Telski (Telluride Ski & Golf Company) taking the lead along with its partners, Town of Mountain Village, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, and the town’s two major hotels, Madeline and The Peaks, Mountain Village has buffed up considerably, particularly with regard to its dining and retail scene. New restaurants and shops conspire to enhance the all caps ON-MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE, which includes 2,000+ acres (810+ hectares) of skiable terrain offering something for everyone, from beginners to experts, including sexy hike-to experiences such as the Gold Hill chutes, Black Iron Bowl, and Palmyra Peak.
Will Mountain Village ever be on par with what patrons experience in the greatest resorts in the Alps? Can it become, say, a culinary destination as well as one of the greatest places on earth to rip and shred? Right now Mountain Village boasts 17 watering holes.
With 33 miles of trails, 16 trails in all, Mountain Village is already considered a world-class biking destination. Mountain Village also boasts 36 miles of hiking trails, 14 trails in all, beginner to advanced.
Summer festivals that take place “downtown” in the box canyon tend to concentrate their activities over long weekends. Mid-week the action shifts “uptown” to Mountain Village, where locals and guests get to enjoy free concerts and the Market on the Plaza.
All of the above activities – dining, retail, spas, sports, concerts, festivals – take place in a verdant context that is also very very “green”: Mountain Village and Telski are proud to wave their sustainable flags on high. In fact, Telluride is one of only seven resorts in the country to have joined the National Ski Areas Association’s sustainability initiatives, including reducing power and fuel consumption through best practices. And Mountain Village is an EPA Green Power Partner.
Mountain Village: a great place for an adrenaline rush or where to underachieve in hedonistic bliss. Either way, the town that has historically played second fiddle to Telluride, now clearly has a claim on the spotlight too.
Mountain Village: present – future, meet Mayor Dan Jansen
Dan Jansen is a full-time entrepreneur and expert in social media and brand monetization in online communities. In 2008, he founded Virtual Greats as an alternative advertising model and opportunity for leading artists, brands, and IP holders to monetize in the expanding social media space through virtual item sales. Based in Los Angeles, Virtual Greats is the industry leader working with over 200 brands and 25 on-line communities with over 400M global users; these include leading social networks, casual games, and virtual worlds.
Prior to founding Virtual Greats, Dan, who holds a BA in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from the Wharton School, built and led the global Media Practice for the Boston Consulting Group.
Dan Jansen was elected to the Mountain Village Town Council in June of 2011. He was selected by that Council as mayor for a two-year term that began January 2013.
Dan’s priorities in office for the Town of Mountain Village? Enhanced economic activity, deeper engagement with key constituencies, and effective stewardship of our town and its environment. Short-term initiatives to achieve those goals include attracting better air access, enhancing infrastructure (e.g. the Conference Center, broadband, roads and services), attracting a major brand name hotel property, increased events and activity in the MV core, and stabilizing the town’s revenue model by attracting new businesses to our community.
In his spare time, Dan serves on the boards of Colorado Flights and the Telluride Foundation. He is also a mentor for the Foundation’s newest initiative, Telluride Venture Accelerator.
To learn more, click the “play” button and listen to my chat with Dan Jansen.