WARREN, Vermont — When Peter Nohl was named Sugarbush’s vice president of hospitality in 2005, he knew he had a big job in front of him. The position, and its mission, was brand new. In the past, the resort’s lodging operations and food and beverage units had been run separately. The Austrian native was charged with integrating the two and assembling a group of experts that could elevate the guest experience at Sugarbush to a level never before seen. After a deliberate search that lasted more than a year and reached as far as Europe and the Caribbean, Sugarbush has its new hospitality team.

“We really needed to focus on improving the visitor experience resort wide,” remarked Nohl. “To do that, we looked at the talent and experience right here in the Valley and we looked at complementing it with some additional help.”

Apparently one of Nohl’s conclusions was the best way to appeal to the guests was through their stomachs.

Chief among the team’s new members is Resort Executive Chef Sebastian Carosi. Carosi, who apprenticed in Italy and was the chef at the famed Los Angeles’ restaurant Leila’s, will be responsible for the food at all of the resort’s dining outlets. A long-time member of Slow Food USA and one of the first out-of-state members ever admitted to the Vermont Fresh Network, Carosi believes food has to make sense geographically for it to be great.

“The best way to guarantee a fresh, exceptional product is to take it from your own backyard,” says the 20-year hospitality veteran. “To that end, we will use 50 Vermont farms to compile a majority of Sugarbush’s menu offerings and our meats will be all-natural??”no antibiotics, no steroids, no nitrates or nitrites??”all natural.”

Melissa Carosi, Sebastian’s wife, will be responsible for managing Timbers, Sugarbush’s new round barn-styled restaurant. A professed oenophile, the New York native has authored wine lists that have garnered the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for over 6 years. Her restaurant charges have also earned AAA’s Four-Diamond Award for Dining and Service.

Overseeing Sugarbush’s lodging operations will be Ryan Diller. Diller comes to Sugarbush with a decade of resort experience including management positions at the Snake River Lodge and Spa in Teton Village, Wyoming and the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole. While at the Four Seasons, the East Coast native was responsible for the training of all new and existing front office personnel at the 160-room luxury property.

Pam Gosselin will step into the new role of Innkeeper at the Sugarbush Inn.

“We lost our focus at the (Sugarbush) Inn over the last few years,” says Nohl. “We tried to run it as a hotel, and it’s not. It’s a great country inn that needs a heart and we were fortunate enough to find that in Pam. She has a great eye for detail and that’s what the Inn needs to get its country charm back.” Gosselin comes Sugarbush after 12 years of managing the Inn at Blush Hill in Waterbury.

Rounding out the new Hospitality team are: Melissa Conti (Executive Housekeeper), Phil Kiendl (Production Chef), Sam Palmisano (Gate House Manager), Danielle Raymond (Hospitality Administrative Assistant), and Jeannie Guardino (Owners’ Services Manager).

For the latest Sugarbush information, including snowmaking updates, visit www.sugarbush.com.