Leadership Team
Robin Barnes, Director of Skier Services
Robin Barnes has been working in the industry for 35 years, most of that with Heavenly Mountain Resort. Robin experienced over 50 back to back winters while she shared her time between Heavenly and Portillo Chile, where she was Director of Snowsports. At Heavenly, Robin has enjoyed roles at Heavenly such as Instructor, Supervisor, Staff Trainer and now as Director of Skier Services. In her role as Director, Robin has oversight for the Ski and Ride School, Guest Information, Ticket Scanning, Day Care and Competition Teams. Robin is also enjoying her fourth four-year term on the Professional Ski Instructors of America/AASI National Alpine Team where she helps plot a path for ski education in the country, and represents the United States internationally at Interski, among 40 other skiing nations.
Robin spends her life with her husband, Michael Rogan. When they are not skiing, they are often seen on their mountain bikes. Of her role at Heavenly, she says that she is grateful for the opportunity to serve such a wonderful and inspiring team of passionate people.
James Kayser, Senior Manager, Kid’s Ski & Ride School
James has been working in the ski industry ever since he left college. He’s worked on three continents as a ski instructor, but decided to plant his poles here in Tahoe in 2000. He has a strong interest in personal development, guest service, and mountain biking. His biggest tip is to have fun, “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!”
Ali MacGrain, Senior Manager, Adult/Private Ski & Ride School
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Ali found his way to the US in 2002 after completing his Law and Finance degree. He pursued the endless winter for a total of 41 seasons before getting married and settling in the US.
Ali comes to South Lake Tahoe with his wife, Jenah, his son, Lachlan, and his dog, Nessie. They enjoy taking advantage of lake time, mountain biking and hiking in the summer, and living in the alpine environment in the winter.
Ali brings his years of experience in leadership and his commitment and passion for facilitating exceptional guest and employee experiences to our Ski and Ride School. Ali’s leadership style is based on transparency and caring, and as such, his door will always be open for discussing how to further enhance those experiences.
Location Managers
Dave Burkett, Gondola Kid’s SRS
Dave started at Heavenly in 1993. He started working at Heavenly because all of his friends, at the time, worked at Heavenly. He is the only one of that bunch that still works here and it’s mainly because he cannot imagine doing anything else or working anywhere else. Heavenly is his favorite mountain in the area because it has every type of terrain feature and has the most amazing tree skiing anywhere. His favorite hobbies are motocross and playing guitar. A fun fact about Dave is that his friends know him as “Caveman”.
[email protected], (530) 542-5300 or internal extension 2402
Ingrid Heinig, California Kid’s SRS
Ingrid Heinig: Ingrid has worked for Heavenly Ski & Ride School for 8 seasons and has been involved in the ski industry for over 20 years – she loves it! In fact, it’s not a job it’s a lifestyle! She learned how to ski at here at Heavenly and still remembers that day, looking at the beautiful lake made her smile and it still makes her smile! In the off season, Ingrid teaches water skiing and wake surfing in Arizona. She also loves mountain biking and hiking. She retired from the U.S. Forest Service and being a Wildland Firefighter and now volunteers with Search and Rescue. She loves to teach and loves to share her passion for skiing!
Scott Dickey, California Adult SRS
Scott began his time at Heavenly in 1991 as an instructor at Boulder. His “learn to be trainers” were Deb Sumner and our own Tim Rankins. He passed his associate exam (level 2) with the help of our very own, Greg Lyons, Michael Rogan and the Director at that time, Jimmy Ackerson. They taught him that his ability to ski was secondary to his ability to be genuine when teaching.
After nearly 30 years, he still recalls his first season and the excitement of teaching people a sport he’s loved his entire life. He quickly recognized who the leaders were and how they became successful in an industry that had many options to develop in.In 1994, he left Heavenly for an opportunity in Vail, Colorado. The two seasons he spent in Vail not only confirmed what he was destined to do, but also pushed his skills to achieve his level 3 certification. After 2 winters in Vail, his heart ached to return to Tahoe, which he did for the 1997 season. It was this season he began to build relationships that still exist today.
He could have gone anywhere to teach but it’s the friends that he made at Heavenly that have continued to bring him back each and every year. The quality of instructors and integrity of people have shaped the person he is today. We are fortunate to be apart of a group who represent a world class level of professionalism and inspiration well above other resorts.When he’s not at the resort, he’s busy raising his three kids with his wife Ali who he met at Heavenly and is also an instructor. Their critters, Gracie, Mason and Dawson have been blessed to grow up as Heavenly kids and have always been a part of the great friends they’ve met at ski school. This resort has become well beyond a job for him and his family. It is a lifestyle that he is proud to be a part of. Each season brings such a different experience and the opportunity to meet such memorable people that he would never imagine doing anything else.
[email protected], (530) 542-5173 or internal extension 5173
Ed Broadbelt, Gondola Adults SRS
Jasmine Reichardt, Boulder SRS
Supervisors
Kyle Jarratt, Gondola Kid’s SRS
Jess Anderson & Sheridan DeGraffenreid California Adults SRS
Jess Anderson was born in South Lake Tahoe. He stays in Tahoe because it’s great place to raise kids and the Tahoe area supports all his hobbies. He started in 1996/97 and received his level 3 alpine in 1998/99. He’s an alumni to the alpine examiner team. He also has his level 2 in Tele mark and level 1 in Snowboarding. His hobbies include mountain/road biking, camping, fishing, hiking, backpacking and rock climbing – Any sports that does not involve a ball. Fun fact, his father, brother, nephew and niece all have the same laugh.
Sheri grew up skiing Mammoth and June until her family moved from Mammoth Lakes to Gardnerville when she was 12. After that, she was a Heavenly girl. She has her PSIA level II and CS I and has been with Heavenly SRS since 2007, teaching at Boulder kids, Gondola kids, and Gondola adults. When not sliding around on the snow, Sheri enjoys reading, going to concerts, trivia night, and in the warmer months hiking, camping, and going to the beach.
[email protected], [email protected]
Celine Holzer & Colby Haffner, Gondola Adults SRS
Céline is from the Montréal/Northern New York region with experience teaching in Italy, Japan, and the states. Céline is BASI level II & PSIA level II certified and is in the process of training for her level III. In her free time, Celine is an avid backcountry skier and cyclist and spends her summer guiding cycling trips in Europe. Skiing has been a passion of hers since her first days in kids ski school at the age of three and is always excited for the challenge of a new ski season! Celine is also the facilitator for Oakley discounts so contact her for more information by email!
Colby grew up just down the west slope in Camino doing every outdoor hobby you can think of. He spent his free time driving his car to places he really shouldn’t be, accessing remote campsites and all the mountain bike trails he could find. As far as winter goes, Colby has been coaching and instructing snowboarding for the last 9 years, earning his Level 3 Certification along the way. Snowboarding has been his biggest passion since he was 6, and it is his favorite thing in the world to pass on to new people for them to enjoy as much as he does.
[email protected], [email protected]
Training
Patrick Harrington, Training Manager
As Training Manager, Patrick brings with him abundant of knowledge and enthusiasm for instructing, training, and professional development. Patrick has been a children’s instructor and staff trainer for over 10 seasons at Heavenly. He has served on the PSIA-W Education Staff since 2019. Before his contributions at Heavenly, Patrick taught skiing at Sunday River, Maine from 1995-1999, and later managed group homes for children and adults with autism in Utah from 2000-2007. Patrick lives in Carson City with his wife Adrienne, and son, Sean. When he’s not on the mountain, you can find him spending time with his family, training and teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fishing, or golfing.
Administration
Amy Rice, Administrative Manager
In her first year of college, Amy wrote a paper describing her dream job: and it’s this! She has been an admin in the Skier Services department going on sixteen years, and is still going strong. Amy lives in Minden, NV with her husband and three kids who she likes to spend her free time skiing and riding.
[email protected], (530) 542-6908