Delegation to finally appoint new GAC members Wednesday

GILFORD — It has been nearly five months since two seats on the Gunstock Area Commission were vacated by former Chair Peter Ness and former Vice Chair David Strang, and more than two months since midterm elections saw a 50% turnover on the Belknap County Delegation. At a meeting Wednesday night, the delegation is slated to finally fill those two seats, bringing a sense of closure to the yearslong saga embattling Gunstock Mountain Resort’s governance and allowing the area to formally start a new chapter.

According to applications submitted to the county, six candidates, both returning and new, have put their hat in the ring for those two appointments. One is a temporary appointment, finishing out the term of Ness, that ends in 2024. The other is a full five-year term ending in 2027. During early chapters of the tension that eventually erupted this summer, critics accused the past delegation of appointing political allies with dubious qualifications. Questions about what makes a good commissioner — what kind of experience is useful, and what kind of personal or political associations are not — have swirled since.

When Commissioner Denise Conroy was appointed in August, representatives asked candidates about any political or personal relationships related to the mountain and in the area. Whether the reputations of repeat applicants will pose an obstacle to their appointment or whether their industry experience will dominate the deliberations remains to be seen. 

Terry Stewart of Alton Bay describes himself as a lifelong resident of the Lakes Region and lifelong lover of Gunstock. Born and raised in Lakeport, Stewart worked for Lewis and Saunders and Scotia Technology in Laconia, both now under the umbrella of aerospace company Smith's Tubular Systems, before his career as a salesperson for an American manufacturing company. His resume states that he made sales both on an international level and to the federal government.

Stewart highlighted his community involvement and lack of “agenda or self interest” alongside his love of the mountain as major assets. He served on the Gilford Budget Committee for four years, had a post on the Gilford Conservation Commission and volunteered as a hunting safety instructor through New Hampshire Fish and Game.

He complimented the current management for “providing quality services while operating in the black,” and emphasized “fiscally prudent” planning as a challenge confronting the area. Stewart framed his understanding of the commission’s role as “basic oversight for checks and balance, while fostering ideas for improvement.”

Rick Zach of Gilford is a former year-round Gunstock employee in the IT department who was an active voice on the Gunstock issue throughout its turmoil in the last year.

Zach served as network administrator at Gunstock for four years and his resume highlights his leadership on the implementation of the mountain’s RFID pass system. Zach’s professional work includes time as an engineer with WCVB, a Boston ABC affiliate news channel and with Binnie Media, and work as a commercial boat captain on the Winnipesaukee Belle and mail boats Doris E. and Sophie C. His son is current employed by Gunstock as a snowmaker. 

Zach is a vocal critic of former members of the delegation who clashed with Gunstock’s management and some former members of the commission. In a letter to the editor in April 2022, he described Gunstock as a “victim of a very well calculated hostile takeover by the Free Staters.” Zach has identified himself as a Republican and a volunteer, but not a representative, for Citizens for Belknap, a bipartisan political action committee that mobilized against local politicians who they deemed extreme in midterm elections.

Heidi Preuss, a former Olympic ski racer and current Laconia resident, has applied several times before. Most recently, in February 2022, the delegation selected Strang over Preuss and Doug Lambert — who was later appointed to fill a different vacancy on the commission. Strang was later forced out after management walked out last summer.

With degrees in finance and accounting, Preuss lists her academic and business background, in addition to her alpine one, among her foremost qualifications. Though Preuss lived in Utah for more than two decades, her application emphasizes that she is a homegrown county resident who was raised on Gunstock’s slopes.

Preuss announced her bid for the February vacancy alongside sharp alarm against the then-delegation, who she believed were angling to “eliminate Gunstock.” During the conflict between the commission, delegation and management, Preuss spoke up in support of management and against Strang, noting that “The commission’s primary objective should be aiding and supporting this team, not creating arbitrary hurdles.”

Cindy Creteau-Miller is another former applicant making a new bid to join. She also was a Republican nominee in the midterms for the state House district representing Meredith.

Creteau-Miller, who was turned down by the delegation in April for Lambert, the current chair, has more than 30 years of professional experience in the ski industry. She is a certified adaptive ski instructor who worked at Bromley Mountain before running the ski school and then rising to owner and chief operating officer of Magic Mountain in Vermont. Creteau-Miller’s other experience includes owning and running the Walpole Inn and stints as a member of planning and school boards.

Creteau-Miller’s application touts not only her knowledge of the ski industry but experience righting the financial and managerial ships of her businesses. During her bid for state Legislature, she said it was the more extreme dispositions of the then-delegation that catalyzed her run.

Lauren Lyons is the former owner and manager of the Lyons' Den restaurant in Glendale. From 2005 to its closing in 2021, the restaurant served American cuisine with a waterfront view. Lyons noted that, at some point, she worked in every position at the restaurant. Her other listed experience includes time as a controller and contract negotiator for a windshield and canvas company in the boating industry and as a bookkeeper and project manager for construction and real estate companies in New Hampshire. 

Lyons, who is newly retired, stated in her application that she feels her diverse experience and lack of “particular political affiliations” and “preconceived constructs” will make her a productive commissioner. 

Sean Lord has been the owner of Iron Works Market in Gilmanton, where he lives, since 2010. Lord and his wife took over the store, which first opened in 1900, 10 years after settling in the states. Lord grew up in Maine and is a U.S. Army veteran who spent years working in Germany, where he met his wife and store co-owner, Simone. His other professional experience includes retail and management work at Lowe's and at a petroleum company.

In his application, Lord said his business experience developed his acumen in profit and loss, budget analysis and productivity management and emphasized this would be an asset to the commission. 

At its most recent meeting Jan. 10, the delegation agreed to allow candidates five minutes to introduce themselves followed by at most 15 minutes of questions from representatives. Wednesday's appointment meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Belknap County Complex.