Ep. 55 John Norton | CBMR History and Tourism

Crested Butte Is Home

Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association Executive Director John Norton grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he played the "typical" ball sports like football. At Dartmouth College, he met his future wife, an accomplished and avid skier, so he knew he better learn how if he wanted to stick with her. Today, it's one of his favorite things to do, but he's also a jack-of-all-trades, enjoying kayaking, fishing, mountain biking and everything else we enjoy in Crested Butte.

After college, John began climbing the corporate ladder in the marketing department at Proctor and Gamble. He may have stayed on that track if an old college friend hadn't offered him a job at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), in the marketing department there. The early 90's were an exciting time at CBMR, with new lifts like the North Face and High lift, plus innovative efforts to attract new business, like guaranteeing airline seats and "free ski". Later, John spent roughly ten years at the Aspen Skiing Company before being called back to Crested Butte and helping secure the sale of CBMR from the Nortons and Calloways to the Muellers (Triple Peaks).

After the Mueller sale, John eventually became the executive director at the local tourism association (TA). The TA has since grown to encompass local entrepreneurial efforts as well. In this episode, we talk about all of this and more, so enjoy this one-

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Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association