For chris stagg, skiing is everything: The mayor of Taos Ski Valley also sells skiing at—where else?—Taos Ski Valley

New Mexico Business Journal, Nov, 2001 by Mike Stauffer

KISMET BEST DESCRIBES CHRIS Stagg's love affair with Taos Ski Valley and the surrounding village. "You can't get rich running a ski area, you do it because you love it," Stagg, 49, said, sitting behind his desk in the corporate offices at Taos Ski Valley.

He points to a plaque that carries a quote from Fortune Magazine, which concludes that a good ski area operator is one unfazed by a less-than stable bottom line. "Ernie (Blake) never expected to make any money" Stagg said of TSV's late founder. "He was just hoping that it would take care of itself some day and he wouldn't have to keep putting more money into it. He was genuinely surprised when it turned a profit."

Stagg, as the corporation's vice-president of marketing, has had no small hand in TSV's success. He's been in charge of that little bailiwick since 1980. But his interest in the operation extends beyond a paycheck. He's been married to Ernie and Rhoda Blake's only daughter, Wendy since 1976, and has been a mainstay at the resort since his college days at the University of New Mexico.

And his interest in the newly incorporated Village of Taos Ski Valley extends beyond those of TSV. He's also the village mayor, the only one it's had in its five short years of existence.

"The corporation pushed for village incorporation and put in a lot of time and effort. At the time (Taos) County zoning was a hot issue, and we were not confident we were getting the attention of the county on our zoning concerns. We also paid taxes, but we had no one to plow the roads, provide security" Stagg said.

And since TSV put all the effort into it, "we thought it was important that the corporation be represented," Stagg said, "so Iran for mayor." "I had two opponents," he added, smiling. "It was real election."

New Mexico skiing and politics are a long way from Albany, NY, where Stagg was reared. "I grew up skiing," he sad. "As a little kid, my whole family skied. I wanted to come out West to college because I wanted to ski the Rocky Mountains. That meant the University of New Mexico, the University of Colorado or the University of Utah. People I talked to liked Albuquerque, so I came out (in 1969)."

Four years later, he had a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture in hand. It's never been used, Stagg admitted. "When I was in Albuquerque I worked at Olympic Sports Ski Shop, and taught skiing at Sandia Peak on the weekends. I was going to school but I was also skiing almost every day," he said. When his college days ended, he spent the next winter teaching skiing at Taos Ski Valley

"When I first came up to teach, initially I expected to go back and get a master's degree," Statgg said. "But then I decided to take a year off, spent that summer in New Zealand teaching skiing and hanging out, then decided to come back to Taos that winter. I really never gave school another thought."

Taos Ski Valley became his permanent home and full-time job in 1976. There was something new for him to do almost every year. "I became more and more involved," he said. "I was the superintendent of instruction in the ski schools, then I started in marketing and going to ski shows to help Ernie. He was doing everything then. I liked doing the shows, I liked the travel. It was a challenge. And I loved being involved in skiing on an everyday basis."

Eldest son Mickey Blake is the president and general manager of the corporation. Wendy Stagg, who was a manager and buyer for the ski retail outlets, is still actively involved. Rhoda Blake is still part of the operation, Chris Stagg said, but not in the day to day. Peter Blake, the youngest son, gave up the ski business about 10 years ago and now lives in Texas, raising quarterhorses.

General Manger Gordon Briner, who taught skiing with Stagg in the mid 1970s, returned three years ago after a lengthy involvement in Summit County Cob, skiing. He handles the day-today operation.

Stagg certainly wears more than a ski cap and mayor's hat. lie is past chair of the Association of Commerce and Industry the state chamber of commerce; serves on the boards of the New Mexico Nature Conservancy and Ski New Mexico; and is chair of the New Mexico State Tourism Commission. But it is still the siding industry in general and Taos Ski Valley in particular has his attention.

"When Ernie started it, the goal of everyone in the company was to run the best damn ski resort in the world: better facilities, better lifts, better snowmaking. We still think Taos does that better than anyone," Stagg said. "Has Taos changed since Ernie died? Yes, but a lot of the people that were here with Ernie back then are still here. They've been here a long time, and they keep on keeping on, in his spirit. It makes you feel good."

MIKE STAUFFER IS SPORTS EDITOR OF THE TAOS NEWS AND A FREELANCE WRITER.