Our Team
Tyler Newman - General Manager
Tyler Newman is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 20 years of management experience in ski resort hospitality. It all started in Telluride working as a busboy at the Floradora Saloon at the age of 14 years old! Tyler went on to become a Western State College graduate and remained in the Gunnison Valley to gain more work experience in the ski resort service industry. He has worked as General Manager in various lodging properties in the Crested Butte area. Tyler is psyched to be back in Telluride with his wife, Sarah, and stepson, Isaiah. You will see his two older daughters visit from time to time. When not at work, you will find Tyler mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, floating on a river/lake or chilling out at a campsite.
Sarah Cherry - Assistant General Manager
Sarah is originally from Virginia but has been in Colorado for the past six years. After visiting Telluride for a wedding, she fell in love with the town and decided to make it her new home. She has been in the hospitality industry since moving to Colorado and is excited to continue to grow in her career at Bear Creek. When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family and her puppy, Finnegan. She also loves to ski and tries to get as many days on the mountain as she can!
Misha Bota - Fractional Owner Services Manager
Misha has been working in hospitality since 2008 and has accumulated a vast knowledge of the industry. He has been employed at the Bear Creek Lodge for over 10 years. After starting as a shuttle driver, he moved into a concierge role and has now been managing the fractional owner services office since 2017. His prior work at a high-end hotel brand helped him work towards his current position. Misha believes that the most effective way to cultivate a great relationship with owners is to be attentive and provide communication in a quick and timely manner.
He is originally from Moldova (Eastern Europe) and has been living in Telluride for over 12 years. The Bear Creek Lodge has been his favorite place to work and live and he considers it his home and his family.
Josh Riley - Maintenance Manager
Josh joined the Bear Creek Lodge family in 2019. He grew up near Boulder, Colorado, and after several stints in the military, found a home in Ridgway, Colorado. Besides working on the lodge's funicular, Josh enjoys spending his time hunting, fishing, and as a backcountry guide. Josh is also an outdoor blogger and adventure enthusiast with a wife and three kids.
Apache Foster - Maintenance Lead
Apache grew up in western Colorado and has many hidden talents, which makes him the go-to guy at the Bear Creek Lodge. He enjoys fixing cars and really anything he can get his hands on.
Diego Diaz - Maintenance Tech
Diego is the youngest employee at Bear Creek Lodge and is always ready to make a killing. Diego loves to help guests out with any problems to make their experience at Bear Creek Lodge one to remember.
Rafael Silva - Houseman
Rafael is originally from Mexico but he has lived in Telluride for the past 12 years. He has worked at Bear Creek Lodge for the past 6 years and loves the staff and all of the owners and guests. Rafael is always happy to help however he can!
Luke Kobilan - Front Desk Supervisor
As a Colorado native and graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Luke loves the mountains and outdoor pursuits from hiking, camping, mountain biking, and running rivers in the summer to snowboarding at the resort and in the backcountry in the winter.
Bernie Hernandez Sr. - Valet/Bellman
Bernie has been working in maintenance at Bear Creek Lodge since 2016. He always has a smile and a helping hand. While not working, he enjoys spending time with his family.
Bernie Hernandez Jr. - Valet/Bellman
Bernie Jr. been a local in Telluride for 10 years and has been working as a valet driver and part-time maintenance during the off-season at the Bear Creek Lodge since 2020. He loves to greet guests with a big smile; He's very friendly and will always try to help out in any situation. When he's not at the Bear Creek Lodge looking for a handy job to assist in, he enjoys snowboarding and spending time with his family.
Alessandra Kaufmann - Valet/Bellwoman
Alessandra is your favorite female valet who will get you through your shuttle ride with funky tunes and cheeky anecdotes. When she is not working, she loves doing anything outside: rock and ice climbing, scuba diving, scaling mountains with her Aussie shepherd, river rafting, and biking. When COVID allows you'll find her gallivanting around the world in search of velvety wines, craft coffees and cervezas, and local culinary creations. She really loves elephants too.
Amanda Kitler - Concierge
Wild child Amanda is always pushing into the unknown. Going from being home-schooled on a farm in rural Michigan to applying nationwide for a break from her master's program was an adventure. Almost three years later, she is continuing her hiatus and exploring the mountains. You're likely to bump into her outside of work in a yoga class, dancing at a festival, rock climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing, skiing/snowboarding, paddleboarding, or trying something new and exciting (paragliding is next on the list!). Expect her to have a camera in hand, a twinkle in her eye, and a fun fact about to escape her lips.
Logan Bergh - Concierge
Logan is just a kid from Akron, OH. He has visited Colorado for most of his life and finally made the decision to move to Ridgway. During his days off, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and most of all, rock climbing! He also enjoys a friendly game of Catan at the end of a busy day.
P.S. Don't forget to do your snow dance!
Tony Quinlan - Concierge
Tony was born and raised in the South but is no stranger to Colorado. After a long former life of IT Business Development and having fallen in love with Telluride, he brings his Southern hospitality to marry with the Telluride charm we all know and love. He is a social butterfly who enjoys the great outdoors, anything to do with music, and loves to sing whenever he gets the chance. Having recently changed careers, Tony's new jump into the hospitality industry is seamless and goes unnoticed due to his undying passion to help others and Southern charm to make guests feel right at home.