Vermont Business Magazine Burke Mountain Resort of East Burke, Vermont announced today that Gabe Porter-Henry has joined the mountain as its new General Manager. Porter-Henry has more than two decades of management success within the ski and outdoor industries. He will join the mountain on December 1 in order to spend time with the resort’s interim GM Tom Day as Day transitions out of his role at Burke.
For the past decade, Porter-Henry has worked at Berkshire East Mountain Resort. Involved in all aspects of the operations, he held numerous leadership positions at Berkshire East, as well as its affiliated companies, Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Mass. and Big Red Cats in Rossland, B.C.
During his tenure, he has managed Thunder Mountain Bike Park, been the GM of Berkshire East through COVID and most recently led Zoar Outdoor Adventure Resort. During this time, the resort has transformed into one of New England’s premier year-round adventure destinations.
Separate from his career with Berkshire East, Porter-Henry held leadership roles in experiential education on an international level, including directing operations in Peru, Thailand, and Mexico. During his tenure, he helped grow the organization from $3 million to $28 million in annual revenue—all while building programs that combined adventure, cultural exchange, and community service.
In early June, Tom Day put his retirement on hold to join the Burke family as Interim General Manager. Day spent more than three decades at Waterville Valley Resort in NH and then prior to his last retirement, he spent five years at Gunstock Mountain in NH; where, during his tenure, he increased skier visits by 29 percent and increased revenue by 60%.
Since taking the helm at Burke, Day’s job was to oversee all departments as new operating systems were put in place and to support the team during the transition from receivership to active ownership via the purchase of the mountain by Bear Den Partners.
“There was already a great team at Burke who unfortunately went through a nine year period of not having an owner dedicated to making Burke a better place,” explained Day. “The team has been willing to jump in and do whatever necessary to make the mountain more successful both internally and forward facing for our guests. My job has been to make each department shine; the staff was ready to do that. I really appreciate the time I have had here and can’t wait to see Burke continue to flourish with the dedication of Bear Den Partners, the staff in place and with Gabe at the helm.
“I’ve known Gabe since I was six years old,” said Jon Schaefer, Bear Den Partners Chief Operating Officer. “Not only did we build Berkshire East up, we added Catamount, Thunder Mountain Bike Park, Big Red Cats, and a lot of other fun things… We also grew up playing little league on opposing teams, we went to high school together, ski raced at Berkshire East together and have just been great friends and collaborators our entire lives. Generally speaking, I run into messes, and Gabe helps clean them up and is a tremendous resort operator. I couldn’t be more proud to hand him the keys to Burke and point him at one of the most special communities in New England.
Porter-Henry and Day will work side by side as Day finishes up his time at the mountain at the end of this calendar year.
ABOUT BURKE MOUNTAIN
Located in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Burke Mountain Resort is an independent, four-season destination. Burke delivers 178 acres of world-class skiing and riding in the winter, and lift-served mountain biking and hiking in the summer. Burke’s bike park is adjacent to Burke’s world-renowned Kingdom Trails network, a mecca for mountain bikers. Year-round, Burke hosts events and activities that reflect the culture and community of Vermont: down-to-earth, uncorporate and driven by the spirit of the mountain and the people who ride it. For more information, visit SkiBurke.com or follow on all major social platforms including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Burke, Vermont, November 19, 2025 – Burke Mountain Resort
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