Mike Solimano, president and CEO of Killington Resort & Pico Mountain, has been named recipient of the fourth annual U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy Trailblazer Award by the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance.
The award honors an individual’s lifetime of service in Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy, with special recognition for advancing sustainability and equity; investing in local communities; and growing the Vermont economy.
“It took a village to bring Killington to where it is now, and Mike Solimano, in his characteristically humble way, will tell you it’s his great team that’s at the heart of Killington’s success,” said Lisa Lynn, a VOBA board member and editor of Vermont Sports and Vermont Ski + Ride magazines. “But it takes a great leader to build and keep that team. There are few leaders in the ski or outdoor industry who are as visionary and effective, collaborative and community-minded as Mike.”
Under Solimano’s two decades of leadership, Killington has flourished, not only as the East’s largest ski resort but also as a place to build careers in the outdoor and hospitality industries, as a pillar for the central Vermont community and as a year-round hub for outdoor recreation that brings millions of visitors to the state.