After more than 30 years as the general manager of the Sun Valley resort, Wally Huffman is leaving his post to take over as Director of Resorts and Resort Development for Sun Valley Co.
The company announced Huffman's promotion Monday, as well as his replacement, Tim Silva. Silva is the general manager of the Northstar at Tahoe Resort, where he has worked for the past 17 years.
The transition will take place in late April or early May.
Huffman, who is known to be in his early sixties, started at the bottom. He began working in a Sun Valley restaurant in 1969, and held numerous positions throughout the following decade, including recreation manager and mountain manager, as well as a job in the finance department.
Huffman was not available for comment, but received praise for his efforts over the past three decades.
"The community owes Wally a big thank you for making this such a great place to visit and live," said Jack Sibbach, spokesman for Sun Valley Co. "He made a lot of right moves with the Holdings, and he has provided great vision and guidance over the past 40 years."
Recent resort developments under Huffman's watch include the opening of the Sun Valley Club, White Clouds Golf Course and the Sun Valley Pavilion, all completed last year.
Huffman has been working on the resort's master plan, which includes the development of 160 acres at the base of River Run. In his new role, Huffman will continue to oversee this project, which could include a hotel and residential units.
"We're not looking to overbuild but we want what we think the land can support," Huffman said at a November meeting about the River Run proposals.
Sun Valley Company recently contracted with East West Partners to help with the development plans for the property. East West has also done significant developments at Northstar, where Silva works.
In a 2005 meeting where the public discussed several developments Sun Valley Company was considering, Huffman acknowledged that he sometimes represented unpopular ideas.
"I've probably been the elephant in the room," Huffman said. "But I've tried to be an elephant with an open mind."
Huffman will have overall responsibility for the Sun Valley and Snowbasin resorts, as well as Flagstaff Little America. Sun Valley, Snowbasin and Little America are both owned by Earl Holding.
While Huffman will continue to be based out of Sun Valley, he will step away from the day-to-day operations, which will be taken over by Silva.
Silva, 57, also has a long history in Sun Valley, having started out as a lift attendant in Warm Springs in 1976 and moving up to lift operations manager before he left for Northstar in 1992.
"People that worked with Tim though he was an excellent manager and a great person," said Mike Lloyd, director of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol.
Silva said that he has maintained a close affinity to the Sun Valley area, as he has continued to vacation in Ketchum with his family every summer.
"I knew I would be back at some point," Silva said in an interview. "I met my wife in Sun Valley and raised my kids there." The Silvas also have two children, 18 and 20.
Silva said that while the decision to return to Sun Valley was easy due to his attachment to the Wood River Valley and his respect for the Holdings, he said it would be difficult to step away from his job at Northstar.
"We're in the middle of something very exciting here," Silva said. "It has gone through a tremendous transformation and is becoming a four-season destination on a national level."
Silva said that the Tahoe, Calif.-based resort has "gained a lot of momentum" in recent years, as evidenced from the construction of a Ritz-Carlton hotel, a new ice rink and a nationally ranked terrain park. He said that more than anything else, the resort has benefited from his staff and the resulting high level of service.
As for plans when he takes over at his new post, Silva made only one commitment: "The continued success of Sun Valley," Silva said.
Sibbach said that no other staff changes are planned at this time and that he thought there would be a smooth transition without any major changes to the operation of the resort.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
Wally Huffman Photo by David N. Seelig
