Former SOU finance director worked on growing summer and fall operations during three years at nonprofit’s helm
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
Andrew Gast, the Mt. Ashland Ski Area’s general manager, is resigning his post, the nonprofit announced Monday. His last day will be Saturday, Jan. 24.
Gast apparently is leaving to take an unspecified position elsewhere. “The Mt. Ashland Ski Area team and its board of directors extends its sincere appreciation to Andrew Gast for his leadership and wishes him continued success in his newly accepted position,” according to the ski area’s news release.
“I’ll share more soon about what’s next for me,” Gast posted Monday on his LinkedIn profile. Before taking the Mt. Ashland position, Gast was director of finance and administration at Southern Oregon University.
Gast began at Mt. Ashland in 2021. During his tenure, the Mt. Ashland Association Board of Directors said in a news release, Gast has “led several significant projects and initiatives that have strengthened the organization and enhanced the guest experience.”
They cited achievements including overseeing the installation of the Lithia Chairlift, which expanded beginner and novice terrain; upgrading mountain night lighting to expand twilight terrain; the widening of run Aisle 2; and growing summer and fall operations to “support the long-term sustainability of the Ski Area.”
Got snow?
Mt. Ashland Ski Area closed indefinitely as of Jan. 1 due to low snowpack.
Check the Mt. Ashland Ski Area Mountain Report page for updates, or call the “snow phone” at 541-482-2SKI (2754).
To go to the Mt. Ashland webcam, click here.
In addition, “Gast also connected regularly with the community through his ‘Andrew in the Alpine’ updates on social media, helping guests make informed decisions about mountain conditions while keeping the public engaged.“
Despite a delayed start to the 2025/2026 winter season, the statement said the board of directors “will be prudent in not rushing the process of hiring a new General Manager. The Ski Area will continue to operate under the direction of its experienced and established Leadership Staff, who will oversee all day-to-day operations for the 25/26 season.”
On a positive note, the statement noted, although a lack of snow has resulted in “a slow start to the winter season,” snow conditions are improving and the recent storm added 8 more inches to the base with more snowfall in the forecast.
“Leadership staff remain optimistic that winter is slowly gaining momentum and will deliver another great season on Mt. Ashland,” the release said.
The news release noted the Mt. Ashland Association and the operations team have previously operated successfully without a general manager.
The ski area operated without a general manager in 2021 “for an extended interim period without disruption to daily operations,” according to the release. “The Association has long emphasized leadership contingency planning, and the Board remains confident in the Mountain’s operational stability during this transition. The leadership team and board of directors are assessing all projects during this transition time and will have more status updates in the coming weeks.”
According to Mt. Ashland Association Board President Adam Reiss, “The Mt Ashland operations team, with decades of experience, is geared up and ready to go. Lack of snow is the only issue that is delaying the mountain opening. The mountain received approximately 8 inches of snow this past weekend, with more forecasted on the way, so hopefully our lifts will be turning very soon.”
Mt. Ashland Ski Area is owned and operated by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Mt. Ashland Association under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, with a mission to provide and promote healthy alpine recreation.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected].
Related stories:
Mark Daly named ski patrol director at Mt. Ashland Ski Area (Jan. 3, 2026)
After brief opening, Mt. Ashland Ski Area ski operations pausing indefinitely (Dec. 31, 2025)
Updated: Mt. Ashland opens on a limited basis Monday (Dec. 28, 2025)
Mt. Ashland Ski Area opening delayed indefinitely (Dec. 14, 2025)
Mt. Ashland Ski Area lowers weekday prices to boost off-peak visits (Nov. 25, 2025)
New Mt. Ashland general manager more than familiar with the area (Nov. 28, 2022)
