The Big Sky Resort Area District is governed by a five member, elected Board of Directors. Board members live within the boundaries of the District and serve a four-year term once elected in a November general election in odd-numbered years. Registered voters who live within the boundaries of the Big Sky Resort Area District may vote in the election. The day-to-day administration of the District is overseen by its single staff member, the Administrative Officer. See below for more information about the current Board of Directors and staff as well as the history of the District.
Board of Directors
Les Loble, Chairperson, Elected 2009 Second Term
Les was born and raised in Helena. He attended Stanford University and the University of Montana Law School. He was president of the Loble & Pauly Law firm in Helena for 20 years. He was elected to the Montana State Legislature, representing Lewis and Clark County.
In 1987, he joined MDU Resources Group, Inc., a public company that traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Les retired in 1987 as executive Vice President. The company employs about 11,000 people in the U.S. and abroad.
In addition to serving on the Big Sky Resort Area District Board, Les was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Big Sky Fire Department. He is president of the Big Sky Fire Fighters Association. He is president of the West Fork Plaza Condominium Association and secretary/treasurer of the Jefferson Building Condominium Association and on the Architecture committee of his South Fork Subdivision.
Les’ wife, Terye, owns Déjà Vu and Déjà Vu Too. Her business is antiques, art and architectural objects. Les and Terye have 3 grown children and four granddaughters.
Jamey Kabisch, Vice Chairperson, Elected 2011 First Term
Jamey was born and raised in rural Minnesota, and graduated with a degree in Applied Business from the University of Minnesota. Jamey and his family have lived in Big Sky since 2005 where he worked in the banking industry for 7 years and today is the Business Manager for Lone Peak Physical Therapy based in Big Sky, MT.
Ginna is originally from Hingham, Massachusetts and has steadily been moving west. She is a graduate of Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio where she met her husband, Gary. Together they raised their three children in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2000 Ginna started coming to Big Sky regularly and in 2005 became a full-time Big Sky resident. She is a professional fund raiser with a career that has focused on major gift and capital campaign work in the area of elder care and health care. She has also taught grant writing and fund raising at the college level. In Big Sky, Ginna is an active volunteer with the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club.
Since taking over Buck's T4 café from is parents in 1972, Mike Scholz has been inextricably involved in the development of the Big Sky community. Over the past 40 years his resume has grown quite large. He was the first president of the Chamber of Commerce, chair of Big Sky Lodging Association, Montana Tourism Person of the Year in 2007, and has served on various boards such as the Big Sky Fire District, Big Sky Architectural Community, among others.
After retiring from his 30-year run as a pediatrician in Helena, Dr. Jeff Strickler and his wife Karen (who have been coming to Big Sky since 1975) moved to Big Sky full time in 2005. But for Jeff, retirement wasn't about slowing down - it was about taking advantage of the many opportunities available to him. Author of "Big Sky Names," a book detailing the origins of the names of developments and streets around Big Sky, and "The Skiers Guide to the Biggest Skiing in America," Dr. Jeff Strickler knows quite a bit about the Big Sky community.
Along with writing, Jeff also skis, is involved in Big Sky Hikers, Big Sky Snow Striders cross country club, and runs Stickler Enterprises, a consulting firm, with his wife.
On the business end of things, Jeff served on hospital boards, was the managing partner of a large clinic for many years, and has been in national leadership positions in his profession.
Passionate about the area’s character and natural beauty, Whitney enjoys applying her skills toward the Resort Area District. She is a native of Colorado and found her home in Big Sky in 2005. With experience in budget planning, business development and community outreach, Whitney’s objective is to serve the Board of Directors and bring prosperity to Big Sky.
In the 1980’s, the influx of tourists to the Big Sky area was straining local infrastructure and emergency services. The Big Sky sewer system reached capacity resulting in a moratorium on new construction until necessary repairs and upgrades were made. Further, as Big Sky’s visitation continued to increase, community leaders anticipated the need for community parks, trails, tourism development, local transportation, and other services that would make Big Sky a competitive destination resort town. For these many services, Big Sky needed more funds than the resident property tax base could provide.
Therefore, the community began the legislative effort to institutionalize a local resort tax that would allow visitors to help with the costs to maintain local services. The Big Sky Owners Association and many concerned citizens spearheaded the effort, which became complicated for Big Sky as an unincorporated area. It took a unified, creative, and resilient group from Big Sky to convince the Montana State Legislature to create the resort tax option for Big Sky; and after three attempts, with the help of a hired lobbyist, the Big Sky Resort Area was successfully created.
In April of 1992, the general electorate of Big Sky voted in favor of the imposition of the 3% resort tax on the retail value of all luxury goods and services sold within the boundaries of the Big Sky Resort Area. The resort tax became effective on June 1, 1992 for a duration of 20 years and the first appropriation of funding to the community occurred in 1993.
Originally, the Big Sky Resort Area resort tax funding was administered and appropriated by the Madison and Gallatin County Commissioners and a local 9-member Board of Advisors appointed by the Commissioners made recommendations for the allocation of funds.
In 1996, the County Commissioners entered into an interlocal agreement with the Big Sky County Water & Sewer District No. 363. The agreement, to expire in 2012, mandates the annual appropriation of an amount which is the lesser of $500,000 or 50% of the total amount of the resort tax revenues collected in any fiscal year for the purpose of funding improvements to the sewer system.
In 1998, the general electorate of Big Sky voted to create the Big Sky Resort Area District which brought the administration and appropriations away from the Counties and under the management of a locally elected 5-member Board of Directors.
In November 2006, the general electorate expanded the life of the District another 30 years to 2032. As of 2010, the Resort Tax has generated more than $30,000,000.00 for the community of Big Sky.
Former Board Members Elected
by the community beginning 1998:
Al Malinowski, 2004-2011
Lance Child, 2004-2011
Loren Bough, 2007-2011
Renae Schumacher, 2001-2009
Carol Collins, 1998-2007
Jim Muscat, 2001-2005
Walter Ainsworth, 1999-2003
Heidi Peacock, 2001-2003
Bob Stober, 1998-2001
Becky Pape, 1998-2001
Richard Wambsgans, 1998-2001
Michael Richards, 1998-1999
Former Board of Advisors Appointed
by the County Commissions in 1992:
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