Tag Archives: MAMMOTH LAKES TOURISM

Community News, Local News

Mammoth Lakes Tourism Welcomes New Board Member

Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (July 13, 2020) —At its July 1 meeting the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board of Directors appointed Pat Foster to the At-Large seat available on the board.

Born in Bridgeport, Foster has been a lifelong resident of the Eastern Sierra,having lived in June Lake and Bishop for most of his life. He is the President of Hot Creek Aviation at the Mammoth Yosemite Airport where he has spent the last 21 years providing General Aviation Services and working alongside the town’s air service partners.

Mammoth Lakes Tourism has done some amazing work over the last several years and I am excited to join its efforts,” Foster said.“We find ourselves in unprecedented and challenging times right now -I am hoping I can contribute to a responsible recovery.”

The role of the At-Large Board seat is to provide guidance from the larger business community in Mammoth Lakes. It is meant to bring a perspective beyond the other represented groups of lodging, restaurant and retail.

“As a lifelong Eastern Sierra resident, and President of Hot Creek Aviation, Pat Foster brings a unique perspective on our community to the MLT Board of Directors,” said Board President, John Morris.“We look forward to his input and wisdom regarding the pending expansion of air service to Bishop Airport and other key strategic initiatives.”

Local News

MAMMOTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

New Chamber Director starts April 24th

Posted by Seth Conners

The Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce has hired Ken Brengle as its new Director. Brengle comes to the position with more than 30 years of Chamber experience, and is no stranger to mountain communities.

 

“I did a lot of work with Chamber resort associations in Colorado, as well as in Big Bear,” Brengle explained. “I love mountain communities and have a close tie to them.” Brengle was raised in Colorado and is a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. He managed Chambers throughout Colorado, Wyoming and California.

 

For the past two years Brengle has been working for Union Bank in Southern California while his son was attending high school, but his passion is in the Chamber management field. He is looking forward to getting back to what he loves now that his son is about to graduate.

 

Brengle’s wife used to live in Mammoth Lakes so he is familiar with the area. Ken is looking forward to jumping feet-first into his new position on April 24.

 

“Membership is always the number one priority with a Chamber,” Brengle said. “I’m looking forward to getting out and visiting the business community and listening to the business owners to determine the issues that need to be addressed.”

 

“We are thrilled to have someone with Ken’s breadth of Chamber experience with a track record of building communities by working with both the public and private sectors,” said Mammoth Lakes Chamber President Jeff Guillory. “As a Colorado native, we are equally excited to have someone like Ken who shares our love of and passion for the mountains.”

 

“I’m looking forward to getting back to a community that is obviously moving forward,” Brengle added, “and to assisting the business community in getting to the next level.”

 

As Brengle takes on the Chamber Director role, Jessica Kennedy, who has been serving as the Interim Director, and previously as Business Projects Manager for the Chamber and Mammoth Lakes Tourism, will step into the role of Assistant Director of the Chamber of Commerce.

 

Mammoth Lakes Tourism has hired local Emily Summers as its new Office Manager to replace the work that Kennedy was doing for MLT. Summers will begin work on April 24 as well.

Local News

MAMMOTH LAKES AWARD

Mammoth Lakes Tourism is receiving some much deserved recognition.

Posted by Seth Conners

Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (February 20, 2017) —According to Lara Kayler at MLT,  Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) was recently awarded Best Destination Marketing Organization (in an area with under 25,000 population) by California Meetings +Events Magazine, during its annual Best of California competition.

California Meetings +Events Magazine is a quarterly publication targeting corporate groups. Each year, the magazine features the Best of Awards, where readers vote on 29 categories in the industry ranging from Best Golf Resort to Best Holiday Venue. Mammoth Lakes Tourism beat out Visit Laguna Beach and Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau for the honor.

“Mammoth Lakes Tourism is truly honored by this award that recognizes our efforts in event marketing over the years,” said MLT’s Executive Director John Urdi. “Mammoth Lakes has seen a tremendous pop in our event numbers over the past five summers and we are proud to be part of that success.”

MLT was recognized in the Best of 2016 feature article in the Winter 2017 issue of California Meetings + Events Magazine, which is published in print and online.

Local News

MAMMOTH YOSEMITE AIRPORT

Alaska Air flights will be more reliable in the future.

By Seth Conners

Alaska Airlines’ sister carrier, Horizon Air, recieved approval from the Federal Aviation administration to begin using its proprietary Required Navigation Performance (RNP) instrument approach procedure at Mammoth Yosemite Airport.

As of November 10th, the minimum visibility for planes landing at the local airport, which had been previously set at 3 miles of visibility when the plane was 1300 feet above the runway, is now a much improved 3/4 miles of visibility at only 265 feet above the runway required with the RNP procedure in effect.

According to Lara Kaylor at Mammoth Lakes Tourism, the procedure may have already helped when Winter flights began on December 15 during a snowstorm.  The Alaska flights from Los Angeles and San Diego were still able to land even though visibility was less than ideal.

Mammoth Lakes Tourism director John Urdi believes that “the addition of the RNP could reduce weather-related cancellations into the Mammoth Yosemite Airport by some 30 to 50%.”  Urdi went on to say, “While it wont help with wind, the increased visibility for pilots is sure to be a major improvement as seen by the first two flight of the year from Los Angeles and San Diego being able to land when without the RNP they might not have.”

RNP technology allows aircraft to follow precise three dimensional curved flight paths through using a combination of onboard navigation technology and the GPS network.  It allows aircraft to fly safer flight paths, provide more reliable landing, and eliminate reliance on ground based navigation aides.  This enables pilots to navigate aircraft more precisely and efficiently, while also being able to fly lower altitudes into airports where limited visibility upon approach is common due to weather and characteristics of the terrain.

Since 1996, Alaska Airlines has been using similar RNP approach procedures across 65% of the airports it serves.

Additionally, the new service being offered by separate carrier JetSuiteX between Burbank and Mammoth lakes provides an alternative option during inclement weather.  If the plane can’t land in Mammoth Lakes it has the opportunity to land in Bishop.  A complimentary shuttle service up to Mammoth Lakes will then be provided.  This alternative was also successfully implemented on the services inaugural flight on December 15th.