40 Under 40: Dan Hooper, General Manager, Lee Canyon

Dan Hooper

After working in mountain towns in New Zealand, California, Montana and Colorado, Dan Hooper landed in the not-so-known ski town of Las Vegas. He immediately went to work, removing the barriers for outdoor recreation in the Spring Mountains and repositioning Lee Canyon as more than a ski resort.

In 2020, Hooper secured a Record of Decision from the U.S. Forest Service which allowed Lee Canyon to add new adventure amenities to its existing footprint and then he led the opening of the Hillside Lodge—the most significant change to Lee Canyon since its opening in 1964.

Hooper is also a steward of the community. He reimagined the longstanding Chris Ruby Cup into a partnership with Nevada Donor Network, resulting in 5,000 new registered organ donors. He also launched Feel Good Fridays to raise funds for High Fives Foundation, which supports mountain athletes who have sustained life-changing injuries—raising more than $50,000 to date.

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