Crystal Mountain announces leadership additions

THOMPSONVILLE, Mich. – Crystal Mountain leadership has named Everett Leonard vice president of Accounting and promoted Sammie Lukaskiewicz to vice president of Marketing and Communications.

“Crystal Mountain continues to invest in exceptional talent. Everett brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in accounting to the resort, but also has some experience in the ski industry,” John Melcher, chief operating officer for Crystal Mountain, said. “And Sammie has been instrumental this past year in continuing to build on our brand as a year-round, safe destination for guests.”

Leonard joins the team from Fernelius Auto Group in Cheboygan, Mich., where he served as controller for their four dealerships since 2016. Prior to that, he was a senior internal auditor at Munson Healthcare in Traverse City, Mich., from 2014 to 2016. 

Leonard will oversee the team responsible for financial matters for the four-season resort. But he’s no stranger to the ski industry. He worked at Vail Resorts in Broomfield, Colo., for six years as an internal auditor and later as the joint venture accounting manager from 2010 to 2016. 

“This is a great opportunity to merge my career with my passion for snow sports and golf. Growing up in Kalamazoo with a family who loved the outdoors, Crystal Mountain was one of our favorite places to visit. So I’m thrilled to join the team,” Leonard said.

Leonard is a Certified Public Accountant and has a bachelor’s degree in professional golf management from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., and a master’s degree in accounting from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. He lives in Cheboygan, Mich., with his wife Jaclyn, who’s an ultrasonographer at McLaren Northern Michigan in Cheboygan, and their son, Theo, 2. They are expecting a daughter this month and are planning to relocate to the area. 

Lukaskiewicz will oversee the team responsible for the advertising, promotions and communications of the four-season resort. Lukaskiewicz has been the resort’s public relations director since December 2019, where she has primarily focused on earned media and internal and external safety communications for Crystal Clean, the resort’s plan for COVID-19. 

“I’ve been so fortunate to have learned a ton about the resort industry and this beautiful part of Michigan over the past year,” she said. “The team has really pulled together under some extraordinary circumstances and I'm proud to be part of this amazing and talented group.”

She worked for the State of Michigan prior to joining Crystal Mountain, promoting talent and career pathways in skilled trades. 

Prior to that, she worked in NASCAR for 16 years at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., and later at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., where she was the vice president of Marketing and Communications. In her time at MIS, she oversaw marketing, advertising, promotions, public relations, ticketing and guest services for the track and its then-two NASCAR races and an IndyCar race, Faster Horses country music festival, a wine and beer fest and the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s cross-country championships, to name a few. 

Lukaskiewicz has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s degree in management from Webster University in St. Louis. She lives in Manistee, Mich.

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About Crystal Mountain:

Established in 1956, Crystal Mountain is a family-owned, four-season resort destination located 28 miles southwest of Traverse City and a short drive from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The 1,500-acre resort features lodging, dining, downhill and cross-country skiing, two championship golf courses, shopping, award-winning Crystal Spa, Michigan’s only alpine slide, Peak Fitness, the Park at Water’s Edge, Michigan Legacy Art Park, weddings, a conference center and real estate options. Visit www.CrystalMountain.com for more resort details or information about Four Seasons Club memberships. 

Crystal Mountain Media Contact: 
Sammie Lukaskiewicz 
SammieLukaskiewicz@CrystalMountain.com
o: (231) 378-2057 
m: (517) 673-4177