If you ask General Manager Cameron Forsythe, July 4th weekend is typically the busiest weekend of the season at Lake Roosevelt Adventures — and this year proved no different. Every houseboat was out, the campground at Keller Ferry Marina was sold out, the parking lot overflowed onto the street, and the fuel dock, restaurant, and retail store were slammed from open to close. “Just super busy, all hands on deck,” Cameron said. “And the team did an amazing job.” But one moment in particular turned a potential headache into a story worth telling.

When plans change, the team adapts

As a family was waiting at the Seven Bays Marina dock for their houseboat to arrive, little did they know, their boat still had nearly two hours left on its trip back down-lake. Rather than having the family wait even longer for the boat to be cleaned from the previous guests once it arrived, the team came up with a clever solution to clean the boat on the move. Why wait for the boat to be docked?! As Cameron explained, this kind of last-minute pivot isn’t unheard of at the marina: when a boat can’t be turned around in time, the team shifts into action to correct course.

Two team members, Faith Bell and Travis Coulter, jumped in without hesitation. Already deep into a busy holiday shift and into overtime, they grabbed their supplies, hopped on a pursuit boat with Chad Taylor, Director of Operations, and headed nearly an hour up-lake to meet the returning houseboat. For a full hour, while rolling down the lake, Faith and Travis tackled a job that typically takes a crew of four or five — scrubbing, sanitizing, flipping mattresses, running dishwashers, and prepping the boat from top to bottom.

By the time the boat pulled up to the Seven Bays dock, it was spotless and ready to go. The waiting family walked straight onto a freshly cleaned houseboat and set off for their holiday without missing a beat.

A culture of stepping up

Cameron credits the team’s willingness to go the extra mile to the culture at the marina, and he notes that Travis has played a large part in helping to build that culture this season. The crew is committed to “wanting to give the best product possible to the customers”, says Cameron. “We really don’t have a shortage of people volunteering or offering to stay late,” he added. “They care about the property, they care about the boats, and they care about the product.”

It’s a mindset Cameron tries to instill in every seasonal hire — including Faith, who wrapped up her summer with the team just a day after this interview. “I told her, look me up in 20 years and tell me your memories about working here for the summer,” he said. Cameron knows the feeling firsthand; he started at Lake Roosevelt as a dockhand eight years ago, and it’s what brought him back.

Lessons from a moving boat

When asked what other properties across Guest Services might take away from a weekend like July 4th at Lake Roosevelt, Cameron’s advice was simple: expect the unexpected and focus on what you can control. Wildfires, weather, water levels, and schedule changes are all part of the job on the lake, and none of it’s controllable. What is controllable is how the team shows up for guests and for each other.

Huge thanks to each member of the Seven Bays Marina team for exemplifying the very best of Lake Roosevelt Adventures and Guest Services and turning a potential delay into an unforgettable guest experience.

If you ask Jason Ion for his safety philosophy, he won’t dress it up. “Be safe,” he says. “That’s all it is,” plain and simple. It’s a mindset forged over 20 years as a Marine, where Jason worked alongside gun crews handling heavy equipment, learning early that safety comes first, no exceptions. That same discipline now shapes how he approaches his newest role at Guest Services: Manager of Safety and Security.

Jason’s path wasn’t linear. After leaving the Marine Corps, he pursued master’s degrees in both business administration and human resources, which led him into the HR department at Guest Services. Before long, safety responsibilities within his role increasingly took priority. Now, his days center on reviewing background checks, workers’ compensation claims, and incident reports, and identifying processes and procedural improvements for helping to prevent future accidents from occurring.

What the Summer Season Taught Us

As the summer winds down, Jason’s read on this year’s incident trends is that rather than dramatic or unusual events, most incidents are attributed to ordinary, everyday moments. Drawer-related hand injuries, trips, and lifting and pulling mishaps make up the bulk of incidents that cross his desk. More so than systematic issues that need to be addressed, Jason notes that taking “that little extra step” to slow down in your day can help prevent accidents.

Because Guest Services operates such a diverse portfolio, from marinas to dining venues, Jason is careful not to apply a one-size-fits-all lens. Liability and lessons learned get evaluated at the unit level, since a dock incident has little bearing on a condo property. That local approach also shapes next year’s training budgets: units with the most incidents this season will see the most focused training investment heading into next year.

Systems Already in Place

Safety audits take place year-round through quarterly checklists that are completed by each property. Checklists are aligned with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expectations, and Jason personally visits properties to verify compliance. Additionally, emergency response drills, including fire drills and spill containment drills, are already built into the yearly calendar.

Looking ahead, Jason would like to build a company-wide emergency action plan that establishes universal protocols (think earthquake and fire response plans) while leaving room for property-specific supplements covering unique hazards, like hazardous chemical communication at marinas. What he finds most rewarding about his role is the people he gets to work with and making sure they’re safe.

Beyond the Job

Outside of work, Jason describes himself as laid-back. He’s picked up fly fishing (no catches yet) and ties his own flies. He also enjoys building model wooden ships—intricate projects that take six months to a year to complete. He’s finished three or four so far, giving some away and keeping the rest on display.

Whether he’s tying a fly, assembling a ship, or building out next year’s safety plans one property at a time, Jason consistently brings a steady, detail-oriented approach, and it’s exactly the mindset that keeps our teams and guests protected.

This spring, the online publication Influential Women spotlighted one of our own. Heidi Jo Karlsson, Director of the Mountain Sports School and Recreation Manager at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota, was recognized for more than four decades of work in mountain sports school development, instructor training, and community recreation. The profile traces a 45-year career in the ski and outdoor recreation industry.

“Heidi Jo’s influence extends far beyond our slopes,” said Duane Stutzman, General Manager at Giants Ridge. “She has spent a lifetime creating opportunities for others to learn, grow, and connect with the outdoors. This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary impact she has had on our industry and our community.”

A Lifelong Calling on the Snow

Heidi Jo’s path began at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, where she studied Outdoor Recreation and Education and enrolled in a physical education ski course. A class became a profession. She earned her first PSIA/AASI certification in 1980 and advanced to Level 3 Trainer and CS2 Children Specialist, all while raising two children as a single parent. Over the years she held director-level roles at respected Midwest ski destinations including Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, Buck Hill, and Wild Mountain Taylors Falls, building ski school programs that kept thriving long after she moved on.

Building the School at Giants Ridge

At Giants Ridge, Heidi Jo grew the mountain sports instructor team from just eight to nearly 50, a more than sixfold expansion. She also reintroduced PSIA/AASI events at the resort, creating local opportunities for certification and instructor networking. Her work does not stop when the snow melts. She leads eight-week downhill mountain biking programs for youth and adults through the warm months. She brings a deep set of credentials to all of it:

• PSIA/AASI Level 3 Trainer, the organization’s highest instructor tier
• CS2 Children Specialist, focused on teaching young skiers and riders
• PMBIA Level 1 mountain bike instructor
• Active member of the PSIA-AASI Central Division

Recognition and the Mentors Behind It

The Influential Women feature is the latest of many honors. Heidi Jo has been recognized among the top women in the ski industry by the PSIA Central Region, has appeared in the publication 32 Degrees, and received the Nancy Oakes Hall Scholarship for leadership and mentoring. She credits the mentors who shaped her, beginning with her father, who first put her on skis. She also points to Jeannie Thoren, a trailblazer in women’s ski equipment, and Renny Lovold, her first ski school director at Lutsen Mountains, who taught her to lead and instruct with clarity and purpose.

Do Not Give Up

Heidi Jo has stayed especially passionate about opening doors for women in mountain sports leadership. Her advice to those entering a long male-dominated field, the profile reports, is direct: do not give up. She believes women are “equally capable of excelling within the profession,” and she encourages them to stay confident and pursue every opportunity. Above all, she points to passion as the engine of a lasting career. It is a philosophy she sums up in three words she signs her name beside, learn, grow, inspire, and one she now passes on by teaching her grandchildren to ski and bike.

You can read Heidi Jo’s full profile at Influential Women. Thank you for all you do, Heidi Jo!