After being the interim general manager at the Lodge since January 2019, John Mueller has now decided to focus full time on the Lodge. He has resigned from his professorship position at St. Edward’s University (in Austin, Texas) to be able to devote his full attention on the Lodge. As a result the “interim” tag is removed.
Below are John’s words about the decision to focus full-time on the Lodge at this time:
I want to wish everyone a happy new year, and may 2023 be a prosperous year for all.
2022 was a good year for us at the Lodge, as we continued to build upon what we have done the previous couple of years to be a four-season (year-round) resort at the top of the Keweenaw focused on outdoor activities, rustic worldly food, and education. In 2022, we continued to be tight on staff. However, we adjusted our services accordingly to make sure that we are all still enjoying and appreciating life (which is one of our secondary values), while still offering quality services and products based upon our brand/image.
As we continued this past year to adjust our services based upon the ideal level of team members, my role in the organization has evolved to fill multiple gaps. We had several untimely departures of staff during 2022, with most of them going onto opportunities that offered growth in their career — which is wonderful to see. We had several members join the team in 2022 that provide a joyous attitude, and contribute greatly to the roles and responsibilities at the Lodge. And the core team at the Lodge continues to be a stable ground for the Lodge operation, and provide leadership and results.
Even with the core team at the Lodge, we still have gaps to fill. As such, more and more of my time was being required at the Lodge. Thus, I made the decision to resign my faculty position at St. Edward’s University (Austin) and to focus full time on the Lodge operations in 2023. My last day at the university was yesterday, December 31st.
With me focusing full time on the Lodge operations, I will be working over the next several months with team members on some organizational structure changes. Thus, there will be some changes with operations in terms of roles and responsibilities as we look to how we are going to operate in 2023. For example, the first change is that the “interim” tag on my role has been removed….and now it is just “Chief Lead” [ that is, if we were using titles; however, we focus more on what our roles and responsibilities are as team members, not titles ].
Thank you all for the support this past year, and may 2023 be a fun, joyous, and adventuresome year. We know how to do that, so let’s continue to focus on our core values, our desired brand/image, and being sustainable financially. This will give us the best opportunity to be proud in what we do at the Lodge, and continue to do fun and exciting things at the resort. Being a member of the Lodge team is special and none of us take that for granted. Go Team KML!!!
About the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge: The Lodge is a four-season historic resort at the top of the Keweenaw, focused on outdoor activities, rustic worldly food, and education. The year-round resort consists of log cabins, a lodge, dining services, access to mountain biking, running, and hiking trails, and a 9-hole golf course. The resort has been a fixture in the Keweenaw since breaking ground on the project in 1934 as part of a WPA program, providing guests with the opportunity to enjoy a fun, joyous, and adventuresome experience among the pristine natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — with the Lodge being on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests can play a round of golf, ride the mountain biking trails, hike through the woods, and take a leisurely stroll to/from the cabins and the Lodge. At the end of the day, one can relax in the Lodge by enjoying quality food and drink.
