New top Turoa spots

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 291, 20 June 1989, Page 10

New top Turoa spots

T'uroa Skifields employees Andy Chapman and Wendy Sutton, have enjoyed a long-term involvement with the company right from its very beginnings4 in Ohakune.

Andy Chapman 33, started as a nightwatchman at Turoa in 1979. He worked his way from nightwatchman to ski patroller, then to assistant patrol leader, before making his way into Turoa's office in Ohakune, in charge of public relations and marketing. Mr Chapman left Turoa for a short time in 1983, to work for Dalgety's Real Estate as an estate agent. Originally from Hawera, he worked at Turoa for four seasons and in the off-season took on a variety of jobs, including agricultural contract work in the Taranaki area and tunnelling on the Patea Hydro scheme. A qualified teacher, Mr Chapman said he was attracted to

Ohakune and the challenge that Turoa offered. He came to live full-time in the region in 1983 and married Teresa, a conservation officer with the Department of Conservation, in 1984. His new position as Skifield/Marketing Manager gives him direct involvement with the field and the opportunity to work closely with senior mountain staff. He says he is looking forward to the 1989 season and the "exciting challenge" of increased involvement in the skifield's operation. Mr Chapman said he will be looking closely at further ways to improve customer services. Just some of the areas in which this has

already been achieved include providing family and student concessions, ski warranty passes and Turoa's Ski Wee children's centre. Emphasis this season is on comprehensive staff training which

starts next Monday and runs for four days. Public Relations Officer t Wendy Sutton 29, originally from Brisbane, had no intention of staying in Ohakune when she first arrived in 1978.

She joined the Turoa team as a staff member in the Alpine cafeteria and progressed up the mountain, as manager of Turoa's cafeterias, then received promotion to the office in Ohakune as receptionist.

She met and married her husband Peter, a former ski patroller - now a full-time house husband for the couple's daughter Emma, 2. Mrs Sutton was awarded Turoa's staff incentive award in 1984, as the person judged by the public to be friendliest and most efficient on the skifield. She left the company in 1985 to return to her home town of Brisbane with Peter, but says the lure of the skifield brought her back last year, as manager of customer services. Part of her new responsibilities this season as Public Relations Manager include running the Information Centre in Ohakune. Wendy is lookmg forward to more media involvement. She is also responsible for Beecher's Lodge at the Turoa Village.