Employee Spotlight: Jordan Cole-Rehfeldt, Breckenridge Event Manager
When most people hear what Jordan Cole-Rehfeldt does for a living, they don’t even try to hide their envy. You get paid to party with professional athletes and musicians? Well, kind of. Cole-Rehfeldt does get VIP access to the events she manages, like Dew Tour, Breck Spring Fever concerts and more as a perk of the job. But there’s a saying in life: you work for it, or you pay for it. She works for it, and the work is anything but glamorous.
“I’m on my hands and knees with dirt on my hands and cuts on my fingers,” says the Montana native. “A good event manager has to be thick-skinned and even-keeled. You do whatever needs to be done.”
And there’s a lot to be done. Breckenridge hosts a multitude of high-profile events, from Olympic selection athletic comps to outdoor concerts and month-long festivals. Cole-Rehfeldt and her team handle the logistics of planning, setting up, executing, and breaking down.
“I love the systems,” she says. “To do this job well, you must be really organized on the front end. And every event always has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s satisfying to have that completion.”
Also satisfying: striking a balance between working in the office and out in the field, in the elements. Cole-Rehfeldt is a long-time skier, triathlete, and adventurer.
A graduate of Arizona State University, she’s racked up an impressive resume of marketing and event planning, including helping organize Ironman events (she completed the Arizona Ironman in 2009).
About five years ago, she and her now-husband moved to Colorado to get closer to mountains and snow. After landing in the Front Range, they made frequent trips to the high country for mountain biking and skiing, finally moving up there two years ago.
“I love everything Colorado has to offer,” says Cole-Rehfeldt. “I love the outdoors and am an avid skier and rider.”
The job capitalizes on her biggest strengths: organization and communication. Spreadsheets are her friend, and making inroads with different departments at Breckenridge has taught her much about overall mountain operations.
“Because we work with all the departments so closely, I’ve had to learn about everyone else’s job to do my job well,” she says. “I work with the patrollers and groomers and others, and by understanding how they work best, I can help make their jobs easier.”
And they return the favor so that eventually, after weeks of planning, getting dirty, running errands, and staying up late, Cole-Rehfeldt can cheers the lead singer of a famous band or hang out with champion athletes—all as part of her job. As she says, “The last two years have been amazing.”
– Rachel Walker
2 Responses
-
-
Good Job Jordan!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.