Cannon Mountain Manager Retires After Years of Service
FRANCONIA NOTCH, New Hampshire — Cannon Mountain will be in search of a new mountain manager. On July 1st, Bill Roy, Cannon Mountain Manager, will retire after 38 years of state service.
“When I said I would be mountain manager, I said I would do it for a year or two, and it’s been six”, stated Roy. “I have a great fondness for Cannon and always will, but I want to enjoy more time fishing and hunting.”
Roy started at Cannon Mountain part-time as a laborer in 1963 and then went full-time in 1969. He has been everything from a snowmaker to a lift mechanic to mountain manager.
Prior to being manager he was the Supervisor of Parks Operations based in Concord. “Bill is the most versatile, ‘hands on’, operations manager I have worked with in state government. His expertise was definitely in the mechanical end; however, he possessed a variety of skill sets that served the state, the department, the division, and the mountain well,” commented Rich McLeod, former Director of Parks and Recreation, who had worked with Roy for several years.
As the Division of Parks and Recreation will be actively searching for a replacement for Roy, Department of Resources and Economic Development’s Commissioner George Bald will play a vital role. He said, “I am sorry to see Bill leave. He has always worked hard to make Cannon Mountain a very special place. He has that burning desire to do all that he can to make Franconia Notch State Park one of the best parks in the system. His lifelong commitment to the State Parks is demonstrated by his willingness to always say yes when asked to do a little extra. We are losing a cherished friend of recreation in the State of New Hampshire. I wish him the very best and hope he has much fishing success.”
Governor John Lynch who has spent time at Cannon Mountain and with Roy, said, “I want to thank Bill for his dedication and service to the state and people of New Hampshire.”
Through Roy’s decades of service, he has seen several changes in management, and employees. “Bill has always worked professionally keeping on track for what was best for Cannon Mountain and the State Park,” stated Allison McLean, Director of Division of Parks and Recreation.
Cannon Mountain is operated by the Division of Parks and Recreation of New Hampshire’s Department of Resources and Economic Development. For more information on Cannon Mountain and current conditions, visit www.cannonmt.com or call 603-823-8800.