CMR Resorters of the Year

2020 — Jim & Kristin Wherley, Sunset Bay Resort, Dent

Every year the Community of Minnesota Resorts presents the Resorter of the Year Award. The CMR usually awards Resorter of the Year at the Fall Conference. However, due to the oddness of this pandemic year, it is being awarded today at the Spring Conference. To be considered resort owners must:

 – have been CMR members in good standing for the previous three consecutive years under the same ownership,
 – have demonstrated the ability to maintain a successful and progressive resort,
 – have a history of helping and mentoring other resort owners/operators,
be involved in community activities,
 – not have been an ROY award winner in the last 5 years, and
 – not be a current member of the Awards Committee

In essence, the award is given to the resort owners who exemplify the spirit and goals of the CMR and live the motto “Resorters Helping Resorters.”

Each year ROY nominations are reviewed by the ROY committee which is made up of the previous 3 award winners. This year the committee members were retired resorters, Tim & Karen Senger, Clint & Patty Mueller of Balsam Beach Resort & Kim Jamtgaard from Wildwood Resort. Normally the committee visits each resort for a tour and an interview. This year COVID prevented in-person visits so we conducted the interviews by phone. This year’s nominees are amazing people doing amazing things with their resorts so our decision was a difficult one!

The story of our 2020 ROY award winners started on a blind date in college! After marrying they lived in Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri – wherever his job managing commercial real estate took them. They focused on raising their family and are the proud parents of 2 grown children. Eight years ago they jumped into the resort industry. He told us that the resort had good bones when they took over ownership but that it was in need of TLC. Initially, they focused on updating carpet, beds, and “cosmetics”. As time went on, they graduated to bigger improvements such as roofs, windows, and remodeling bathrooms. When adjacent property became available, they relocated their own home to the new property and converted their old home into a reunion house. They recently expanded their campground and built a tiny house that they rent out on one of their new campsites.
Their relationship with the CMR began before they had even closed on their resort. They attended a fall conference where they received a warm welcome from members and felt reassured to know that “people actually do this for a living.” She said she was relieved to know they we weren’t crazy! What they appreciate most about the CMR is the opportunity to learn from other resorters. He said “you can’t know everything!” and that they are always picking up information from others. The thing they enjoy most about helping fellow resorters is seeing others achieve success and ensuring the continued viability of the resort industry. Childhood memories of vacations spent enjoying Minnesota resort vacations inspire them to do their part for the industry so that others can continue to experience resort vacations as they did.

They have taken an active role in the organization by helping with the magazine, serving on committees and serving on the Board. One-half of this winning couple has acted as the CMR Office Manager for the last 4 years and he says he has enjoyed helping other resorters in that role. They believe that they have also greatly benefited from his experience because they are plugged into the industry in a way that they wouldn’t have been otherwise. COVID has challenged our ROY award winners as it has everyone. As office manager he felt the responsibility of facilitating communications between state & federal government and CMR members and he worked hard at disseminating volumes of information as it became available. He went above and beyond his role as office manager in fostering discussion related to operating during a pandemic and sharing their own business plans and resources.

Together, in addition to their work for the CMR, they have supported their community by serving on the Chamber of Commerce, two different lake association boards, the Ottertail Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force, church council and various church committees. They have also been active at the county and state level advocating for the resort industry.

The resort couple who nominated our winners were themselves new resort owners when the couples met at that first fall conference all those years ago. They became fast friends and supported one another through regular get-togethers. They bounced ideas off of each other to help with short and long-range planning and helped each other to fill vacancies. The couple who nominated our Resorters of the Year believe they are deserving of the award because our winners “are always ready to help other resorts both locally and in greater Minnesota. Both have gone above and beyond to make the Community of Minnesota Resorts a better organization and truly live the motto “Resorters helping Resorters.”

I’m very pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Resorter of the Year award are Jim & Kristen Wherley of Sunsetbay Resort.

View Resorter of the Year Award Recipients

Resorter Of The Year Nomination Packet