Gunstock Mountain Resort is closed until further notice, with the exception of previously booked events.

Employees gathered in fervent support of their management team, expressing outrage and demanding answers from the Gunstock Area Commission.

The closure comes after the senior management team gave their resignations during Wednesday’s GAC meeting. The move came as a complete surprise to both the public and the commission, who have been left with the impossible task of managing the resort without senior leadership.

“We don’t know how long this will go on but we want to truly apologize for any inconvenience,” said Marketing Manager Jennifer Karnan. “We are in the process of trying to figure out operationally what our structure will look like here, how we can operate and what measures need to be taken to run safely and efficiently.”

The management team gave two weeks’ notice.

Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch also tendered his resignation in solidarity with upper management. Tom Day, former resident and general manager, said at the meeting he would help oversee a transition if needed, but when Day and his cohorts showed up at the resort Thursday morning, their resignations became effective immediately.

“We gave ‘em two weeks for the transition and they refused that,” explained Cathy White, former chief financial officer for the mountain.

Instead, the former management team cleared out their desks in the presence of Belknap County Sheriff William Wright and several deputies.

“We have told them we would come back effective immediately if Chairman Peter Ness and Vice Chair David Strang are removed from the commission,” said former CFO Cathy White. “I’m not sure that’s ever going to happen, but it’s unfortunate.”

“I can say with confidence that each individual here probably does the job of at least two to three people minimum,” Karnan said. “I think the challenge, as these commissioners try to step in and assert their leadership, they’re trying to decide a succession plan; who will be the ones to move up to a more senior level of management, and who will fill those positions of middle management. I think it’s going to be a more difficult process than they anticipate with the amount of staff we have.”

The management team exited their offices in the main lodge, but remained in the parking lot, where a majority of the Gunstock employees gathered in lieu of conducting their day-to-day duties, effectively closing the resort for the day, and likely the near future. — JON DECKER/LACONIA DAILY SUN