Kim Randall will soon be the new General Manager of Evergreen Park. Randall will begin as an Associate General Manager, learning under current GM Dan Gorman. Gorman will stay on as GM until his term ends on December 31st, 2022. Randall will officially take over as GM on January 1st, 2023.
Randall is currently the General Manager of the Best Western Premier Freeport Inn and Suites in Calgary.
“I’m so excited. I think the park has so much opportunity and so much to offer to the people of Grande Prairie and I look forward to coming in and being a part of that,” she says.
Even though Randall is coming in from Calgary, she does have roots in Grande Prairie.
“My sister and my son both live in Grande Prairie so I’m coming to join my family, not just come up north,” she says.
Randall is a farm girl from central Alberta. She grew up in the Delburne area.
“My parents owned a resort so I do have that familiarity and I feel confident that with the help of the staff I’ll be able to manage the campground very well,” she explains
“I’ve worked on farms and I’ve been in the hotel industry for more than 30 years, which has really been the heart of my career. I also worked at Spruce Meadows for seven years and loved it down there as Exhibit Manager, doing the trade shows, Christmas markets, and more.”
Randall says she has been eyeing the position for a little while now and she is excited to move to Grande Prairie.
“About four years ago, I came up to the city and I was talking to my sister and her friends about what jobs might be available to me. She mentioned that Dan would probably be stepping away soon, so I kept this high on my priority list. I also get to see Dan in action and follow in his footsteps while he’s still here. I don’t plan on making any changes and it sounds like he has done an amazing job here,” she says.
Randall feels that the biggest challenge remains to staff the venue, as Evergreen Park is currently at a 25% staff shortage.
“Staffing is an issue in the hotel industry and really every industry right now. We will have to be creative in how we recruit people and retain people. We also haven’t had those staff participating in events for the better part of two years, so that is a bit of an obstacle for us. There’s also a possibility of dealing with another wave of COVID-19 so we need to be prepared for that while looking out for our employees and guests’ health,” Randall says.
Under Gorman, Evergreen Park has cut down its debt from over $10 million to $1.8 million. Gorman will remain with Evergreen Park as a consultant following the conclusion of his term as General Manager.