Jeff Fortunato
Corporate Partner
Jeff Fortunato lives in NY with his wife Alex and his two children Aleska and Jeffrey. Jeff is passionate about good food, good golf & the greater good of those closest to him. Jeff stays behind the scenes but is as generous as they come.
Joe & Halley Hession
Humanitarian
Joe Hession is the founder and CEO of SNOW Partners and a thought leader in the areas of resort management, process improvement, and guest experience design. Joe is a true resort operator with 30 years of resort management experience. He has held leadership roles in nearly all resort operating departments, starting as a parking attendant in his teens and working his way up to VP, General Manager of Mountain Creek Resort prior to founding his first company SNOW Operating, in 2012. Under his leadership, Joe has grown SNOW Partners from their original SNOW Operating business to a collection of innovative companies, including ownership of Mountain Creek Resort, Big SNOW American Dream, SnowCloud Software, and SNO-GO Ski Bikes.
It was during his time working as a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt for the Intrawest Corporation that Joe found his passion for experiential design with the intent of forming emotional connections between resorts and their guests. This passion is what has fueled the direction and growth of SNOW Partners and their businesses.
Joe has delivered keynotes at various industry events, including Interski in 2019, and has been featured in numerous publications including: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Outside, and SKI Magazine. Joe has been recognized with a SAMMY Leadership Award from Ski Area Management Magazine and several awards for his philanthropic work with the Hession Foundation. Joe holds board positions with the National Ski Areas Association, US Ski and Snowboard Team, and the New Jersey Golf Foundation.
Joe is a husband, father of three boys, skier, snowboarder, and golfer. He is a quintessential entrepreneur with a knack for challenging the status quo and is known for not being afraid to speak his mind. Joe grew up in Vernon, New Jersey, and began his life on snow at Mount Peter ski area in Warwick, New York.
Halley Hession is an accomplished entrepreneur, creative visionary and proud mother of three boys – Miles, Oliver, and Trey. Alongside her husband, Joe Hession, she co-founded SNOW Partners and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of SNOW Studios.
In 2010, Halley started her production company, Halley O’Brien Productions, in Boulder, Colorado through which she collaborated with renowned clients such as The Weather Channel, The Boston Red Sox, SKI Magazine, Warren Miller Entertainment, Vail Resorts, Alterra Resorts, among others.
Halley’s influence extends beyond the digital realm. She has graced the stages of prestigious U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team events such as the World Cup Finals in Aspen and Gold Medal Gala, captivating audiences with her charm and expertise in winter sports. For over a decade, Halley was the driving force behind “SnoCountry Snapshot,” a syndicated television winter sports travelog broadcasted in 40 markets. Her dedication to showcasing the beauty and excitement of skiing and snowboarding earned her recognition with a SAMMY Leadership Award from Ski Area Management Magazine.
Halley’s creative talents reached new heights with the viral success of “The Snow Report Show with Halley O’Brien,” for which she received an Emmy Award in 2019. This innovative web series, known for its humor and insightful coverage of snow sports and weather, captured the hearts of viewers and solidified Halley’s reputation as a trailblazer in digital media.
Since starting a family, Halley has shifted her focus to children’s media, where she leads the creation of “Big the Yeti,” an animated series focused on instilling confidence and kindness in young minds. From its launch in October 2022, the series has garnered over 10 million views on YouTube and YouTube Kids, earning official partnership status with YouTube for its exceptional quality and positive message.
Halley cherishes moments spent with her family and indulges in her passions for snowboarding and golfing. Whether she’s carving through snowy slopes or enjoying a round of golf, you’ll often find her outdoors, relishing the company of loved ones and friends, soaking in the beauty of each season.
Johnny Hoffman
Survivor
Johnny Hoffman was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia (“Burkitts”) on December 24, 2021, while he and his family were on vacation in West Virginia, only one month after having experienced his very first symptom; by the time Johnny was diagnosed, 90% of his bone marrow was cancerous. Johnny started what his doctors described as the “Super Bowl of chemo” (an intense 6 month in-patient regimen) the very next day, at the University of Virginia, which was the closest academic medical center to our house in West Virginia. Johnny patiently and bravely battled his leukemia, the chemotherapy and a bout of Covid during the first half of 2022, and, in the fall of 2022, was officially considered to be in remission. Johnny is currently a straight A student in the 7th grade of the Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, New Jersey, where he plays on the tennis and basketball teams, and where he is anxiously awaiting 9th grade so that he can join the golf team.
Jeffrey Le Benger, MD
Corporate Visionary
Dr. Jeffrey Le Benger is a Board Member and Senior Advisor to the CEO of Village MD/Summit Health. Prior to that, Dr. Le Benger served as Chief Executive Officer of Summit Medical Group since 1999 and of Summit Health/CityMD since 2019. He is a visionary and thought leader in physician group practice management, value-based care, population health management and other timely issues that impact the quality and availability of health care.
Dr. Le Benger is board-certified in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and he is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Rhinologic Society and American Society of Head and Neck Surgery. He earned his medical degree from New York Medical College and completed his residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Dr. Le Benger is a recipient of the MDx Medical, Inc. Patient’s Choice Award. He is featured in the New Jersey Family “New Jersey’s Favorite Kids’ Docs” and New Jersey Monthly “Top Doctors” listings. Most recently, he was included in the 2015 NJBiz “Power 100” list.”
