Mountain Village Public Works Director Finn Kjome to retire after more than three decades of service
The Town of Mountain Village celebrated the retirement of Public Works Director Finn Kjome this week as he will officially retire on November 29 after more than 30 years of service with Mountain Village.
Kjome’s career history in the area predates the town itself as he was hired by the ski area in 1989 after moving here from Iowa for just a season after graduating college. He worked in lift operations or anything else that needed to be done in the early days of the ski area. He was then officially hired by the Mountain Village Metro District in 1993, which then became the Town of Mountain Village when Mountain Village was incorporated in 1995.
He was involved in Mountain Village’s infrastructure, including roads, cable system and water and wastewater systems and played a role in all major development projects in town.
“Finn has been a fixture in Mountain Village from his early days of working on the ski resort and building out Mountain Village to ultimately leading the charge of the Public Works Department. Finn’s aptitude and depth of knowledge surrounding the infrastructure, vision and intricacies of Mountain Village and the entire Telluride Region will be missed,” said Scott Pittenger, who has taken over for Kjome as Public Works Director.
Pittenger was hired at the end of 2023 to train under and work with Kjome for the last year.
“We are all grateful for his graciousness in attempting to pass on his vast institutional knowledge to those around him,” Pittenger added. “Finn’s approach to the job and devotion to always putting the interests of the Town of Mountain Village and its residents first is a legacy that the Public Works Department will endeavor to maintain into the future.”
Town Manager Paul Wisor echoed the sentiment in celebrating Kjome’s career.
“While many may claim the title, Finn can credibly be viewed as a founder and builder of Mountain Village,” Wisor said. “Not only did he literally build the town, but Finn has served as a leader for the Town of Mountain Village as an organization through his actions and words over the decades. Never one to be shy of about his perspective, Finn has been integral in building this community through his honesty, hard work, and unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Kjome lives in Norwood with his wife, and looks forward to spending more time with family when he’s not tinkering with his collection of Jeeps and auto parts. Kjome is passionate about restoring vintage military and civilian Jeeps and looks forward to dedicating more time to his hobby, including taking his restored Jeeps to car shows around the country.
