Jana moved to Vail in 1987 to be a ski instructor and race coach. After comparing a summer in Vail to a summer in her home state of Michigan, she vowed never to live back in heat and humidity again! She met her husband Matt while they both worked at Montauk Seafood Grill in Lionshead (a Sweet Basil sister restaurant at the time) and the rest – they say – is history!
Much to her parent’s delight, Jana used her Television Communications degree and was on the team that started Vail’s first TV station, KVBC-TV8, producing commercials and directing the live morning show. She then moved up in Vail Resorts by accepting the position of Director of Group Sales and Services for Vail Mountain in 1994.
When her husband Matt became managing partner at Sweet Basil in 1999, she created a part-time marketing position for the restaurant, after seeing the need to streamline advertising and marketing, all while working full time with VRI. After 25 years – and with a new restaurant coming on-board (Mountain Standard)– Jana finally left Vail Resorts to work full time with Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard overseeing Marketing, PR, Advertising and Social Media.
Jana has always been charity and community minded. She has run multiple school fundraisers, coordinates the Lamb Cook-off for Taste of Vail, an active board member for Salvation Army and one of 9 committee members on the Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Committee.
