By Kate Bartlett
Ellicottville native Kristen Sciara has held multiple roles serving the Ellicottville community in various capacities over the years. Kristen now lives in Ellicottville with her husband Nick and two sons, Cooper and Griffen. She is the former marketing manager at Holiday Valley, Ellicottville Library Board Member and currently serves on the board for the EVGV Trail assisting with marketing and events, assists with the Summer Soccer program, and HoliMont winter events in addition to working her full-time job.
Born and raised in Ellicottville, Kristen graduated from Ellicottville Central Schools then attended Baldwin Wallace University in Cleveland graduating with a BA in International Studies with a minor in French. At that time, Kristen hoped to work in foreign services or international relations for a major company. However, after gaining experience in the field after graduation, she decided to change career paths. She joined Executive Arrangements, a company specializing in Corporate Relocation and Corporate Event Planning. It was this position where Kristen discovered a passion for Marketing and Event Planning.
Kristen then went on to work as Assistant to the Director of Marketing at Bonne Bell, a major cosmetics company with headquarters in Cleveland. “This job was a great fit for me. It was so exciting working with the Public Relations teams, Advertising agencies, and immersed in such a creative environment.”
While Kristen enjoyed living and working in Cleveland for 9 years, Kristen knew she eventually wanted to move home to Ellicottville. When a position opened up in the Holiday Valley Marketing Department, she jumped at the opportunity to work with Jane Eshbaugh. “As a lifelong skier, moving back to Ellicottville to work at my home resort in the field where I was building my career was a perfect next step.” Kristen moved home to Ellicottville in 2003.
Kristen worked with Jane coordinating events in the marketing department for Holiday Valley for 16 years. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Jane at Holiday Valley. She’s a terrific person and made the job a lot of fun.” During her time at Holiday Valley, Kristen, Jane and the team at Holiday Valley coordinated events such events at Winter Carnival, the Mudslide, Beer & Wine Festivals and so much more.
Wishing to advance her career, Kristen obtained her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing from St Bonaventure University while working full-time at Holiday Valley. She then accepted a position at Ingram Micro in Buffalo in order to further her experience in corporate event planning. “As an Event Planner at Ingram Micro, I was working with a team of truly world-class planners. We collaborated with Marketing teams to develop, plan and execute events of all shapes and sizes.”
When Covid hit, Kristen’s job in corporate event planning changed drastically. “In person events changed overnight; everything became virtual. I jumped at the chance to coordinate virtual events via Zoom and challenged myself to think ‘outside the box.’ We had to think of new ways to interact with our clients, but I was up for the task.”
Kristen launched creative programs for virtual events, such as cooking programs featuring celebrity chefs shipping ingredients and menus to participants across the country. She furthered her experience as she offered unique opportunities to consumers all over America. Through these events, Kristen developed a relationship with Collabs Live (based in California) where she now works as a Marketing Events Strategist leading events for clients remotely from her home in Ellicottville.
Through her current position, Kristen develops both virtual experiences and in person events for customers across the county. “I’m so fortunate to have a career that allows me to work from home and create such amazing opportunities across the country. Everyday offers something different and I love it.” Kristen and her team have created celebrity events with sports athletes, comedians, and musicians in cities across the US. “It’s amazing to be involved with these events.”
“I have always been a philanthropic person. I believe that what you put out there is what you get back. Plus Ellicottville is our community and I want to help in the way that generation before me did”. Kristen became involved in the EVGV Trail in April 2024 as she saw the need in the community. When training for a half marathon, she frequently saw fellow runners, walkers, joggers, bikers and even parents with strollers on the streets. “Every time I was running, I felt and saw the need for more space for myself and other pedestrians to enjoy the great outdoors. Ellicottville is such a beautiful area. The EVGV trail will provide a much-needed space for residents and visitors to appreciate it while leading a healthy lifestyle.”
She now serves on the EVGV board coordinating events and marketing. The team coordinated a hot dog fundraiser with the EVL Chamber of Commerce during Rock ‘N Roll Weekend and a Bills Tailgate party with Villaggio in the fall. “We’ve received such wonderful support from the community so far and we’re looking forward to many more fundraising events.”
On May 5th, the EVGV trail will host their first annual 5K run to raise awareness and funds for the trail. “This is our biggest endeavor yet,” says Kristen. “HoliMont has been incredible to work with and we’re so thankful for their support.” The event was created to both celebrate the trail and increase community involvement.
Kristen enjoys serving on the board for the EVGV trail and encourages other to get involved in the community whatever means possible. “Projects like the EVGV trail, Playground, skatepark, soccer, baseball and others are the pillars of a strong community for us, our children and the next generation.”
For more information on the EVGV Trail or to register for the 5K run on May 5th, visit https://evgvtrail.org/.