COPPER HARBOR – A new general manager has been hired for the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, according to Don Piche.

Piche, chairman of the Keweenaw County Board, said board members hired Debra Britz-Maier at a special meeting on March 25 to take over management of the KML. County Board commissioners also act as trustees for the KML Board.

“(Britz-Maier) has extensive background in hospitality and hotel management,” he said.

Piche said Britz-Maier, who is from Houghton, has worked at locations in many parts of the country.

The board received eight applications for the general manager position, Piche said.

The previous director of operations, Roxann Smith, was let go by the board in September 2015. The board has never disclosed a reason for the termination, and Piche refused to comment in an interview for this story.

Britz-Maier will start her job on April 18, Piche said. The lodge is scheduled to open on May 26.

In a written statement about her hiring, Britz-Maier said she’s excited to start working for the lodge.

“I have a passion for this work, and I knew the lodge was a special place,” she wrote. “When I saw the general manger posting, I knew this was the job for me.”

Piche said 33 events have so far been booked for the summer at the lodge, and rooms are being reserved.