Emily McCormack

Board of Directors

Emily graduated from Arizona State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and an emphasis in marketing. Not long after, she landed her dream job at an advertising agency in Denver. Unfortunately, the job wasn’t as dreamy as she’d anticipated, and after dabbling in client-side marketing roles for two Denver-area homebuilders, Emily moved to the mountains.

Vail became home in 1996, and shortly thereafter Emily joined the Vail Valley Tourism & Convention Bureau (now the Vail Valley Partnership), where she established a public relations department and helped with the effort to pass a lodging tax establishing a permanent funding source for local destination marketing.

In July 2000 Emily was courted by Beaver Creek Resort to lead its public relations and communications department. She made a jump to Breckenridge Ski Resort in 2003 to head its public relations and communication department.

Following the 2005 ski and snowboard season, Emily married Mike McCormack and opened Hula Communications. Son Jacob joined the family in 2006, and son Tavish arrived in 2008. And, the family moved around, a lot…from Edwards, to Breckenridge, to Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, and finally to Eagle.

In 2012 Emily opened a second business called UB.U with a local partner and friend. The two (and many others) taught brain health education, social-emotional wellness and tools for resilience to parents, teachers and students. It was through her work with UB.U that Emily became interested in alternative education options. Soon after, the McCormacks became a founding family at Zealous Schools with the enrollment of their son Jacob, and Emily will tell you it was among the best decisions they’ve made as parents.