Rising through the ranks

Perseverance pays at the Peppermill.

Five of the highest-ranking employees of the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino started with the company in low-ranking positions and rose to director-level positions. For several directors, working at the Peppermill is the only job they have ever known.

General Manager John Hanson and Director of Resort Operations Jim Moritz both started their tenure as 16-year-olds busboys in the original coffee shop. Director of Sales Pat Flynn began in accounting as a food and beverage auditor almost 24 years ago. Spa Director Morgan Brantner started her career 14 years ago as a banquet server, and Director of Human Resources Michelle Manning formerly cashed checks and made change in the casino cage.

Their recipe for success; Luck, luck, and dedication.

Moritz has been with the property the longest he's worked for the Peppermill for 31 years. He currently oversees food and beverage and daily operations of the hotel, but he's held jobs as busboy, sous chef, head chef, and assistant or restaurant manager in every eatery in the hotel.

"It's probably 28 different individual titles," Moritz says.

And during his tenure he's applied for many more jobs, he says. And though he was turned down for many positions, he never felt spurned and instead persevered until he eventually landed a better job.

"Our ownership really, truly loves to see people who improve and work up though the company and develop," Moritz says. "The opportunities are there if you demonstrate a will to work.

"Sometimes you get into a position that you don't quite enjoy as much as you would other positions, but when you didn't get chosen, don't take it in a personal way," he adds. "I just tried harder until they realized I am the person they need for the position."

Hanson has been with the company the past seven years, four as director of slot operations and the past three as general manager. People have told him he must rue the day he was promoted since it came during northern Nevada's most difficult financial times on record, but Hanson considers it fortunate timing.

"It is a challenge, but to watch us succeed in this challenging environment I really don't know anything different," he says. "I have gone to a pretty good school of economics."

Brantner took a job at the Peppermill at age 18 to help pay for tuition at University of Nevada, Reno. Though she had aspirations of becoming a lawyer, she stayed at the property and rose through the ranks to become its second-youngest director at age 32.

She's held six positions in casino marketing and advertising and as an entertainment manager. She earned a degree in a criminal justice, but her business education has come entirely from on-the-job training.

Manning, who never went to college, started at the company's sister property Western Village in 1988. She was such a newbie to the gaming industry that she had no idea what to do with a casino chip when a patron came to the cage to cash it.

She worked for eight years at Western Village before leaving to work in the Midwest on riverboat casinos.

When she returned to Reno in 2003, she applied for her old job and was hired as a human resources manager. In 2007 she was promoted to director of HR for both properties.

She says dedication has been crucial to her rising career.

"Working hard is the key. I have been working since the day I could, but I never really thought I would be able to be anyone without a college degree," Manning says. "But this company is so willing to teach you and give you the opportunity to learn and find your footing."

Flynn held eight different titles before his current position, which he's had for 10 years. Opportunity has been one of the main reasons he's stayed with the same company for more than two decades.

"Just knowing that opportunity is there makes you persevere," Flynn says. "If you were to dream up a perfect scenario, the Peppermill is it.

Ownership has been very good about giving people the opportunity to learn new positions and to succeed and prove themselves."