Ridge Tahoe employee celebrates 40-year work anniversary - most for any of company's staff in US/Mexico

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - When James (Jim) Kazakov left his bartender job at Harvey's Inn to join the new Ridge Tahoe Resort team on August 1, 1984, little did he know what lay before him. He was the first person to serve a drink at the resort’s bar, now called The Bear Trap Lounge & Bar, and continues to serve the guests, owners, and locals who stop by.

The Holiday Inn Club Vacations held a surprise anniversary celebration for Jim recently, honoring him not only as the longer-term employee at the Ridge Tahoe Resort but as the longest-term employee in the entire company that currently employs over 7,000 people in the U.S. and Mexico.

Party guests were asked to come dressed like Jim - bright color polo or Hawaiian shirts, golf shorts, and white sneakers.

"It is like family here, the people I work for, with, and the owners," said Jim. He said he has golfed with the owners at the Ridge Tahoe, as well as joining them for dinners, and becoming friends."

"I get to spend their vacation with them," said Jim of the timeshare owners. "They check in with me before they check in their rooms."

The Salem, Oregon native moved to Lake Tahoe in 1982. When Jim was working at Harveys Inn (before it changed to the Lakeside Inn), he said he toured the Ridge Tahoe demonstration unit built at the bottom of Kingsbury Grade. He said he had caught wind of Harveys Inn being sold and stayed until he got in his two years plus one day so he could earn profit sharing, then went up the hill.

"I love being here," said Jim of his job. If he ever retired and left working at the Ridge, Jim said he wouldn't miss the road and snow, but everyone, and everything else he'd miss.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations is a brand of the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG®). They own the hotel brand, Holiday Inn, which has been family-owned since 1952. Holiday Inn was sold to future IHG® in 1979, and then Orange Lake Resorts and IHG® created the Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare brand in 2008. Employees at their properties, like Jim, can earn points while on the job that can be exchanged for up to a week at the other properties.

When looking at the 50th anniversary of working at the Ridge Tahoe in 2034, Jim quickly said, "Why not?"