When people reflect on their career journey, many often credit good advice from their mentor as the tipping point of their success. “I met my mentor when I was working at the Player’s Club at the Lucky Eagle Casino and he encouraged me to go to school and then come back and run this place,” said JaNessa Bumgarner, Chief Executive Officer of Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.
Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel is proudly owned and operated by The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. Bumgarner is a Chehalis tribal member who grew up on the Chehalis tribal reservation and is the first tribal member to be named CEO of the Casino & Hotel.
Starting in 1999, Bumgarner worked her way through various positions at Lucky Eagle including busser, server and hostess in the restaurant area to working in marketing at the Player’s Club. “I loved working with the guests,” she said.
Then with the tremendous support of family, Bumgarner attended UNLV and received her degree in Hotel Management while still working summers and breaks at the Casino & Hotel in Rochester. Bumgarner’s path to CEO started as the Hotel Director, then COO, and then in 2020 she was named CEO.
As CEO, Bumgarner has a few goals in mind but the one that drives her is to ensure the employees of Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel earn not just a livable wage, but a thriving wage. “We see this goal as being an economic boost to our area and in turn that is being a good neighbor in our community,” said Bumgarner.
According to Bumgarner, “Yes, I am CEO, but I am also a tribal member, and I want to make sure that everyone is taken care of.” Through her work, she wants to create economic development and “help our tribe thrive.”
Visitors to the Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel will see new carpeting throughout the casino floor as well as a newly opened Little Caesar’s and Starbucks being served. They will also see the pride that Bumgarner has for her role and the facility she oversees.
When Bumgarner was realizing her dream, she wrote a “giant” letter to her mentor. He still has that letter to this day.
For Additional Information
Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel
luckyeagle.com
BY LYNN CASTLE