Name
Ross Ratliff
Company/Organization
Employee Events & News Operations Manager at Four Winds Casinos
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
Four Winds Casinos are known as the premier gaming destination of the Midwest with four locations located in New Buffalo, Hartford, and Dowagiac in Michigan, and South Bend in Indiana. Four Winds offers slot machines, table games, luxurious hotels rooms in New Buffalo and South Bend, along with an array of food & beverage options. Entertainment options are endless with headliner entertainment performing regularly at the Silver Creek Event Center in New Buffalo, and Ribbon Town Conference & Event Center in South Bend.
Age
34
Accomplishments
I have been employed with Four Winds Casinos for over 13 years and take great pride in my position. I was a member of the La Porte Jaycees for 8 years, serving in various leadership roles. I served as State President of the Indiana Jaycees in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, I was elected as a National Vice President of JCI USA, the national Jaycee organization. I have worked at the Niles Scream Park for 8 years, accumulating over 1,000 hours of volunteer time, primarily in 2020, 2021, and 2022. I have won two awards at the Niles Scream Park: Volunteer of the Year in 2020, and a Special Recognition Award in 2022. In 2022, I was inducted into the “Jacket Fraternity” at the Niles Scream Park, being recognized for tremendous dedication to the project over many years, providing substantial contributions to the project.
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
From a volunteer perspective, it would be fantastic to be able to network with community-oriented organizations to increase volunteerism at the Niles Scream Park. Since relocating to Buchanan in 2022, I’d like to become more established and get to know individuals better within my community. I would like to further expand my education within Human Resources for my professional career and hopefully continue to grow within my role. I’d love to continue traveling and exploring new countries around the world also.
Education
New Prairie High School- Class of 2007 Lake Michigan College- Casino Management Certificate, 2016
What Town Do You Reside In?
Buchanan, Michigan
Where were you born?
La Porte, Indiana
What was your first job?
A dishwasher at Heston Hills Banquet & Conference Center
Best advice you ever got?
I’m a firm believer in the quote “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching”. I try to learn something new every day, even the most miniscule learning experience is something that I use to potentially broaden my horizons in the future.
Who inspires you most?
Family has always been a big priority in my life. From childhood to adulthood, family is the core of your support system through it all. Even when everything seems impossible, your family can level you out into making those impossible situations possible.
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I’m passionate about decorating my house for various holidays, mainly Halloween & Christmas. My house is well known not just on my block but within the area for going all out. From around Labor Day until the first weekend of November, I have a very elaborate outdoor Halloween display that I expand and grow every year, consisting of a lot of tall (many over 12 feet tall) figures and sets that have taken over my entire yard and house. My neighbors always laugh when I’m out setting it all up, but it’s extremely rewarding to see everyone driving by to check it out. Seeing pictures and hearing people get excited about “that one Halloween House in Buchanan” puts a smile on my face and I love telling people that it’s my house. Buchanan has a huge draw for Trick-Or-Treaters, so much so that I didn’t expect to see hundreds and hundreds of kids in the neighborhood (even a line at one point to get to my house), but it was really fun hearing the excitement of kids and adults alike as they looked at my yard display. I also have a large Christmas Village that I set up inside my house every year that everyone likes to see.
What do you love to do in your downtime?
While I don’t typically give myself a lot of down time, I’ve found some cathartic creativity in creating resin projects. It’s always fun to put together different colors and see how they turn out (or sometimes don’t, but that is fun too!) My friends love getting the “samples” and sometimes have a friendly competition to see who gets the cooler piece. My hope someday is to have a small storefront to sell these creative treasures. Downtime for me also is also traveling when I can. I enjoy going on cruises primarily in the Caribbean in the warm weather. I also love exploring old architecture and exploring old towns, occasionally partaking in a ghost tour or cemetery tour when I can.
What book are you reading now?
I find myself constantly on the move and rarely take the time to sit down and dive into a book. I frequently listen to podcasts on Business and Technology, and I also like to listen to podcasts regarding the Haunt Industry so I can continue to diversify my skills.
Volunteer activity you love the most.
Without a doubt, the Niles Scream Park is near and dear to my heart. So much so that between the months of August and November, I am generally working 7 days a week, going from my day job at Four Winds Casino, straight to the Haunted House and volunteering as many hours of my time that I have to spare, sometimes until 1am or later. I have a funny disclaimer with my friends, I warn them that if they want to hang out or do something, they need to plan outside of “Haunt Season” or they can visit me at the Scream Park. I am a former Jaycee and was heavily involved in community activities before I moved to Buchanan. Two volunteer activities collided in 2015 when I proposed that we raise funds for our organization by volunteering at the Niles Scream Park, as the park has a rich history and a connection to the Jaycees. Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, the La Porte Jaycees was unable to sustain heavy membership losses and the organization folded. Little did I know that volunteering at the Scream Park was something that I truly enjoyed. So much so that I moved to Buchanan in 2021 to be closer to work and the Niles Scream Park. Since 2015, I have dedicated over 1,000 hours to the Niles Scream Park. I’ve taken on additional responsibilities at the park, serving as the Actor Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. This role oversees the scheduling and coordination of over 600 volunteers over the course of a 22-night season, with up to 250 volunteers working on a busy night. I work with all individuals on an operating night and mentor, coach and teach them how to scare and entertain the thousands of patrons that frequent the Scream Park. I never knew that scaring the yell out of someone would be so rewarding! Outside of the season operation in the fall, I assist with various projects at the park such as painting, helping with programming the shows, assisting with lighting projects, checking emergency lights, or finding ways to make the project better. In the Winter, Spring and Summer months, it’s always fun to tell people that I volunteer at the Scream Park, as their reactions are shocked to know that there is always something going on. Even though the park is not in operation, there are many ongoing projects, as all attractions are redone for the upcoming season as soon as the prior season ends.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
As a young child, my parents were involved within the community, chairing a fairly large craft festival in my hometown. As I grew up, I was able to help become a part of the event. I’ve always enjoyed giving back to the community. Getting involved in a service organization and getting entrenched into community events has molded me into a better person both personally and professionally. At the haunted house, you’ll hear me oftentimes saying “We Scare Because We Care” (thanks Monsters Inc.!). Being a part of a community, whether it be where you live, or a circle of people that center around a purpose has always been a priority for me. Even being one small piece of the puzzle allows you to bring good into the world. I truly do care that I make a significant contribution through service, and with that comes a sense of pride and accomplishment.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
I would love to be able to control time. The days seem to be going faster and faster, it would be nice to have the ability to slow down time when needed.
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I would love to leave the legacy that I lived life to the fullest and provided a positive impact to those around me. I also want to leave behind a legacy of service to my community.
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
I am deeply honored to be recognized and am excited to be amongst a cohort of outstanding individuals. I am the type of person that focuses on the impact of the organization, but rarely recognizes my own hard work and dedication. When these opportunities pop up, it allows me to really see the impact that I am providing to my community and others around me. For that, I am greatly appreciative and thankful for this honor.
