Gabe with his dog Nyx at the Antlers 2022 holiday party.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Mississippi, Gabe Kossman moved to Vail almost immediately after earning a degree in Psychology from the University of Mississippi in 2007. As many of us do, he came to Vail for the skiing. He initially worked as a lift operator, in snowmaking and then ticket sales before moving into hospitality.
His first front desk job was for another hotel where he was excited to be able to ski all day and then rest his weary legs at the front desk in the afternoons and evenings.
He made his way to the Antlers eight years ago after hearing from a friend about the on-site housing offered.
While working on another degree from Colorado Mountain College in Sustainability, he served a dual role both at the front desk and running our sustainability programs.
Because of his wonderful work ethic and excellent customer service skills, he moved up to Conference Services and then to Group Sales. When a recent opportunity opened for a Front Office Manager, he was hired right away for the position. He’s now transitioning from his past role to represent us all at the front of the house.
Gabe loves both skiing and snowboarding. You might just catch him working early mornings, skiing midday and then back behind the computer in the evenings.
The thing he loves more than skiing and snowboarding is travel. His favorite travel experience was exploring the beauty and nature of Nepal. He found it such a different world, with beauty peace and the friendliest people. He has also combined his two interests with travel to British Columbia, Canada and France for skiing. Of course, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the beach either, also having been to Belize and Mexico.
Gabe and his cute dog Nyx are one of the several team members who live on-site at the Antlers.
He is excited to put into practice his managerial skills and lead a great team of people while continuing to grow his career here at the Antlers at Vail. We are equally excited to see and support his professional advancement.
“Gabe is one of the most loyal workers I have ever encountered. His work ethic plus his insightful way of seeing life makes him a wonderful Front Desk Manager. His calmness brings such joy and stability to a very stressful hotel position. We are truly lucky to have him, and it is very rewarding to see him grow professionally,” says General Manager, Magda King.
Even the goats love Gabe. Pictured here at Goat Happy Hour at Vail Stables for a staff outing last fall.
