Native Business Magazine - September / October 2019

NATIVEBUSINESSMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | $8.95

TOP

30

CEOS in Indian Country

Drilling Native Oil on Native Soil: HOW DAVE WILLIAMS BUILT & LEADS MISSOURI RIVER RESOURCES

Pat Crofts LEVERAGES HIS INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN OKLAHOMA

The Team Player

BRIAN DECORAH CEO of Snoqualmie Casino

STEPHANIE A. BRYAN TRIBAL CHAIR & CEO OF THE POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS

Is Improving Quality of Life Through the Family Business

BRIAN PARRISH CEO of Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprises:

NATIVE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ON THE NATIONAL BUSINESS STAGE

‘NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY’

SIYEH CORPORATION: FEARLESS LEADERSHIP, WARRIOR SPIRIT

FOXWOODS’ CEO: LEADERSHIP THROUGH LIKABILITY Q&A WITH DR. COURTNEY LEWIS, AUTHOR OF SOVEREIGN ENTREPRENEURS

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IN THIS ISSUE Leadership Issue 2019 • Volume 01 Number 9

on the cover

Stephanie A. Bryan, Tribal Chair & CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Is Improving Quality of Life Through the Family Business

See page 16

BY ANDREW RICCI

NATIVE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ON THE NATIONAL BUSINESS STAGE See page 10

Happening Now

Top 30 CEOs in Indian Country

15

22

Top 30 CEOs in Indian Country

With perseverance, God’s grace and optimism (“the curse of an oil man”), Dave Williams built and leads Missouri River Resources

BY CARMEN DAVIS

8 The Latest News From NativeBusinessMag.com

20 Jim Allen, Guitar Hero of the Hard Rock Anthony Mallott Led Sealaska’s Big Comeback

Entrepreneurship

12 Q&A With Dr. Courtney Lewis, Author of Sovereign Entrepreneurs

21 The Economic Driver: Mark Hubble, CEO of Kituwah, LLC

23 Pat Crofts Leverages his International Experience in Oklahoma

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26 “Really define the kind of leader you want to be, and try to be that every day,” says Holly Gagnon, CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation.

28 “The old saying goes, ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated.’ But I've taken it to another level. I really want to treat others the way they want to be treated,” says John James, President and CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Mario Kontomerkos: Planning World Domination (No, Really, He Is)

29

Ray Halbritter: An ‘Unrealistic’ Leader Realizes Success for his Nation

Brian Parrish: ‘Never Underestimate the Importance of Gratitude and Humility’ Dennis Fitzpatrick, CEO of Siyeh Corporation: Fearless Leadership, Warrior Spirit

Front Cover: Photo Courtesy Poarch Band of Creek Indians Back Cover: Photo Courtesy National Indian Gaming Association

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“It’s all about the team,” says Snoqualmie Casino CEO Brian Decorah (front), an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

See page 31

Top 30 CEOs in Indian Country

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The All-Inclusive Business Leader: Sajeed “Titu” Asghar

From a Prairie to Prosperity: Lance Morgan

Aaron Schutt Loves His 20,000 Shareholders — Many of Them Friends and Relatives

A Lifelong Leader: Rex A. Rock, Sr.

William “Sonny” Johnson: The Seasoned Strategist

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Becoming the Best: Chuck Garrett Is Committed to Making Cherokee Nation Businesses the Best Employer in Oklahoma

36 “I think the heart of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and the heart of the 1,800 employees of FireKeepers, is really what makes it special,” says CEO Kathy George about FireKeepers Casino Hotel.

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AMERIND Risk: Native Led (Derek Valdo) and Tribally Owned Byron Bighorse: An Advocate for Shared Values

41 The People Person: Valentina Sireech

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Doing Things at “The Right Way, at The Right Time, with The Right Intent”: The Wonderful Legacy of Neil Cornelius

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48 The Family Man: Kip Ritchie

50 Committed to his Community: Kenneth Manuel, Jr.

53

Leading Like a Native: Troy Clay Leverages Pokagon Band Strength

David Nimmo: A High-Powered CEO With a ‘Servant's Heart’

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54

The Nation Builder: Jason Campbell Gives All his Energy to Advancing Spokane Sovereignty

A Champion for Gaming: Angela Heikes

Sponsored Content

Andrew Ebona’s Mission

of Working to Preserve Native Culture and Link American Indian Tribes W

PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION

hen asked what drives him, Andrew “Andy” Ebona talks passionately about Tribal history in North America, noting that while Tribes have been present in North America for well over 15,000 years, few people know more than a Tribe’s name when asked about the 573 federally recognized Tribes living here. Languages of local Tribes go unheard, traditional Tribal dances unseen, and the rich Tribal cultures flourishing in America are not experienced by individuals from outside specific Tribes.

Ebona’s motivation lies in the preservation of Native cultures; but who is Andy Ebona?

Ebona is a member of the Tlingit Tribe in Alaska and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Throughout his 40-plus year career Ebona served Indigenous people by sitting as President of the Board of the Rural Alaska Community Action program for 10 years and as a member of the Board of Americans for Indian Opportunity for over 40 years. For the past 19 years Ebona held multiple positions on the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and is currently serving his third term as the NIGA Board Treasurer.

Previously, Ebona was staff to four Alaska Governors, is a former Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, former Executive Director of the United Indian Planners Association and former Executive Director of Tlingit-Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. His years of experience and Tribal governance knowledge have helped him in his work to preserve Native culture, language, music, art and business, while also working to economically link and connect American Indian Tribes.

An all-in-one sovereign cryptocurrency would meet the specific needs of Tribal business, including gaming, sports betting and Tribal ecosystems worldwide.

A Commitment to Preserve Indigenous Cultures For many years, Ebona has worked to help preserve Indigenous cultures. His mission has included ensuring Tribal diversity is respected, sovereignty is recognized, and a sense of security and in-

dependence is felt by every Tribal member.

Ebona’s work has taken many paths. From his service on the National American Indian boards to his work as the group leader for the Yaaw Tei Yi dancers, Ebona has found inspiration in the cultural diversity he experienced as he was welcomed into Indigenous communities around the world. To better serve Indigenous communities, Ebona founded Copper Shield Consulting, LLC. Copper Shield’s goal is to positively impact Native American Tribes and organizations by providing exceptional choices of products and services.

Copper Shield works with Tribes throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska on economic and community development projects. Copper Shield is a 100% Native-owned company, involved in marketing multiple consumable and durable goods and services to Tribes and Tribal enterprises.

Andrew Ebona Talks Cryptocurrency in Indian Country As Tribes continue to search for ways to increase revenue and support their cultures and businesses, Ebona believes a uniting cryptocurrency is the next step in that evolution. Cryptocurrency is extremely efficient and has already been adopted by many businesses around the world.

Ebona envisions a cryptocurrency designed specifically for Tribes, a cryptocurrency capable of linking and connecting Indigenous peoples around the world. Cryptocurrency is extremely secure because thousands of individuals over the network monitor transactions, making it as safe to use as U.S. dollars.

An all-in-one sovereign cryptocurrency would meet the specific needs of Tribal business, including gaming, sports betting and Tribal ecosystems worldwide. A Tribal cryptocurrency could also help connect Indigenous Tribes from all over the world by bringing outside customers and investment into Tribal enterprises. To make the currency more accessible and easier to use, a Tribal cryptocurrency could also be available through newly designed ATM machines.

“Like cultural preservation and Tribal gaming today, Tribes can expand their ability to fine tune their governmental and financial independence through additional financial means. The introduction of a Tribal cryptocurrency will assist those small and rural Tribes, which do not have the capability to build brick-and-mortar casino facilities, but can generate income through business development activities, which may include online gaming or sports betting operations, to preserve and promote their culture, host gaming, and further develop their financial and governmental independence,” Ebona says.

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FOUNDERS/PUBLISHERS Gary (Cherokee) and Carmen (Makah/Chippewa-Cree/Yakama) Davis

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Carmen Davis - carmen@nativebusinessmag.com Senior Editor Kristin Butler - kristin@nativebusinessmag.com

CREATIVE Art Director VestaLight Sevenly

WRITERS Contributing Writers Andrew Ricci • Suzette Brewer (Cherokee) • Lynn Armitage (Oneida Nation) Renae Ditmer (Chippewa) • Clifton Cottrell (Cherokee) Debra Utacia Krol (Xolon Salinan Tribe) • Josh Robertson • Theresa Braine Mary Belle Zook (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)

ADVERTISING & EVENTS Event Director Yvonne Schaaf (Salt River Pima/Mojave/Quechan) - yvonne@nativebusinessmag.com Advertising Inquiries advertising@nativebusinessmag.com

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©2019 Native Business Magazine is published by Native Business, LLC, all rights reserved. All contents are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without written consent from the Publisher. The advertiser is solely responsible for ad content and holds Publisher harmless for its advertising content and any errors or omissions.

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS Blueprints and stories

of visionary leadership are contained within the pages of Native Business Magazine’s premiere “Leadership” issue.

PHOTOS BY WHITNEY PATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

I

n our ninth print edition, we feature our inaugural list of the Top 30 CEOs in Indian Country, highlighting executives who are leading Tribal Nations and enterprises to greatness.

Leadership is defined by influence, courage, passion and dedication. That’s why we chose Stephanie A. Bryan, Tribal Chair and CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, as the cover subject of our inaugural Leadership issue. The Poarch Band’s economy has grown more than 1,000 percent since Bryan won a seat in Tribal government. (She began serving as Vice-Chair in 2006, and became the Band’s first female Tribal Chair and CEO in 2014.) The Poarch Band’s Wind Creek Hospitality operates nothing short of a gaming empire with a 10-property portfolio stretching across its home state of Alabama and extending into Pennsylvania, Florida, Nevada, and the Caribbean — in Aruba and Curacao. When Bryan took the helm five years ago, she also created a sustainable Economic Development Plan to expand the Tribe’s footprint beyond gaming. (See page 16.)

Company culture starts at the top and trickles down. That’s why Native Business asked the executives featured on our list of Top 30 CEOs some perhaps unconventional questions — like how they start their morning. Leaders need to be “on” 24/7, because the entire team is modeling the leaders’ behaviors. That's why most of the CEOs profiled in our Leadership issue begin their days early, and oftentimes with a motivational practice — whether that's a workout (Derek Valdo, CEO, AMERIND Risk), a trail run (Jason Campbell, CEO, Sovereign Power) or a prayer to the Creator (Valentina Sireech CEO, Ute Tribal Enterprises, LLC).

Our Top 30 CEO honorees literally train themselves, day in and day out, to adopt positive mindsets and innovative, agile mentalities — to operate at their peak capacity. “I can't emphasize enough: you're the leader. And by leading everyday, it sets the tone for years to come,” says D. Dave Williams, President and CEO of Missouri River Resources, the MHA Nation’s privately owned oil and gas company located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in Western North Dakota. (See page 22.)

Many of the CEOs profiled in the following pages remind us not to underestimate the importance of relationships in business. Confident yet humble, they’re also quick to praise their team members. They readily credit their employees with the success of their enterprise.

A team-first mentality is strongly exemplified by Brian Decorah (Ho-Chunk), CEO of Snoqualmie Casino. Decorah has the unique ability to relate to each employee, because he’s worked at every level across a casino — from the front line on the graveyard shift to the C-suite. His favorite business advice is: “A person that feels appreciated, will always do more than what is expected of them.” He adds, “The most influential motivator is feeling valued. I love seeing a team member’s face light up when I am able to share with them how their

efforts make an impact.” (See page 31.)

A significant take-away from our in-depth interviews with CEOs across Indian Country is the need to continually grow and fine-tune one’s skill set. Angela Heikes, President and CEO of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Gaming Enterprise, challenges aspiring executives: “Take advantage of every opportunity to broaden your skills and experiences, find a mentor who will challenge you and be your champion, and always be open to taking on projects that you think are a bit beyond your comfort zone.” (See page 54.)

Speaking of personal and professional development, at FireKeepers Casino Resort, employees have the opportunity to participate in a training-for-succession program. The final track of a four-track program integrates professional courses with Dale Carnegie, Franklin Covey and Toastmasters, says Kathy George (Seneca), FireKeepers CEO. (See page 36.) Seneca Gaming Corporation similarly operates Continuous Improvement, an executive development program for Seneca Nation citizens, based on Kaizen, a strategy where employees at all levels of a company work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements, says CEO Holly Gagnon. (See page 26.)

Native Business is committed to sharing these stories of visionary leadership. As Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, states, “Power comes not from knowledge kept but from knowledge shared.” It was an honor to interview CEOs at some of the largest and most successful Tribal Nations and Tribal enterprises across the United States. We hope you glean as much as wisdom, tools and strategies for effective leadership from these Top 30 CEOs as we did.

Onward, GARY DAVIS Publisher

CARMEN DAVIS

Publisher & Executive Editor

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HAPPENING NOW FORMER OBAMA ADVISOR NOMINATED AS CHEROKEE NATION DELEGATE TO CONGRESS

PHOTO COURTESY CHEROKEE NATION

Kimberly Teehee

Holding the United States government accountable to a treaty it signed nearly 200 years ago, the Cherokee Nation has nominated its Vice President of Government Relations and former Obama Administration senior policy advisor on Native American affairs, Kimberly Teehee, to represent it as a delegate to the U.S. Congress.

The nomination by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. was part of his “First 100 Days in Office” initiatives and aimed at strengthening the Tribe’s sovereignty. The Cherokee Nation delegate is referenced in both the Treaty of Hopewell from 1785 and Treaty of New Echota from 1835 between the Cherokee Nation and federal government. The Treaty of 1866 also reaffirms all previous treaties between the Cherokee Nation and United States.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. stated, “It is part of the Cherokee Nation Constitution and as Principal Chief, I took a vow to defend our sovereign rights and uphold our Constitution. Toward that end, I recently nominated Kim Teehee to be the Tribe's first-ever delegate to the House of Representatives. The Tribal Council of the Cherokee Nation unanimously approved. I am sending a Cherokee woman to Washington, D.C., and she deserves her rightful seat as the first Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress.”

PEOPLE’S BANK OF SENECA JOINS THE AMERICAN FINANCIAL EXCHANGE The People's Bank of Seneca recently became the first Native American-owned bank to join the American Financial Exchange (AFX). An electronic exchange for direct lending and borrowing for American financial institutions, the AFX has transacted more than $550 billion cumulatively since it opened in December 2015. Joining the AFX helps broaden the People’s Bank of Seneca market for loans and adds stability to interest rates.

“As a minority-owned bank, People’s Bank of Seneca is keeping the needs of our community top of mind,” said Deron Burr, President and CEO of People’s Bank of Seneca. “By becoming a member of the American Financial Exchange, our ability to gain access to a network of banks will help us better serve our customers.”

Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Glenna Wallace said the Tribe purchased stock in the People’s Bank of Seneca when it was founded in 1996, and gradually increased it until the Tribe attained majority ownership. The People’s Bank of Seneca has since grown to five locations in Seneca and Joplin, Missouri. “We're very pleased with the management, which makes excellent decisions for them and us,” Chief Wallace said.

Above: A drone photo of the People's Bank of Seneca branch in Loma Linda, part of the Joplin, Missouri, metropolitan area

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK IN TAMPA WIELDS A STARSTUDDED MARKETING STRATEGY TO UNVEIL ITS $700M EXPANSION Celebrities including Nicole Kidman and Christie Brinkley walked the red carpet October 3rd at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, and skywalking wonder Nik Wallenda and his 66-year-old mother, Delilah Wallenda, navigated a high-wire between the hotel’s two towers, overlooking the newly expanded pool deck. Adding to the excitement, Kidman led the countdown to the classic Guitar Smash that kicked off the Hard Rock celebration.

The highly anticipated reveal of the $700 million expansion featured performances by award-winning country artist Keith Urban, who played the first official concert at the new 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Big Boi raised the energy with a performance on opening night of the weekend-long celebration.

“Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is already one of the largest and most profitable casinos in the United States,” said Jim Allen, Hard Rock International Chairman and CEO of Seminole Gaming. “The expansion will increase entertainment and dining options, and help us attract guests from throughout the country and around the world.”

Actress Nicole Kidman counted down the Grand Celebration guitar smash on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa’s newly expanded pool deck.

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PHOTOS COURTESY PEOPLE’S BANK OF SENECA

THE LATEST NEWS FROM ACROSS INDIAN COUNTRY ON NATIVEBUSINESSMAG.COM

PHOTO COURTESY NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT JONATHAN NEZ AND VICE PRESIDENT MYRON LIZER FACEBOOK

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING PHOTO

NATIVE AMERICAN PARTNERSHIPS GROW AT UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING The Wind River Indian Reservation and the University of Wyoming (UW) are growing partnerships across the board — from education and research to economic development — and it’s all having a positive effect on UW’s American Indian enrollment.

“Just as UW has been a huge asset to the state across so many areas, we are working in the same way to support people on the reservation,” says James Trosper (Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho), who has worked at UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute (HPAIRI) since 2014. “Higher education changes lives, improves the quality of life for individuals and creates opportunities,” he adds. “We want that for the residents of the reservation.”

Trosper has noted an uptick in students using the Native American Education, Research and Cultural Center that opened in 2017. The center provides advising, recruitment and retention services to American Indian students, helping reduce the culture shock of moving between the Wind River Indian Reservation and Laramie. Many scholarships are available for American Indian students. These include the scholarships endowed by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, as well as others funded by private donors.

Josie Trosper, of Fort Washakie, dances in Shoshone regalia as part of an Eagle Spirit Dancers “Circle of Dance” performance, which followed the WY Wind River Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Symposium April 17 at the University of Wyoming.

See American Indian scholarship opportunities at: uwyo.edu/aist/scholarship-information.

NAVAJO NATION’S RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE TAKES BIG STEP FORWARD WITH COMPLETION OF KAYENTA SOLAR II Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer commended Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and Salt River Project (SRP) for working together to move the Navajo Nation forward in its renewable energy initiatives, during the opening ceremony in late September for the second phase of the Kayenta Solar generation facility, a renewable energy plant that now produces enough emission-free energy to power approximately 36,000

homes.

Construction of the first phase began in 2016, which generates 27.3 megawatts of electricity for families on the Navajo Nation.

NTUA began construction of the second phase of the solar plant last year, which now produces an additional 28 megawatts — all of which will be used to power homes on the Navajo Nation.

“Today is another great milestone for the Navajo Nation’s renewable energy future. With the completion of the second phase of Kayenta Solar, we are moving ahead with long-term sustainable energy development that will provide more electricity for Navajo homes and make our communities and economy stronger,” said President Nez.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer pose with 2019-2020 Miss Navajo Shaandiin Parrish from Kayenta, Arizona, at a ceremony celebrating the completion of the second phase of the Kayenta Solar project.

NATIVE ENTREPRENEURS TO EXPAND THEIR BREWERY BUSINESS WITH RAMBLER TAPROOM IN FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., the buzzing brewery in AlbuquerMissy Begay que, New Mexico, is the brainand Shyla Sheppard child of two Native partners in (PHOTO BY ROBERTO ROSALES) life and business: Shyla Sheppard, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation, and Missy Begay, a member of the Navajo Nation. Now the enterprising duo are expanding with an offsite taproom in Farmington, New Mexico. Dubbed the Bow & Arrow Rambler Taproom, it’s forecasted to open in winter.

Given Begay’s heritage, and the brand’s commitment to honoring the Southwest land and terroir, Farmington was a natural selection for Bow & Arrow. “We’ve incorporated visual aesthetics from the Four Corners region into the beer hall in Albuquerque, as well as into various bottle labels. The design of the Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison label is inspired by rock formations in the Bisti Badlands, located South of Farmington,” Sheppard, Bow & Arrow Owner and CEO, told Native Business.

An off-site taproom in Farmington will only deepen Bow & Arrow’s roots in the Southwest. “Farmington is essentially a gateway to the Four Corners,” Sheppard said.

INSET PHOTO BY DON JAMES

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LEADERSHIP ON T

Left: Gary Davis with DOE Director of the Office of Indian Energy Kevin Frost and his mother, Jean Frost Below: For the third consecutive summit, Gary Davis, Native Business Founder, Publisher and CEO, served as Master of Ceremonies of the three-day event.

NATIONAL TRIBAL ENERGY SUMMIT Powered

Self-Determination H

osted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy, in coordination with the National Conference of State Legislatures, the 2019 National Tribal Energy Summit in Washington, D.C. delivered the opportunity to educate oneself and expand circles, including meeting with high-level Administration officials and members of Congress, as well as representatives from federal agencies, state governments, private industry, utilities and academia. The theme of the event, held September 24-26, was “Tribal Energy: Powering Self-Determination.”

For the third consecutive summit, Gary Davis, Native Business Founder, Publisher and CEO, served as Master of Ceremonies of the three-day event. In addition to building networks, DOE officials, Tribal leaders and business executives exchanged ideas and explored cross-cutting and cost-effective solutions in regards to developing national energy interests on Tribal lands.

Other federal participants included representatives from the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and

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“We need to support more innovation, not less of it,” - United States Secretary of Energy Rick Perry

the Environmental Protection Agency.

The summit took Tribal energy conversations to the next level through:

• Learning modules centered around the key drivers for Tribal energy development

• Tribal leader roundtable discussions to address energy policy

• A Women in Energy Leadership Breakfast focusing on Tribal perspectives

• Takeaways and resources for participating communities, including utilizing your Tribal Energy Atlas

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“The summit helped Tribal and business leaders better position their community at the forefront of timely Tribal energy conversations. The key to building capacity includes understanding how DOE's Office of Indian Energy can support — or build upon — each Tribe's self-determined energy development goals,” said Davis, a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Other highlights included speeches from the DOE’s Director of the Office of Indian Energy Kevin Frost. When Frost took the stage, he drilled home the message that Native people have a voice in energy through his office. He will do everything within his power to help move Tribal energy projects forward.

Edward Campos, Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, delivered remarks after playing the DOE video “The New American Energy Era.” That video underscores a fundamental message about how America is leading the world in energy production: “We are not running out of energy. We are producing energy more abundantly than ever, and more cleanly as well,” the video quotes United States Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “We need to support more innovation, not less of it,” Perry states. Campos, who oversees the Office of Minority Economic Impact and the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, spoke to Indian Country's substantial role in contributing to this New American Energy Era. Mark W. Menezes, DOE Under Secretary of Energy, delivered the closing remarks on September 26, announcing that the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs issued a Notice of Intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled “Energy Infrastructure Development on Indian Lands - 2020.”

“This planned funding will help Native American and Alaska Native communities harness their vast energy resources to reduce or stabilize energy costs, as well as increase energy security and resilience,” said Under Secretary Menezes.

PHOTOS BY NATIVE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

NativeBusiness

®

THE NATIONAL BUSINESS STAGE Pictured: Recipients of 2019 Minority Enterprise Awards on stage at the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency’s awards ceremony held on September 9th in Washington, D.C.

GARY DAVIS HOSTS U.S. MBDA’S 2019 MINORITY ENTERPRISE AWARDS, Gary and Carmen Davis with Daymond John, star of ABC’s Shark Tank and an accomplished author and entrepreneur, who delivered the keynote speech at the 2019 Minority Enterprise Awards.

COURTESY OF MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

NEZ/FCI Native American, LLC Honored With Minority Construction Firm of the Year Award “These prestigious awards presented by the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency importantly recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of successful minority businesses from across the country,” said Gary Davis (Cherokee Nation), who hosted the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) 2019 Minority Enterprise Awards, held September 9th in Washington, D.C. The Minority Enterprise Award is the highest level of national recognition that a U.S. minority-owned firm can receive from the Department of Commerce. NEZ/FCI Native American, LLC (NEZ/FCI), a Native American-owned business, took home the Minority Construction Firm of the Year Award. For NEZ/FCI’s Founder and Controlling Manager Marvin Nez, receiving the honor marked a momentous occasion.

“We made our way onto the map tonight, and we are a part of history. We will continue to write history, American Indian history. …We will continue to participate in American economy and business,” Nez said.

A premier construction company primarily serving Indian Country in the greater Southwestern United States, NEZ/FCI has grown exponentially over the last four

years and has employed nearly 1,200 workers through sub-contracts — approximately one-third of whom are of Native American heritage.

Nez thanked his family and mentors who instilled in him the confidence to pursue his professional path, and offered words of wisdom and encouragement for others to empower the next generation.

“Believe in a child and give them hope. …Here’s to all the children of Indigenous Nations across the United States. I hope to inspire you — Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to Tule River, Choctaw to Cree, and all Nations in between.”

As host of the ceremony, Davis also spoke to the value of mentors, while honoring the influence and legacy of his grandfather, a successful entrepreneur. Davis underscored the power of commitment, focus and discipline to entrepreneurship.

“You do the work, stay focused and keep your head down,” Davis said. He also underscored that time is our most valuable asset. “God knows how long we have on this beautiful Earth, so you try to make everyday count,” he said.

Daymond John, star of ABC’s Shark Tank and an accomplished author and entrepreneur, delivered the keynote speech at

the awards ceremony, emphasizing to the audience of accomplished minority entrepreneurs: “We have got to leverage our network. That’s how we get to size and scale,” John said.

In a statement announcing the award recipients, MBDA National Director Henry Childs, II, shed light on the exponential growth and impact of minority owned businesses across the United States: “Minority-owned businesses are growing at a faster rate than non-minority owned businesses. It is a national imperative that the United States continues to invest in MBEs,” Childs said.

In honor of the MBDA’s 50th Anniversary, the administration celebrated National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, September 8-14, in Washington, D.C. “I congratulate the 2019 Minority Enterprise Award winners and invite the minority business community to join us for a week-long celebration of Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, as proclaimed by the President of the United States,” Childs added.

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DR. COURTNEY LEWIS The Author of Sovereign Entrepreneurs Spells Out Why Small Business Owners Empower Reservation Economies, Especially During a Recession, and How Native Nations Can Support Them

By Native Business Staff

n enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Dr. Courtney Lewis is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina – Columbia. She grew up with her Cherokee father who was an activist academic for American Indians (he was the first American Indian to earn a PhD in Social Work and helped write the Indian Child Welfare Act) and was inspired by her Cherokee grandfather who was a small business owner (Paul’s Top Dog in Muskogee, Oklahoma). While she always knew that she wanted to work on behalf of Native people as an academic, it wasn’t until college that she found an aptitude for economics.

Lewis earned her PhD at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in the Department of Anthropology, following two degrees in economics from B.A. University of Michigan and M.A. Wayne State University. Her current work focuses on economic development for Native Nations in the United States and, consequently, issues of sovereignty.

Specifically, her research is focused on small businesses located on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina. Her fieldwork took place during the height of the Great Recession and reveals that small businesses provide a crucial impact on reservation economies, especially during a time of economic crisis.

Her first book, Sovereign Entrepreneurs,

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Cherokee Small-Business Owners and the Making of Economic Sovereignty, was published in May 2019 by The University of North Carolina Press.

Dr. Lewis spoke with Native Business about key points addressed in Sovereign Entrepreneurs, including the challenges of entrepreneurship on Native lands, the inspiring resilience of Indigenous entrepreneurs, and what Native Nations can do to support their small business owners.

Sovereign Entrepreneurs puts Indigenous entrepreneurialism in a historical context. Why is it important to offer this perspective?

Many people assume that Indigenous entrepreneurs did not exist until recently. But our people had active and thriving trade routes pre-contact, followed by large-scale business relationships with Europeans, and are now currently supporting their community as small business owners on reservations, amongst a multitude of other business endeavors. Acknowledging this continuous history disrupts the idea that Indigenous peoples can’t be entrepreneurs or that they have to be entrepreneurs in the same way as other cultures.

What prompted you to examine the impact of small businesses on reservation economies? And during an economic crisis?

The acknowledgement of American In-

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Dr. Courtney Lewis

dian small business owners on reservation in academics was very slim — in fact, this is the first ethnography to focus solely on them. But, it was clear that they not only existed, but were vital parts of reservation economies. This was especially noticeable with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), who had a particularly long history of licensed small business on their reservation — a number that was far above their surrounding (mostly non-Native population) counties.

I had not planned on being on the EBCI’s Qualla Boundary during the Great Recession, and I was concerned for these businesses when the recession continued to spiral as I did my fieldwork. But being there during the recession clearly demonstrated just how resilient and experienced these small business owners were.

How did the small businesses you featured stay afloat during the Great Recession and contribute to their local economy?

The EBCI has many families of small business owners that have been operating various businesses for decades. They have seen and experienced very difficult

PHOTO COURTESY DR. COURTNEY LEWIS

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times in the past and used that knowledge during this recession. The owners drew from a variety of techniques to stay afloat from inventory consolidation and diversifying the business to more extreme actions, such as not pulling a salary for themselves in order to avoid laying off employees. For these businesses, it was more than, “How do I keep this business afloat?,” it was also, “How do I support my people through this difficult time?”

PPHOTO COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS

What will Native entrepreneurs who read Sovereign Entrepreneurs learn that they didn’t already know before?

I think that long-standing Native entrepreneurs are very savvy, so they will already be familiar with the overarching themes in this book. But there is a lot to learn specifically from Eastern Band small business owners ranging from the importance of having a Native Nation government that supports small business owners (and how it does that) to how to adjust not only in desperate economic times, but also in times of significant growth, which is a difficulty that many small business owners do not anticipate.

For new Native entrepreneurs, the book offers a wealth of individual accounts that personalize the experience of being a Native entrepreneur. It gives insights, not just into the mechanics of being an entrepreneur, but also what life is like as a Native entrepreneur — how does this affect your family, your social life, and your expectations of community involvement, for example.

Your book discusses the reciprocal nature of Native-owned small businesses to their sovereign land bases. Can you break this down?

Native-owned small businesses on reservations are constrained in ways that non-Native businesses are not, primarily relating to trust land and citizenship statuses. For land bases, like the Qualla Boundary, it can be difficult and expensive for a small business to access prime land. Even then, they may have to lease the land, adding another hurdle to the difficult process of small business creation. If your Nation has a minimum blood quantum, there may be conflict over how you can pass your business on to future generations, not knowing if they will be able to meet the minimum. And for certain businesses (tourism, art, foods, etc.) choosing how you represent yourself — and your community by proxy — is another factor.

“For new Native entrepreneurs, the book offers a wealth of individual accounts that personalize the experience of being a Native entrepreneur.”

Choosing (or not having the choice) to locate on or off of your land base is part of this representational choice.

How do or can small businesses get involved in and contribute to large, one-industry dominant economies like gaming?

One-industry economies like casinos cannot thrive long-term without small business support. Tourists specifically choose to go to Native Nation-owned casinos because, not only are they on par and exceed what non-Native casinos can offer, but because they are Native Nation-owned. Part of that choice is experiencing that Nation’s culture. Some of this can happen in a casino, but most has to happen on the ground through small businesses. Small businesses also bring in more tourists because there are those who want to go on family trips, but do not want to go to a casino. In these cases, they go with their family, but spend the day experiencing the area instead. Small businesses also extend the stay of tourists, giving them something to do after they are finished with gaming.

How do Tribes support Native-owned small business — and how can they uplevel their support? Why should they?

There is a wide variety of ways that Native Nation governments can support their small business owners, but these are highly dependent on the Native Nation. One of the most important services a government can provide is training for new and potential small business owners.

We have people with fantastic, and much needed, ideas for small businesses, but the lack of knowledge about the daily minutiae of small business ownership, financial commitments, and time involvement can lead to having our citizens in debt and disheartened instead of thriving.

After that, if the Nation is able, providing start-up and upgrading loans are important. Some reservations do not have banks available and, if they do, it can be

difficult if not impossible to secure a small business loan without collateral (especially since trust land cannot be used for collateral). Additionally, governments can offer tax incentives to their citizens for small business ownership.

Another step is promotion at a government level; featuring small businesses in newspaper articles, promoting them on tourism websites, and creating national brands are a few examples.

Learn more about Dr. Courtney Lewis at drcourtneylewis.com.

Sovereign Entrepreneurs can be purchased through uncpress.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most retailers where books are sold.

Sovereign Entrepreneurs CHEROKEE SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS and the Making of Economic Sovereignty

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courtney lewis

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Working for Generations Our future is shaped by the decisions we make today. That’s why we’re investing $50 million in American Indian and Alaska Native nonprofits, from affordable housing and environmental programs to financial education and cultural preservation initiatives.

For over 50 years, we’ve been providing capital and financial services to Native communities and we’ll continue to work together to make better tomorrows for generations to come.

Find out more at

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TOP ININDIAN COUNTRY 30 CEOS

LEADING WITH PURPOSE & MAKING AN IMPACT

By Carmen Davis, Executive Editor

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ver more than two decades of running our own businesses, my husband and business partner, Gary Davis, and I have traveled extensively across Indian Country.

We’ve engaged in conversations with Tribal and Alaska Native leadership, and witnessed firsthand the seamless execution of master-planned businesses and communities. We have visited Tribal communities situated near major cities, and toured Tribal reservations located in the most remote regions of North America. On our journeys, we’ve shared meals and conversations with, in my opinion, some of the most visionary and impressive Tribal leaders and Native business executives in the world.

Contained on the pages to follow, we document and memorialize the incredible stories and effective leadership of 30 amazing CEOs from across Indian Country, featured in no particular hierarchy. Our list includes CEOs of Tribal businesses spanning a variety of sectors including: gaming, federal contracting, construction, natural resources and financial services.

We started Native Business to drive business in Indian Country forward. We truly believe that strong leadership is the ultimate strategic advantage in business. Each of the CEOs we interviewed for this issue spoke to the power of clarity of vision. The core values and vision of their Nation or Tribal enterprise serve as the guiding force behind their leadership and ability to inspire their teams to put their hearts and energy into their work, day in and day out. Meanwhile, that level of commitment and dedication across a workforce creates a solid foundation for business sustainability and growth to support the next seven generations.

Without further ado, here is Native Business’ premiere list of the Top 30 CEOs in Indian Country…

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“We know what it’s like not to have enough and we believe that to be truly successful, we have to make sure families are stable and secure,” Bryan says.

STEPHANIE A. BRYAN

TRIBAL CHAIR & CEO OF THE POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS IS IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH THE FAMILY BUSINESS

E

By Andrew Ricci

ven though the Poarch Band of Creek Indians has lived together as a community for more than 150 years, it wasn’t until 35 years ago, on August 11, 1984, that they gained formal federal recognition.

That means that over the course of her lifetime, Stephanie A. Bryan, the Tribe’s Chair and CEO, has not only seen the Poarch Band evolve from an unrecognized group into an economic powerhouse that now operates one of the largest industries in southeastern Alabama, directly creating more than 8,000 jobs; she’s also played a part in spearheading that growth.

The Creek Indians were Alabama’s first residents, originally occupying most of present-day Alabama and Georgia. With many waterways in the area, the Tribe’s lands were a prime location for the burgeoning trade industry. As a result, they played an important role in facilitating trade, serving as guides, translators, and

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ferry operators.

After the Creek Wars in the early 1800s, the majority of the Creek Nation was forcibly removed by the Trail of Tears. The descendants of those that managed to remain make up the Poarch Band today.

Growing up, Bryan says that her mother took charge and made sure she understood the Tribe’s history and were proud of her Creek Heritage.

“My mom was a guiding light in my life,” Bryan tells Native Business Magazine.

“She grew up in a time of real poverty when money and sometimes food was scarce,” she says. “In [my mom’s] generation, the Indian school at Poarch only went up to the 6th grade and the county school bus wouldn’t come pick up the Poarch kids, so she always valued education and wanted her kids to have better opportunities.”

This education included opportunities to learn about the Poarch culture.

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“Growing up, I remember attending our summer youth programs here at our reservation,” she says. “We had an instructor that came and taught us Muskogee Creek language, culture, stickball and dance.

Those are really special memories for me.”

Anyone who talks to her now would likely find it hard to believe that she was a shy child. Her mother encouraged her to enter the Princess contest, and when she won, she was apprehensive about receiving the crown. But, Bryan says, “along the way, the love and support I got from the Poarch gave me the courage to try new things and the work ethic I learned growing up helped me immensely as I started my career.”

After getting a degree in business, Bryan worked as the director at a telecommunications company and in the insurance business. Both of those jobs, she says, provided important services that improved the quality of life for people — providing

PHOTOS COURTESY POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Chair and CEO Stephanie A. Bryan

An aerial shot of the amphitheater at Wind Creek Atmore, which has hosted big-name national acts including Big & Rich, Charlie Wilson, and CeeLo Green

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Chair and CEO Stephanie A. Bryan

The Wind Creek Crystal Casino in downtown Oranjestad, Aruba

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan with members of her Tribe

PHOTOS COURTESY POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS

Exterior of the Tribe’s Wa She Shu Casino in Gardnerville, Nevada

foundational lessons for what was later to come.

“Everything that I have done in my business career is about improving quality of life,” she says. “I had a lot of jobs that gave me exposure to a lot of what our Tribe needed; I wrote a lot of grants, I worked on job training programs, housing, USDA programs, childcare development block grants, and housing.”

“We needed so much,” she continues.

“My memory of those times is still really fresh, and I keep that close to me.”

Things started to turn when the Tribe finally gained federal recognition. As a child, Bryan says she remembers standing by the washpots on the Pow Wow grounds, where community members were cooking chicken to raise money to send then Chief Calvin McGee to Washington, D.C. “He was our champion in gaining federal recognition and nothing that we have today would have been possible without that,” she says. “I remember an event on the Pow Wow grounds when it was announced that we were a federally recognized Tribe and we would be receiving grant money.

When some of that first money came in, [my mother] told us that it wasn’t for us, but for the Tribe, and we put that money together to help Poarch become what it is today.”

In 2006, Bryan began serving as Vice-Chair of the Poarch Tribal Council, and in 2014, she became the first female political leader elected to the position of Tribal Chair and CEO. In that role, she is involved with the Tribe’s legislative operations as well as overseeing all Tribal governmental and business operations, including Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority (CEIDA) and PCI Gaming Authority (PCIGA).

“Our economy has grown over 1,000 percent since I first won a seat in Tribal government,” she says. “It’s never too far from my mind about those times when there just wasn’t enough, and I think that has really shaped how we have grown our businesses and how we have decided to in-

vest our resources.”

To illustrate this, she highlights how time spent with her uncle showed her how investments could pay off and make an impact on peoples’ lives.

“My Uncle Otha had a big garden, and I used to love to be out there with him taking care of the garden, and then we’d get to pick all those good fresh vegetables,” she says. “Uncle Otha shared what he grew and I would go with him when he would deliver those vegetables to folks at the Tribe who really needed the food.”

“They wouldn’t have anything else to eat but maybe cornbread,” she continues.

“But what Otha grew sustained them. That lesson guides my work as the Tribal Chairwoman and CEO.” Now, just a few decades later, the Tribe’s economic development initiative — which she calls the family business — include gaming enterprises, PCI Aviation (which does business in the Defense and

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Tribal Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan enjoying time with her family (mother, sisters, aunts, great niece and nephew)

money, and we were able to pay off the seven-year loan in about two years. That allowed us to establish a reputation for being good businesspeople, and it also gave us the funding we needed to improve the lives of our people, including building a state-of-the-art health clinic.”

In and of itself, this health clinic was a major accomplishment. Bryan says that she remembers being a child and having her teeth cleaned on an Airstream bus with a portable dentist office on it. Today, as a result of the Tribe’s economic development initiatives, any

“We decided against letting

ficient, but we are focused on building a portfolio of businesses that can weather economic downturns, grow, and provide stable incomes for people across Alabama.”

“We know what it’s like not to have enough and we believe that to be truly successful, we have to make sure families are stable and secure,” she continues.

Bryan says that even though every Tribe is different, they share many of the same challenges. That means that as a Tribal business leader herself, she is continually learning from other Tribal leaders and she would like to think they might recognize some of the Poarch Band’s successful practices as well.

That includes taking the necessary and sometimes hard steps to develop the whole community into a stronger place to live and work, and to be good neighbors, with philanthropy as a cornerstone of a Tribe’s footprint.

“We are committed to building safe and strong communities, but we understand that all of the communities around us need to be strong too,” she says. “Every family needs to have enough income to put food on the table, have a way to get their kids to the doctor, and get the education they need to compete in today’s labor market.”

“I had lunch with President Obama and I remember he said that more fortunate Tribes should try to help others,” she says.

“He was right. We are already trying to help a small Tribe in California.”

For the next generation, Bryan says it is vitally important that they inherit the current generation’s hard-fought values and work ethic. So she wants to do everything she can to help Poarch children learn to work hard, be careful stewards of opportunities, and be committed to the future of the family business and the Tribe.

“For me, there is no better feeling than to improve the quality of life for others,” she says. “I also work each and every day to honor those who came before me, and the best way I know how to do that is to work on every problem and every opportunity with integrity. Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.”

“We want to make sure that our next generation inherits that sense of history as well as a responsibility and understanding of the importance of being self-sustaining and being a good neighbor,” she says.

“While I want our Tribe to continually move forward, may we never forget where we came from.”

Harrah’s manage Wind Creek and

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decided to manage it ourselves,”

Bryan says. “It was a chance at selfsufficiency and we took it.” enrolled member of a federally recognized Tribe can visit the Buford L. Rolin Health Clinic to obtain primary care; diagnostic lab tests; prescriptions; diagnostic x-ray and ultrasound exams; counseling for mental health, drug, and alcohol abuse; physical therapy; eye care; health education; mammography and other annual women’s health screening services; dental services; and diabetic programs; among others.

Other benefits that the Tribe’s economic development provide include higher education, eldercare and high-quality preschool education.

On the horizon, Bryan says that the Poarch Band wants to continue to find investment opportunities that will have a good rate of return and expand its footprint, even in what can sometimes be difficult periods in the economy. That’s why, after being elected in 2014, she says that the Tribe created a diversified Economic Development Plan built on sustainable principles.

“We believe it is a road map that will continue to provide jobs and economic stability for our Tribe and our neighbors throughout the state,” she says. “Gaming gave us the opportunity to become self-suf-

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PHOTOS COURTESY POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS

Aerospace sector), Media Fusion (a nationally recognized support services company that provides program management and office administration, strategic communications, user experience design, and every aspect of digital content and multimedia production), metal working, hospitality, farming, and several others.

The Poarch Band’s Wind Creek Hospitality brand currently counts 10 properties in its portfolio, including four casino resorts in Alabama and Pennsylvania, a Greyhound racing facility in Alabama, two parimutuel tracks and poker rooms in the Florida panhandle, the Wa She Shu Casino and Travel Plaza in Nevada, and the Renaissance Aruba and Renaissance Curacao Resorts and Casinos in the Caribbean.

Another turning point she cites was the Tribe’s decision to build and manage Wind Creek Atmore themselves — and one of her greatest achievements as a Tribal business leader was being able to pay back the money they borrowed to build the facility.

“A lot of Indian gaming operations had management contracts with some of the well-known names in the business, but we decided against letting Harrah’s manage Wind Creek and decided to manage it ourselves,” she says. “It was a chance at self-sufficiency and we took it.”

“When we decided to build it, we had no debt and we were worried about taking out loans,” she continues. “But we committed to making Wind Creek a success.

We worked hard, we were careful with our

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JIM ALLEN

CHAIRMAN OF HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL, CEO OF SEMINOLE GAMING

By Josh Robertson

J

im Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, has shown industry leadership by example, leading the Tribe’s acquisition of Hard Rock International way back in 2007. The purchase, a landmark in Indian gaming and business, was the first time a Native American Tribe acquired a major existing international company. The Hard Rock empire has grown dramatically on Allen’s watch: from 125 cafes to 185, from nine hotels to 27 and from four casinos to 12.

Allen’s experience goes back to his early career in Atlantic City, where as part of the Trump organization he helped bring boxing from Las Vegas to New Jersey. From

there, he embarked on ever higher-profile ventures, working under resort magnate Sol Kerzner to develop Mohegan Sun and the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.

His work with the Seminole Tribe has been his baby — “I really wanted to do it 100 percent on my own,” he has said. Hard Rock was a brand, built on t-shirts and memorabilia, that was in need of a fresh vision. “I felt the company had the opportunity to enhance its management, its philosophies and expand in the hotel and gaming sectors. I think that any company is only as good as its management team. Very respectfully, I felt we could do it better.”

ANTHONY MALLOTT CEO, SEALASKA

By Andrew Ricci Anthony Mallot

I

t took Anthony Mallott (Tlingit, Eagle, Tsaagweidi [Killerwhale] Clan and Koyukon Athabaskan, Caribou Clan) four years to turn around Sealaska.

When he took the reins as CEO, the company was losing tens of millions of dollars and hadn’t been able to break even on its own operations for 15 years. Now, under his leadership, Alaska’s largest Alaska Native Corporation is firmly in the black and recording record profits for its more than 22,000 shareholders.

Part of Mallott’s turnaround strategy was to get back to basics, developing a strategic plan that ensured every business aligned with Sealaska’s values and made

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sense to continue. Businesses that fell short of this test were quickly cut from the company’s portfolio, which allowed Sealaska to invest in businesses that were relevant and meaningful to the people the company serves.

“Why are we in plastic-injecting molding facilities that create plastic products all over the place when we’re an oceangoing, environmentally conscious people,” he says, citing one example. “That’s an easy one to see it does not fit.”

In total, Sealaska exited just shy of 10 businesses, setting the stage for the company to begin leveraging its strengths and

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Today, the Hard Rock brand is growing all over the world, including in south Florida — Seminole country, headquarters of the Tribe and its now-global empire.

In October, Hard Rock opened a structure with the sort of eye-catching, brand-cementing architecture you'd see in Vegas or Dubai: The new Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel, a 35-floor guitar-shaped hotel boasting 469 suites that rises above Hollywood. Allen has been dreaming about a guitar-shaped hotel for over a decade. “At the time, everyone thought we were a little bit crazy,” he said at a recent press conference. “That's not the first time we've been accused of that.”

building a strategic plan around them.

While the turnaround took place while Mallott was leading the C-Suite, he refuses to take sole credit, emphasizing the collaborative and team-oriented approach that he has fostered. He says that approach relies on strong internal and external partners, each with a specific expertise.

“This is a team driving change,” he says.

“It’s a team that knows we need a lot of help to create the progress we want to create.”

Finally, for Mallott, the end goal for the business always comes back to building up the community.

“Every dollar we make gets invested back in our people,” he says. “We invest back in our people through dividends, through cultural investments, and through development efforts like training, internships and scholarships. More income means greater and improved investments in our people, and that’s really the tangible evidence that we want to build upon.”

PHOTO COURTESY SEALASKA

AP PHOTO/WAYNE PARRY

Jim Allen

MARK HUBBLE

CEO, KITUWAH, LLC

The Economic Driver Joining the startup team at Ho-Chunk, Inc. changed the trajectory of this former lawyer’s career. Now he’s helping to diversify the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ economy.

Mark Hubble

PHOTO COURTESY KITUWAH, LLC

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eading Kituwah, LLC, as CEO isn’t the first time that Mark Hubble (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) has focused on diversifying a Tribal economy beyond gaming. Hubble was part of the startup team at Ho-Chunk, Inc. A graduate of Yale Law School, Hubble’s career switch was serendipitous. In the mid-1990s, Hubble and Lance Morgan, the founding President and CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc., worked together at Dorsey & Whitney, the largest law firm in Minnesota.

One day, Morgan (Winnebago) tells Hubble he’s launching a Tribal business to drive economic opportunity for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. “I was able to arrange a leave of absence from our law firm, so I made it fairly risk free for me,” Hubble tells Native Business. “I tried it, and I really liked it. It was more interesting than the day-to-day grind of a large law firm. That’s what made me jump on board.”

Among the biggest obstacles early-on at Ho-Chunk, Inc. was Tribal buy-in, Hubble shares. “We’re trying to avoid some of that resistance now [at Kituwah, LLC], by not pursuing the longer-term projects that take more time to develop before we can offset those with shorter-term time horizons on profitability,” Hubble says.

After Hubble helped to grow Ho-Chunk, Inc. as COO, he transitioned to serve as the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s General Counsel and Attorney General. While working for the Winnebago Tribe, Hubble also earned his Masters of Business Administration at Stanford University Grad-

uate School of Business — flying to Palo Alto, California, about every two weeks. “It was a busy time,” he says.

Kituwah, LLC is the economic development organization owned and operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), dedicated to creating an innovative future for the Tribe. Kituwah is actually the third Tribal economic development enterprise in which Hubble has held a key leadership role. From 2014-2018, Hubble served as CEO of Meskwaki, Inc., in Tama, Iowa, where he developed and managed logistics of the economic development arm of the Meskwaki Nation Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa. Hubble also served as CEO of General Labor, Inc. (2003-2010).

“It definitely gets easier with experience,” he tells Native Business. “You recognize the opportunities faster, and learn to avoid many of the mistakes that you’ve seen made.”

Because Kituwah is a startup, Hubble’s first year as CEO initially consisted of covering the most basic items — getting the financial policies written, opening bank accounts, writing investment policies, and engaging in constant communication with the Tribe’s elected representatives to keep them abreast of all that Kituwah is doing.

“Next came the very first stages of growth, which in this case happened to be taking over the local cinemas. We then set out a plan to make significant improvements — both external through new signage, landscaping, etc., and internally, through remodeling the concession and lobby. Simultaneously, we started locating

income producing properties, and beginning due diligence. As these properties are now coming at a regular pace, we routinely are screening three to five properties at any one time, of which we expect no more than one to pass the negotiation and due diligence stages. As these properties mature, we will fold into real estate funds, sell them to investors, and retain the management rights,” Hubble shares.

Kituwah is currently growing at a 300 percent revenue rate. “We are closing on various properties at a fast pace,” he says.

While Hubble is focused on turning a quick profit, he’s also committed to ensuring long-term sustainability. “I like Warren Buffett’s philosophies in general — seek value and think long term,” Hubble says.

Hubble describes his leadership style as “extremely collaborative. I actively seek input from those I trust, and because we are careful on the front-end of the recruitment and onboarding process, it allows trust to build within the organization. I end up relying heavily on the Board and our employees,” he says.

When it comes to hiring, Hubble’s philosophy is: “Get the right people in the right positions and let them thrive.” He also looks for team players. “We don’t like big egos. We just want good-hearted people who care for the Tribe as a whole. We really look for sharp analytical and problem-solving skills.”

Today, Lance Morgan sits on the board of Kituwah, LLC. In a way, Hubble’s career has come full circle. “What we’re trying to do is recreate a lot of the things that have been successful for Ho-Chunk,” Hubble says.

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D. DAVE WILLIAMS

PRESIDENT AND CEO,

MISSOURI RIVER RESOURCES

Sovereignty by the Barrel

D. Dave Williams

D.

Dave Williams was just 19 years old when he started working in the oil field. It was the summer after his freshman year at Dickinson State University, where he played college football. “I was a rookie — they call them grunts or worms, a new guy who’s the greenhorn in the oil field,” Williams laughs. “My first day at work, I was pulling pipe out of the ground.”

Just prior to his scheduled return to football practice and his sophomore year, Williams received a paycheck for 160 hours for two weeks of work. He was hooked. “I was hesitant to tell my mom, but I quit college and stayed in the oil field,” says Williams, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation.

For the next 12 years, Williams worked in all facets of the industry with Gulf-Chevron Oil Company from 1979-1991. “I worked all over — Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Utah, West Texas, North Texas, Oklahoma,” he says.

When the price of oil plummeted to $7-8 a barrel, Williams returned to school, intending to study petroleum engineering at North Dakota State University. That program was phased out, so he pursued

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his other passion: education and coaching — a career Williams enjoyed for nearly 20 years.

Life later landed Williams and his wife back in New Town, North Dakota, where Williams took a position as head high school baseball coach. Six years later, the Bakken oil field started to boom.

Finding Our Compass in the Bakken Williams had a unique advantage, given his diverse experience in the oil industry — from drilling wells to completions of wells to serving as a lease operator in the Permian Basin in West Texas. He was ready to dive in head-first, forging a path of economic and energy sovereignty for the MHA NAtion.

Williams spoke to the Chairman and Council at the time, and in 2008, he took on the title of Exploration and Production Analyst for the MHA Nation. “I was working with a gentleman named Councilman Scott Eagle, and we were just trying to find our compass in the Bakken, and figuring out what to do,” Williams says.

Efforts to create a shared vision and path forward fell short at the time. “We had leased out the Tribe’s portion of land

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to almost all the oil companies that came in,” Williams says.

Come 2010, Williams convinced then-Chairman Tex Hall to grant a resolution for Williams to start a company — tasked with the mission of securing money and land for the Tribal business.

Williams tapped his resources, flying to visit the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Colorado in 2010. “They were very highly successful in creating an oil and gas company in the Indian Country. I went down there by myself and asked for their business plan, and they gave me their business plan from 1991,” Williams says.

The Southern Utes had previously leased about 25,000 acres on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation — “but there was no fossil fuels there, and no hydrocarbons,” Williams said. So the Southern Utes didn’t sell or renew their lease, and the MHA Nation inherited those non-producing lands — “except, except,” Williams emphasizes, “part of that lease [included] a 320-acre lease, right next to Mandaree.

For me, that was a little bit of intervention

by God.” Williams created a resolution to hold those 320 acres. “And I said, when the time comes, when I get money, I’m going to drill four wells on that lease. And I held on to it.”

Williams and the Tribe officially formed Missouri River Resources, complete with a Board of Directors, in 2011. “And I for-

COURTESY D. DAVE WILLIAMS

With perseverance, God’s grace and optimism (“the curse of an oil man”), Williams built and leads Missouri River Resources

“I’ll go to the locations and check on the pumpers out there. We’ve got three pumpers that are all Tribal members,” he says.

Next he pays a visit to the operations managers, the landman and hired experts. “In any business, you’ve got to get the right people on the bus,” Williams states.

Dave Williams’ morning starts off at 6 a.m., when the satellite TV kicks on a Christian station, and he sits for half an hour, with his coffee, listening to the message. That’s followed by a prayer, board meetings, “and looking forward to God’s grace. Then we go to work and try to create an atmosphere where our employees are happy to work there,” he says. “We’ve been doing that now for eight years.”

Williams then heads to the oil field.

Williams considers his Chief Operating Officer the most essential tool in his tool shed. “It’s Ron Kaler. If I don’t have a Chief Operating Officer who knows his stuff, I can’t drill a well. I can’t make any money. Period,” Williams says.

To put things into perspective: North Dakota produces nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. It's the second largest oil-producing state in the nation behind Texas. “So our work ethic up here is very

tunately found a few hundred thousand dollars through a deal that the Tribe overlooked,” Williams explains.

Persistence Wears Down Resistance Come 2013, oil prices reached $147 a barrel, and the Tribe was financially stable, thanks to their oil leases that had generated a few hundred million dollars over the past 5 years.

Williams approached the Tribal Council again. “They allowed an equity infusion for us to drill our first four wells,” Williams says. Meanwhile, Missouri River Resources had acquired a minority interest in about 15 other wells, and Williams secured another resolution for “first right of refusal — essentially, if there’s any breadcrumbs, please pass them this way,” he says of unleased Tribal land. “We were kind of surviving on working interest.”

It was an historic moment when the Tribe drilled its first wells. “Out of respect for the Nation, we named the first four wells: The Mandan, The Hidatsa, The Arikara and The Nation. We put our proverbial flag

high — especially, you know, when it’s 40 below,” Williams adds.

And that’s a two-way street. Williams employees show up for the job, because he shows up for them. “I can’t emphasize enough: you’re the leader. And by leading everyday, it sets the tone for years to come.”

In addition to regular safety trainings, Williams is big on communication.

“I make sure, especially in the winter, that everybody touches base with me and tells me that they made it to the location,” Williams says. “The work doesn’t mean anything unless you back it up with being a safe operator, a responsible operator,” he adds.

At the end of the day, it’s his love for his Tribe and people that motivates Williams. “I love my people. I want to create a better environment and possibilities for the kids. I put my heart and soul into helping our youth,” says Williams. “We’re

in the Bakken,” Wiliams says. “It was a good feeling.”

Williams’ success is rooted in perseverance. “My tenacity or my self-determination to pursue maybe what people think is impossible…. I’m a can-do-it guy,” Williams says.

Today, Missouri River Resources’ total acreage is over 4,300 acres. The company has developed 8 producing wells and has participated in 26 working interest wells in the Bakken oil play in western North Dakota.

“We drilled four other wells a year ago — which are the highest producing mile lateral wells in a 60-mile radius in the market, which really put a feather in our cap. We’re really upping our completion

“It’s all heartfelt. It’s my land, and it’s my people. I have blood, sweat and tears in this,” Williams says.

blessed with this oil. The money we get, our kids and elders can have access to better healthcare. Our youth can go to college,” says Williams, who himself counts three kids and nine grandchildren.

“It’s all heartfelt,” Williams says. “It’s my land, and it’s my people. I have blood, sweat and tears in this.”

“In any business, you’ve got to get the right people on the bus,” Williams states.

techniques,” Williams says.

“As a Native oil company that really came from the ashes, so to speak, we’ve almost produced over 2 million barrels of oil on our own, as just a little company with 10-12 employees,” Williams continues. “For us, it’s phenomenal. I mean, we’re not Exxon or Texaco, or anybody like that. We’re just a small oil company that goes to work every day, puts our nose to the grindstone, and contributes as much as we can. But I believe we’re doing a job over and above.”

And hard work pays off.

“We do have another 33 wells right now to drill. So we’re looking forward to a 33-well program that would bring us to a higher level, or the medium echelon in the Bakken. And God willing, we could be producing, instead of 1,200 barrels a day, 12,000 barrels a day. So our expectations are high. We’re very optimistic.

I think that’s the curse of an oil man — optimism. But I always look up at the sky when I ask for something. And God usually provides if we work hard enough.”

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The International Industry Vetaran Crofts leverages his global experience in Oklahoma

A

more than 40-year veteran of the gaming industry, Pat Pat Crofts Crofts got his start at age 21 in the 1970s working for a Las Vegas-based CPA firm whose primary client was the Howard Hughes casino empire. “He owned about 15 or 20 casinos in Nevada at the time. As a kid from a small, southern Utah town, I moved to Las Vegas and I’m immediately in the count rooms at these very exciting casinos. I fell in love with the business,” Crofts says. “It was more than just the casino business, it was hotels and restaurants and golf courses and RV parks.”

Crofts went on to hold positions with Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) and Harvey’s Resorts. He also launched IGT/CMS International. “We were 50 percent owned by IGT, which is a large gaming manufacturer, and 50 percent owned by myself and some other partners,” Crofts explains.

Through that venture, Crofts owned and operated several casinos in Nevada and the Caribbean. That’s only the cusp of his international experience. With American Heritage, Inc., Crofts took on projects across South America, the Caribbean and even in Macau. He describes the early casino construction in Macau like Atlantic City in the 1980s “but on steroids.”

Crofts was actually introduced to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation as an outside consultant through international casino management firm the Navegante Group. “We were helping the Tribe get the financing to build phase one of River Spirit Casino,” Crofts explains.

Crofts must have made a good impression, because the Nation brought him on as CEO. When Crofts came on board in 2011, the Nation operated nine casinos and two travel plazas. “The business at the time was being operated as nine separate silos, with a board of directors over all nine. One of my first mandates was to centralize those enterprises and get everybody working under the same culture and with the same business practices — becoming one company rather than nine companies,” Crofts says.

Today, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation operates 11 gaming facilities throughout northeastern Oklahoma, the largest of which is River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa. The flagship property opened in 2009, and the $365 million expansion debuted in 2016, doubling the gaming space with the attached Margaritaville Casino, and adding a 27-floor all-glass hotel tower, a special-events venue, an upscale spa, a resort pool, a 2,500-seat showroom theater, and multiple new bars and restaurants. Within its first six months of opening, the hotel garnered the prestigious Four Diamond Award from AAA, placing River Spirit Casino Resort in the top 6 percent of all AAA approved properties in North America.

“It’s a fantastic facility in Tulsa,” says Crofts, adding, “That was a first for both Margaritaville and Ruth’s Chris — being in a Tribal casino environment. It was also a big deal bringing international

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companies like that to Tulsa.”

In May 2019, River Spirit Casino Resort made national headlines when the Arkansas River flooded. “Our property was completely surrounded by water,” Crofts says, “and we were shut down for a 30-day period. It was a major feat — getting operational just 30 days after.”

During that challenging time period, Crofts had 1,600 employees at River Spirit Casino Resort to think about (across its properties, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos employs 2,200 people). “We made a decision while we were shut down to pay all of our employees their full salary and benefits,” he says. That team-first mentality is central to Crofts’ leadership style.

People often ask Crofts how he amassed such an impressive resume of industry experience — from management and ownership in gaming and hospitality, to executive positions with private, public and Tribal companies that run domestic and international operations. His greatest advice is to “be patient, because it’s not going to happen overnight,” and to keep learning. “Keep current on technology and keep bettering yourself,” he says. “Take every opportunity you can to learn something new about your business.”

cash in. Chill Out.

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PAT CROFTS

CEO, MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION CASINOS

MARIO KONTOMERKOS CEO, MOHEGAN GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT

By Josh Robertson

N

ative businesses now compete in the global economy, operating outside of Tribal lands and even in locations that are an ocean away — just look at Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) under the leadership of CEO Mario Kontomerkos.

Kontomerkos came on board as CFO of MGE in 2012. In 2016, the company won a license to develop a casino far from Tribal homelands — in Incheon, South Korea.

Kontomerkos took over as CEO in 2018, the same year the company announced it would partner with Paramount to install a movie-themed park at the resort, which is to be called Inspire. “We literally are 1,000 feet away from the Incheon International Airport, which is the fifth busiest in the world, 70 million people go through that airport every year,” Kontomerkos told HotelBusiness.com in June.

MGE’s expansion in the Kontomerkos era is happening quickly, and without concern for borders or physical proximity. Earlier

this year, MGE became the service provider for Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The company has also partnered on gaming resorts with the Cowlitz Tribe (in Washington state) and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. When the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opens in 2020, it’ll be MGE running the casino operation within, making MGE the first Native gaming operation with a presence in Vegas.

The Momentum loyalty plan, started at Mohegan Sun, is a key component in Kontomerkos’ plan to become the world’s top casino resort developer. “We’ve got access to very affluent and very mobile demographics, global demographics,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He foresees a loyal customer base that plans vacations within a network of MGE establishments all over the world.

As an example, he notes that Niagara Falls is a favorite destination of Korean tourists.

At this moment, MGE is one of two gaming giants competing to build a casino at the disused Hellenikon airport location near

Athens, Greece.

Mario Kontomerkos The other?

Hard Rock International, which is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The winner will have an effective monopoly on gaming in the Greek capital. MGE is also seeking to develop a resort-casino in Hokkaido, Japan.

While this is potentially explosive growth, Kontomerkos says the values of the Tribe ensure that it is not reckless growth. “I think [the owners of Fallsview] were comforted by the heritage of the Mohegan tribe,” he told hotelmanagement.net. “The way we make business decisions is not for the next month or the next quarter, and sometimes not even for the next year. ...Our decisions have to be sustainable for 25 to 50 years because the whole purpose of this organization, the reason that this organization exists, is for the generational sustainability of the Tribe and also the communities that it operates in.”

RAY HALBRITTER

PHOTO COURTESY ONEIDA NATION ENTERPRISES

ONEIDA NATION REPRESENTATIVE AND ONEIDA NATION ENTERPRISES CEO

Ray Halbritter

R

ay Halbritter has led the Oneida people to an economic and cultural renaissance that has been hailed as a national model of success.

The grandson of an Oneida leader and the son of a nurse, he lived in an impoverished community on the Oneida Indian Nation’s sacred homeland, and saw his family members die in an inferno neglected by local officials. He toiled as an

ironworker to make ends meet, eventually getting into Syracuse University and then Harvard Law School.

Having deep roots in his Nation, Halbritter returned to Central New York to use his education to give back to his community, beginning the arduous process of building the first major enterprises on the Oneida homelands. With Halbritter at the helm, the Oneida Indian Nation became the first American Indian government in 1979 to offer gaming operations on sovereign land — one of many prescient moves that positioned the Oneida people to build what would become a world-class entertainment and gaming facility in the heart of the Northeast.

In the early years of the resurgence, Halbritter’s vision of major enterprises were at first derided by the local media as unrealistic — but through diligence, hard work and collaboration, he helped transform an empty cornfield into sustainable enterprises that have become an engine of jobs, shared prosperity and cultural resurgence for the Oneida people. In all, the Nation’s businesses include Turning Stone Resort Casino, Yellow Brick Road Casino, Point Place Casino, the Maple Leaf Market & SāvOn chain of convenience stores, Oneida Technical Solutions, Oneida Heritage Sales & Rentals, a hunting preserve, fishing lodge and three Marinas.

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Holly Gagnon

HOLLY GAGNON

A

certified CPA, Holly Gagnon started her career at large accounting firms, before she transitioned to handling internal audits. When Gagnon interviewed for the head of internal audits at what’s now known as the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise, she Holly was told Gagnon the 60 to 70 hour work weeks referenced in the job description only pertained to the opening of Foxwoods Resort Casino.

“It was like that for the entire duration of my tenure; it was that intense,” admits Gagnon, who became the Executive Director of Finance at Foxwoods.

And yet, she loved it. “We were in this rapid expansion mode. We didn’t have enough equipment to count all the money that was coming in, and the money was piling up on trolleys, in drop boxes in the count rooms. ...So much learning happened so quickly. I feel very fortunate,” she tells Native Business.

“In that time frame of eight years, we went from 2,000 employees to close to 10,000. We were constantly building,” she adds.

Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, actually served as an analyst under Gagnon in the 90s. “I just think the world of Rodney; he’s an amazing leader,” she says.

That prompts Gagnon to reflect: “I think one of my greatest assets in life are those networks that I forged back in those days.”

And then she shares a bit of wisdom: “You will never regret being kind. You will often regret when you’re not.”

Gagnon has built her career working for world premier gaming organizations like Foxwoods Resort Casino. She went on to serve in a number of key financial and operational roles in her six years with Harrah’s/ Caesars Entertainment, and from 20062008, as President at Gold Strike Casino, an MGM Resort property.

For two years, 2008-2010, when Gagnon

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The Calculated Risk-Taker This industry powerhouse seriously loves her job

had a noncompete contract, she lectured at the University of Massachusetts’ Isenberg School of Management. “I taught casino curriculum. Really, it was when I was out of the game and teaching that it became apparent — not only to me but to my students, who were like, ‘Why did you leave if you love it so much?’ — just how much I absolutely love what I do. It’s very dynamic, and it’s very analytical, which suits me very well. But it’s also about people and relationships, which are important to me. It’s the one job where you can work on strategy, and then go down on the casino floor and watch it play out — which is very interesting. It’s very immediate feedback,” she says.

After teaching, Gagnon returned to Harrah’s/Caesars where she served as Divisional Vice President of Planning and Analysis from 2010 to 2012, before taking on the President and CEO position at Pearl River Resort, where she managed a multimillion-dollar renovation and rebranding effort. From late 2015 to June 2017, Gagnon led Chumash Enterprises as CEO for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

Continuously Improving Seneca Gaming Today, as President and CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation, Gagnon leverages her 27 years of knowledge in the gaming and hospitality industry. In her two-plus years at the helm of Seneca Gaming Corporation — which encompasses Seneca Niag-

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ara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York; Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, New York; and Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, New York — she’s made a significant impact within the corporation.

A calculated risk-taker who likes to “over-deliver on a commitment,” she’s proud of a recent accomplishment by Seneca Gaming Corporation — the $40 Million “Seneca Arrival Experience,” which elevates the gateway to Niagara Falls. “In June, we opened our new Arrival Experience. It is fantastic; it’s spectacular, and we were on time and under budget, and it was a $40 million project,” Gagnon says.

Her enthusiasm extends beyond superior results. Gagnon deeply cares about the guest experience. For instance, Tim McGraw recently performed at Seneca Niagara Events Center. “It was the largest concert we’ve had in the history of the property. It was flawlessly executed, and to have [Tim McGraw’s] management say how impressed they were with our team…. If that doesn’t excite you, then this isn’t the business for you,” she laughs.

When it comes to excelling in business, Gagnon’s advice is simple and direct: Be the kind of employee that you would pay for, and be the kind of boss you wish you had.

“Really define the kind of leader you want to be, and try to be that every day,” she says.

Gagnon is particularly passionate about Seneca Gaming’s new Continuous Improve-

PHOTO COURTESY SENECA GAMING CORPORATION

PRESIDENT AND CEO, SENECA GAMING CORPORATION

ment department implemented this year.

It’s empowering stronger team members and involving them in decision making.

Continuous Improvement, “a refinement to our executive development program for Senecas,” is based on Kaizen, a strategy where employees at all levels of a company work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements.

Five Seneca Nation members run the Continuous Improvement department, including the executive director. “Not only are they learning the business, they are the change agents for the organization,” Gagnon says.

Leading Like a Woman As a founding board member of Global Gaming Women, where she chairs the mentorship committee, Gagnon proactively works to uplift women in the industry. “Global Gaming Women is a foundational infrastructure for women to tap into networks, education and leadership,” Gagnon says.

In general, Gagnon is an avid supporter of a diverse leadership team and workforce.

“What fascinates me is that, in the United States, we lag behind other countries

[in terms of the number of females who hold executive leadership positions], even though, statistically, we know that companies that are led by women, or have a good representation of women on their boards of directors, tend to have better long-term profitability,” Gagnon says. “So, regardless of whether we feel it’s the right thing from

“Really define the kind of leader you want to be, and try to be that every day,” Gagnon says. a social standpoint, it’s the right business decision to promote a diverse leadership team. Because we all will approach the solution differently, and probably come up with a much better solution than if we had everyone thinking the same as we did.”

Gagnon is one of the few female CEOs in the gaming industry, though she’s the third

female CEO at Seneca Gaming Corporation.

“I work with a lot of talented women. Our team happens to be about 60 percent female,” Gagnon says of Seneca Gaming Corporation.

It will likely come as no surprise that the Seneca Gaming team describes Gagnon as an authentic leader. “We laugh a lot, and we’re warm, and we are approachable,” says Gagnon of her executive team. Gagnon adds that her take on leadership is greatly influenced

by Dr. Brené Brown, a best-selling author and research professor at the University of Houston, who is renowned for her TED Talk on the power of vulnerability.

Speaking of values, Gagnon’s are aligned with the Seneca Nation.

“I love working for a Native American organization, because I think our horizon for results is much longer-term. It’s about sustainability,” Gagnon says. “This is about the next generation that these businesses support.

I say: Judge my success five years after, because what I put into play should be sustainable, and be of that level of quality, that it’s a building block for future growth.”

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JOHN JAMES

PRESIDENT AND CEO, FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO

Leadership Through Likability This Tribal gaming executive cares about maximizing efficiencies — and valuing each unique employee.

By Josh Robertson

J

ohn James, President and CEO of Foxwoods, prides himself on his passion for his job, and his ability to manage people through the inevitable changes and challenges of business. But he has a leadership tip that anyone who's ever held a job might like to hear more often: “I think it's very important to be likable,” he says. “Nobody wants to work for a stringent boss who they don't like. I think you can be very likable and firm at the same time, and respected.”

When James took his post in July, he had big shoes to fill — the shoes of a very likable man, Felix Rappaport, who led Foxwoods as its President and CEO from 2014 to 2018, before his untimely death in June 2018 at the age of 65. The sudden news and transition resulted in an emotional and logistical upheaval for Foxwoods. While devastated, the team responded the only way they could — by moving forward. Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler stepped in to serve as interim CEO. “With his passing, we have suffered a major loss,” Chairman Rodney Butler said in a statement last summer. “Felix’s passion for modernizing and growing Foxwoods, as well as his friendship, mentorship, and humor touched everyone who worked with him. We are confident that Felix’s legacy will live on as we continue to push forward on the vision he set.”

In addition to running Tribal government operations, Chairman Butler oversaw operations at Foxwoods, one of the largest

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casinos in the United States. A full year would pass before Foxwoods would secure another industry veteran to lead the Tribal gaming empire.

James’ appointment at Foxwoods began the latest chapter in his 25-year journey through the Tribal gaming industry that has seen success after success. He came to Foxwoods after a five-year stretch as Chief Operating Officer for Morongo Casino Resort & Spa located in Cabazon, California.

Prior to that, he was CEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises.

Naturally, James has been in positions where being liked wasn't a job requirement.

But as we're picking his brain for secrets to great leadership, we notice that he keeps

understand what that book is about. And the more and more I do, I find that there's a special thing about a workforce. …They're very unique and lovable. And I treat them as they want to be treated.”

Don't misunderstand him, though — he may espouse a kinder, gentler personal style, but he's serious and precise when it comes to figuring out business solutions and keeping the business running efficiently. “Two things,” he says. “Number one: I'm not worried about being right — I'm more worried about being effective. And number two: I focus on cutting the shortest distance between two points in the organizations, to get the maximum efficiencies, through planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, controlling, staffing.”

He also warns against the prevalent CEO tendency of meeting-itis. Holding gathering after gathering, long confabs with wide-ranging agendas, can actually prevent a team from doing all the grand plans they're discussing. “At the end of the day, it's the execution of those plans that really matters,” he says emphatically.

The view from James' desk, though, always returns to the people — the measure of a leader, after all, is not what the leader does, but what the leader motivates the people to do.

“It takes a team of people to drive toward a vision,” James says. “Obviously the tone is set at the top for a leader, and that's primary, but it's not fun when no one's following that lead. So it takes a lot to ensure that each and every person in the organization understands that they're a very important ingredient in the success of this business.”

“The old saying goes, ‘Treat others

the way you want to be treated.’ But

I've taken it to another level. I really want to treat others the way they want to be treated.” returning to this idea of being personable to his employees, of motivating them with a soft touch.

“The old saying goes, ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated,’” he says. “But I've taken it to another level. I really want to treat others the way they want to be treated.

And the way you go about that is through dialogue, getting to know them, each and every day. I never judge a book by its cover, but I keep reading the pages in the book, to

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COURTESY FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO

John James

CEO, NAVAJO NATION GAMING ENTERPRISE

By Andrew Ricci

W

PHOTO COURTESY DENNIS FITZPATRICK

hen it comes to gaming, Brian Parrish has had a lot of experience. He’s served as Navajo Gaming’s COO, the CEO of Quechan Casino in California, the CEO of Paradise Casino in Arizona, and as CEO and a member of the Management Board for Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in New Mexico.

Now, as CEO of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, which counts five casinos in Arizona and New Mexico as subsidiaries, Parrish oversees 1,200 employees in an enterprise that has created more than 7,400 direct, indirect and induced jobs with an overall economic output of more than a billion dollars.

Parrish starts each morning with a

prayer of gratitude, caring for his animals (he raises quarter horses, pygmy goats, a donkey and mini horses on his property), and then prepares to address the most important priorities for the day. This routine reinforces what he says is his favorite piece of business advice, which is to “never underestimate the importance of gratitude and humility.”

In fact, humility is an enduring theme in his approach to business and the lessons he’s learned as a leader. “Enduring success is rooted in humility, good values, treating everyone with dignity and respect at all times, stamina and self-accountability,” he tells Native Business Magazine.

With no two days the same, Parrish looks forward every day to working with differ-

Brian Parrish

ent people on a multitude of issues. And he says that one of the most effective elements of his leadership style is his belief that “nobody is more important than anyone else; the higher up you go in the organization, the more people you’re responsible for serving.”

“A very wise and accomplished gaming executive once told me, ‘The gaming business is 90 percent being able to work with people and 10 percent what you know,’” he says. “Technical tools are important, but they can’t compensate for deficiencies in values, fit and finding a way to work with everyone.”

DENNIS FITZPATRICK

CEO, SIYEH CORPORATION

By Lynn Armitage Dennis Fitzpatrick

E

ver since Dennis Fitzpatrick became the founding CEO of the Blackfeet Nation-owned Siyeh Corporation, the Tribe has been on a rip-roaring economic streak.

“For years, the Blackfeet Tribe attempted to create sustainable Tribal enterprises that could produce revenue for the Tribe and meet the needs of its citizens for jobs and services. But many of these early efforts did not succeed,” says Fitzpatrick.

Then in 1999, the Blackfeet Native established the federally chartered, Tribally owned Siyeh Corporation, named after a respected Blackfeet warrior renowned for his “fearless leadership and independent

spirit.” Today, the company — located on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana — is soaring economically with eight successful business enterprises, including a telecommunication company, cultural center, water and sewer utility, casinos, grocery store, hotel and fuel center.

“Operating profitably for 20 years is an achievement for any business, but even more significant for a Tribal enterprise in rural Montana,” says Fitzpatrick, proudly adding that Siyeh Corporation will pay its more than 250 employees $7 million in wages this year.

Fitzpatrick credits part of the company’s success to a unique internal operating system. “A well-developed operating system will establish guiding expectations and

provide best practices in communication, fiscal management, performance, customer relations and any other discipline important to the business,” Fitzpatrick explains.

The Blackfeet CEO seems to have hit upon a formula that is working. Under his leadership, the Siyeh Corporation has been recognized by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development for “creating a sustainable economic development model supporting the self-governance of the Tribe.”

For Fitzpatrick, the secret to his success is the ability to simply listen.

“I believe that my job is to be a skilled listener and analyze all the information I can before I make a decision.”

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COURTESY NAVAJO NATION GAMING ENTERPRISE

BRIAN PARRISH

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BRIAN DECORAH

“It’s all about the team,” says Brian Decorah (front).

CEO, SNOQUALMIE CASINO

Team Player The key to inspiring a workforce? Appreciation.

PHOTO COURTESY SNOQUALMIE CASINO

B

rian Decorah’s Tribal name is Nagu roha (pronounced: Nah-gah chewhee). It means many roads in HoChunk. “I’ve certainly traveled many roads to get to where I am in life,” Decorah tells Native Business.

A member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Decorah’s journey began in Necedah, a small town of 773 people in central Wisconsin, where he was raised. While intelligent — with a verified IQ in the top 5 percent of the world — Decorah’s first attempts at college were anything but smooth sailing. His first resulted in academic suspension, and he dropped out of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point on his second try.

That led Decorah to start his first job at a casino on October 15, 1995 — a date he quickly recalls much like a birthday or anniversary. He was working the graveyard shift as a security guard at Rainbow Casino, now known as Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa. Little did he anticipate that this taste of the gaming industry would set his career in motion.

“I thought security at a casino would be as a lot of crowd control. I realized I was more of a purveyor of information. ...I learned from a lot of people there that you had to keep your mind open, because the

gaming industry is a very fast-paced industry. And I loved it. As soon as I started working there, it just got into my blood,” Decorah says. “I would volunteer for the overtime shifts; I would come in early. I would be one of the first ones there in a snowstorm. I would volunteer to stay late and work a double, and I’ve even worked triple shifts to help out the team.”

Suddenly, Decorah felt a strong sense of focus and direction. He recognized he needed to finish his degree to excel in the gaming industry. “I returned to school, and I sat in the front of the room, instead of the back, and I got good grades,” he says.

Decorah earned his degree in Business Administration, and soon after completed his MBA from the University of Wisconsin school system.

From there, Decorah quickly ascended in the casino industry — bolstered by a team-first mentality that continues to drive his approach to leadership today.

Because Decorah has worked at every level in the casino — from the front line on the graveyard shift to President & CEO — he’s gained unique perspective on relating to all team members. “Oftentimes, the CEO is considered inaccessible or disengaged from the team. My leadership style is very different. It is important to

me that my team knows me, and that I am approachable to them, because we are all on the same team,” Decorah says.

Prior to joining the Snoqualmie Casino team on January 1, 2018, Decorah served as the top executive at four casino resorts in the Great Lakes Region — as President & CEO of FireKeepers Casino and Hotel, General Manager of North Star Mohican Casino Resort, and Executive Manager of Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg and HoChunk Gaming Wittenberg Nekoosa. In all, he’s had management oversight within 13 award-winning gaming operations, including casinos in New York and Arizona, and has consulted for commercial and Tribal gaming operations across the country.

When Decorah came on board at Snoqualmie, the casino had just wrapped up its best year in history. Decorah’s focus was clear: take care of the team and continue that momentum — profitability-wise and by raising the profile of the property on a national stage.

Within Decorah’s first year as CEO, Snoqualmie was rated one of Washington’s 100 Best Workplaces for 2018, as published in the Puget Sound Business Journal. “It’s the first time we’ve received that recognition.

Turnover went from 38 percent, down to 27 percent. Our EBITA went up 12.2 percent, which is pretty substantial growth, considering the prior year was a record year. Things will continue to improve and be exciting, because we have a great team and great owners — a great Tribe to work for,” Decorah says.

As CEO at Snoqualmie, Decorah also led the charge to develop an active shoot-

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“Speed and efficiency are critical in the gaming industry, so we are always looking for ways to improve our analytical efficiencies,” says CEO Brian Decorah, who shares a few of those tools and strategies with Native Business.

Labor management tools: “We have over 200 different job titles at the casino, and 3 different shifts to cover, many with different staffing needs, so it is important to use labor management metrics to help us be efficient in our scheduling. Team morale goes down when they are idle, so we also want to provide efficient scheduling for their job satisfaction,” Decorah explains.

Surveillance:

er training simulation with current and former SEAL Team Six members. The casino partnered with NBC Seattle for a special media piece on the training that received an Emmy in 2019.

Subsequently, Decorah and the Snoqualmie team developed the first-ever, multi-casino (10-plus) active-shooter training series with one of the FBI’s top active shooter trainers with live/blank assault rifle gunfire. “When it comes to active shooter preparedness,” says Decorah, who witnessed a gunman open fire in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, killing 58 people, “we want to share everything that we can to make our entire industry better.”

Brian Decorah Being solution-oriented is central to Decorah’s leadership style. That translates to meeting individual employee needs as well.

“My favorite advice in business, and in life, is: ‘A person that feels appreciated, will always do more than what is expected of them.’ I couldn’t agree more. I used to think that the primary motivators in business were the carrot and the stick. I’ve since learned that the most influential motivator is feeling valued.

I love seeing a team member’s face light up when I am able to share with them how their efforts make an impact,” Decorah says.

Decorah continues: “As the CEO, I ask myself every day, ‘Did you make an impact? For the Tribe, for the community, for a struggling employee… did I do something that made a difference, in a positive way?’ Every day and every challenge is different, but being able to make a difference, whether big or small, provides me with endless motivation.”

Decorah adds: “Receiving this honor is very humbling, and I owe a great amount of gratitude to the Snoqualmie Tribal Council, Homer A. Mandoka (former Chair, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi), Doug Huck (former Treasurer, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Potawatomi Indians), Greg Garvin and Randy Snowball, Ho-Chunk Gaming, and my jaji (father in HoChunk), Bruce Decorah.”

Most casinos have the surveillance department under the regulators, which limits their ability to use surveillance for things that are profit-driven, versus regulations-driven. Snoqualmie manages its own surveillance department, which provides the advantage of monitoring table ratings (average hands per hour, then converting those to accurate player point accruals in the casino’s database).

HRIS tools allow for quicker analysis of Snoqualmie’s 1,100 team members, including turnover rates, benefits management, etc.

Tracking software: “Almost every casino uses player tracking systems extensively, but we have additional systems in place to identify players around the entire property, even if they don’t have a player’s club card, and they don’t play any games,” Decorah shares.

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Brian Decorah

PHOTO COURTESY SNOQUALMIE CASINO

Human Resource Information System (HRIS):

COURTESY MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS

SAJEED “TITU” ASGHAR CEO, MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS

By Lynn Armitage

W

hile most of us are still snoozing, Sajeed “Titu” Asghar is already up and running every day. “My morning starts at 4:30 with news, a portfolio review, calls to the broker dealer in New York and answering emails,” says Asghar, the chief executive officer for The Morongo Band of Mission Indians since 2016.

This early bird gets the job done.

Asghar oversees all aspects of Tribal operations — government programs, real estate and economic development of the Tribe’s many diversified businesses that employ more than 5,000 people, including two PGA golf courses, a 36-pump gas station and travel center, and the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

PHOTO COURTESY ARCTIC SLOPE REGIONAL CORPORATION

Rex A. Rock, Sr.

Asghar, who holds an MBA in investment finance and describes himself as an “inclusive” leader, has leveraged his experience in working with Tribal Nations for nearly two decades to help the Morongo Tribe generate $3 billion annually in economic prosperity.

“I normally do not direct my managers. Instead, I ask for their feedback and where I can help fill gaps,” he explains of his leadership style. “My managers take ownership of projects and are personally vested. I give them credit when they succeed, but take responsibility for failing to lead when projects fall short of their intended goal.”

What does “Titu” think his greatest achievements as CEO of the Morongo

Sajeed “Titu” Asghar

Tribe have been? Reducing operating expenses through consolidation of investable assets; increasing profit margins for the travel center and convenience store from 54 percent and 5 percent to 75 and 19 percent, respectively; and recently securing $385 million in funding to expand Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.

His best advice for other business leaders: “Don’t settle for, ‘I have done my best.’ Do better.”

REX A. ROCK, SR. PRESIDENT AND CEO, ARCTIC SLOPE REGIONAL CORPORATION

By Andrew Ricci

F

or more than 25 years, Rex A. Rock, Sr., has been involved with the management of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) — first as a member of its Board of Directors and then, starting in 2010, as its President and CEO. The corporation’s region encompasses eight villages spread out over roughly 55 million acres and represents a growing shareholder base that now counts roughly 13,000 among its membership. Since its inception, ASRC has distributed more than $1 billion in dividends directly to

these shareholders.

During Rock’s tenure, he’s seen ASRC grow to become Alaska’s largest locally owned and operated business, an honor that the company has held for 25 straight years. This is in part due to ASRC’s six main areas of operations, including petroleum refining and marketing, energy support services, industrial services, construction, government contracting, and resource development. ASRC also has several smaller subsidiary companies that have been a part of ASRC’s portfolio for decades, including a power sports

retail store, the Top of the World Hotel, tour programs, and a lending organization serving small businesses throughout Alaska and the northwestern United States.

Outside of his professional life, Rock has also served as a whaling captain and, for more than 20 years, as head coach for the Tikigaq High School boys’ varsity basketball team. Under his leadership, the team won two state championships and 18 regional titles. For these efforts, he was elected Coach of the Year numerous times before being inducted into the Alaska High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

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CHUCK GARRETT

CEO, CHEROKEE NATION BUSINESSES

Becoming the Best Chuck Garrett Is Committed to Making Cherokee Nation Businesses the Best Employer in Oklahoma

C

huck Garrett (Cherokee Nation) oversees what is often referred to as the economic engine of Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Nation Businesses employs 11,000 people in 49 states and posts annual revenues over $1 billion. A recent report by economists at Oklahoma City University shows the Tribe has an economic impact of approximately $2.2 billion across Eastern Oklahoma.

“You can imagine how that filters through the economy and really does change lives,” Garrett tells Native Business.

Garrett leads a team of professionals to manage CNB’s diversified business interests — including gaming and hospitality, as well as government contracting in the information technology, security and defense, real estate, manufacturing, construction and health care industries.

“Throughout all of our business units, our employees prove to be our greatest asset,” he says. “Their dedication and commitment to quality customer service is what sets us apart from our competitors and makes us successful. For me, one of my greatest achievements thus far has been working to ensure those employees feel appreciated and are well compensated for their efforts.”

Since 2014, Cherokee Nation and its businesses have offered a minimum wage of $9.50 per hour, far above the federal standard of $7.25. “This year, in cooperation with our board of directors and Cherokee Nation administration, we proudly raised our entry-level wage to $11 for eligible hourly employees,” Garrett beams.

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“Paired with our competitive benefits package, this increase will further enhance our ability to not only attract, but retain great talent at CNB.” Being the largest employer in Northeast Oklahoma comes with a certain amount of responsibility, he says. As CEO, he’s committed to making Cherokee Nation Businesses the best employer in Oklahoma. “We have roughly 7,500 employees [in Oklahoma], many of which are my neighbors and/or fellow Cherokee citizens. So it's important to me that they have a great place to work for their own professional satisfaction, their goals and professional ambitions,” he says.

The long-term success of Cherokee Nation Businesses has empowered the Tribe to significantly re-build and redevelop its Tribal health care system, among other initiatives. “We are currently putting the final touches on a 407,000-square-foot health care clinic, which will be the largest health care clinic in Indian Country, financed in large part to the hard work of the men and women in Cherokee Nation Businesses,” Garrett says. “Cherokee Nation Businesses currently has a $30 million plan under Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., to fund various programs and initiatives, including a primary focus on housing.”

To continuously hone his leadership skills, Garrett surrounds himself with other business leaders — “to sit, talk, pick their brains, ask questions, to gain knowledge from their experiences.” He also turns to coaches for wisdom. “John Wooden is a former UCLA basketball coach that

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had tremendous success with a number of teams, and he has written various management books with some very simple principles that I incorporate into my leadership.”

If there’s one stick Garrett is always sharpening, it’s time management. “I am constantly looking at my own approach to the day, and I encourage others to do the same. Whether it’s the way we conduct meetings, the way we communicate with one another — let’s do it efficiently, let’s do it effectively, and minimize redundancy. Let’s embrace technology where it’s useful. Let’s not forget, though, the benefits of one-on-one communication,” he says.

Overall, Garrett hopes his leadership style is defined by his great listening skills, authenticity, care and trustworthiness. “I think that’s what I try to remind myself every day when I’m on my way to work.

I want to manage from my heart. And I think that pays off,” he says.

Garrett’s background is diverse and substantial, to say the least. Prior to joining CNB as Executive Vice President in 2013, Garrett worked as a New York real estate investment attorney; Senior Vice President at a Wall Street investment bank; President and COO of an asset management business; and founder of the Ovation Management Group — a Los Angeles-based investment management firm specializing in commercial real estate investments. “It’s not a sprint, it’s a long race,” Garrett advises up-and-coming professionals. “Your excellence will reveal itself over time. Persistence pays off.”

PHOTO COURTESY CHEROKEE NATION BUSINESSES

Chuck Garrett

Congratulations, Chuck Garrett.

Your efforts on behalf of Cherokee Nation Businesses not only improve the economy of Cherokee Nation — they serve the well-being of our tribe’s citizens through health care, education and job creation, ensuring better lives for Cherokees today and tomorrow.

Congratulations on being recognized as “Indian Country’s top CEO” by Native Business Magazine. Thank you for helping make Cherokee Nation a better place for all.

777 W. Cherokee St. | Catoosa, OK 74015 | 918.384.7474 | cherokeenationbusinesses.com

KATHY GEORGE

CEO, FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL

Kathy George

Kathy George

A Genuinely Effective Leader

K

athy George (Seneca), CEO of FireKeepers Casino Hotel, attributes the resort’s success to one thing: “If someone asked me the word for what makes FireKeepers so special, I’d say heart.”

“I think the heart of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and the heart of the 1,800 employees of FireKeepers, is really what makes it special,” she continues. “In 10 years, what we have accomplished from the service standpoint, but also the impact we have made both on the Tribal community and community as a whole, is something I’m really proud of. There are so many casinos in the state of Michigan,” George says of the 23 Tribal casinos across the state, “but we really distinguish ourselves by our heart, and it shows everyday, and I think that’s really what makes the difference.”

In August 2009, the then-$300 mil-

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lion FireKeepers opened in Battle Creek, Michigan. The gaming establishment has since expanded to feature an eight-story, resort-style hotel along with five restaurants, an event center, convenience store and gas station, downtown restaurant and food pantry. Currently under construction, a second hotel tower will be erected in December 2020.

The FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board has provided nearly $200 million, or $192,717,102, to the state, local governments and area schools since opening in 2009. “The Tribe is a wonderful partner to the community, and it really gives us a sense of purpose beyond just serving our guests. We’re serving a community,” George says.

Today FireKeepers is one of the largest employers in Battle Creek, and the casino has retained an astounding 303 employees

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since its opening day 10 years ago. FireKeepers has amassed a number of awards over the past decade, including being named the Employer of the Year for the state by Michigan Works! Association this year.

“I get a great deal of my energy from my team, and from the guests,” George says.

“I think that’s why I do what I do. I know that if I walk the walk and talk the talk that so will my team, and I think that we feed off of each other’s energies. I also look to my guests for a lot of my motivation and my guidance. They’re going to tell us what they want, if we just listen properly.”

George continues, “One of the quotes that I have learned to build into my life, both outside of work and at work, is by E. M. Statler: ‘Life is service – the one who progresses is the one who gives a little more – a little better service.’ I really try

PHOTO COURTESY FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL

Leading with her heart, George finds motivation by listening to her employees and guests.

ing in the right place at the ton, in January 2012, George joined Fireright time.

Keepers Casino Hotel, holding roles such To take it from the beginas General Manager and Vice President of ning, George grew up on the Hotel Operations for more than 7 years beCattaraugus Reservation, fore becoming CEO in May 2017. about an hour south of BufGeorge offers this simple yet profound falo, New York, raised by her career advice: “Have fun, and be true to father, who was Seneca, and yourself. You know, sometimes people, her mother, who was Moas we’re climbing that ladder, we forget hawk from the Six Nations why we got into something, or we forget in Canada. She entered the who we are at the core of it. And that’s my hospitality industry at age advice — don’t ever lose sight of that. Be 17 by happenstance. “The you,” George says.

Tribe had a bingo hall on George also lives by the philosophy that the reservation, and I start“if one of us is struggling, we all are. And I ed working there in the think that has been very successful for us kitchen. Soon, I realized I — to not only improve morale, and knock really enjoyed serving peodown the silos, but it has helped us inple and interacting with them,” she says. crease revenues,” she says of FireKeepers.

When she attended a college and career “Because we’ve had some great revenue fair, she met a woman from Cornell Uniideas come from some who are not in that versity who ran a catering business. George discipline.” thought, “I could do that,” and then she In addition to listening to her executive was accepted into the Cornell University team, employees and guests, George surSchool of Hotel Administration. rounds herself with other inspiring leadWhile at Cornell, she worked at the hoers. “Susan Steinbrecher is someone I have tel on campus, and then took an internbeen able to work with, and I look up to ship in Atlanta, Georgia. one semester. her. One of her books is about heartfelt “Those were really significant in terms of leadership [Heart-Centered Leadership], me getting my feet wet in the industry,” and that’s something that helps me to resays George, who joined Wyndham Hofocus. It gives me some tough questions to tels’ Management Development Program ask myself and answer.” immediately after graduating from CorIt’s evident that George leads with heart, nell. The program exposed her to all parts compassion and grace. Yet she’s quick to of the business, and she spent the next point out that she shouldn’t be underes14 years of her career at Wyndham. Then timated. “I often quote, ‘do not mistake the Seneca Nation of Indians announced my kindness for weakness,’” she says. “My plans to open a hotel in Niagara Falls. “I genuineness is really what makes me an had the opportunity to return home and effective leader.” work with construction to get that property open,” she says.

George helped to open the hotel at Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, as well as the temporary casino in Buffalo later replaced by the “humongous and beautiful” Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, she says.

Come 2007, after serving as Director of Hotel Operations and Vice-President of Resort Operations, George got to crossover to run the gaming side of things as General Manager of Seneca Gaming Corporation, leading a team of 3,000 employees in delivThe FireKeepers Casino 400 is a 400-mile Monster Energy ering four-star service.

NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

After a stint with Hil-

“I often quote, ‘do not mistake my kindness for weakness,’” she

says. “My genuineness is really what makes me

PHOTO COURTESY FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL

an effective leader.” to work on that. And that’s why I do what I do. What we do isn’t rocket science. We just want to treat people well. But if we can do a little bit better every day, and that’s what I ask of my team every day... just pick one thing and do it a little bit better today.”

George offers these tips for someone vying for an executive leadership position: “Ask questions, and be involved. We catch people’s attention by what we do outside of our normal bounds. What committees are you on? What have you done to raise the bar of the company? What have you done to make it better?”

She adds, “There’s definitely a lot of time and energy spent on succession planning here.”

FireKeepers operates a four-track training for succession program. In the first track, the Tribal enterprise provides an overview of a different department weekly, so employees can educate themselves on different roles, if they want to transfer departments or better ascertain how their work compliments that of other departments. Track two addresses supervisory roles and leadership. Track three covers a variety of topics, both personal and professional. For instance, FireKeepers’ 401k company recently led a talk about investing, budgeting and saving for the future — “general skills that will make our team members better leaders, better team members,” George says.

“In track four, they go through Dale Carnegie and Franklin Covey [Trainings] and Toastmasters, providing that high level of development and succession planning and a more formal mentor program,” George says.

George credits much of her professional success to mentorship and training programs — and a bit of good fortune, or be-

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PRESIDENT AND CEO, HO-CHUNK, INC.

By Andrew Ricci

L

ance Morgan (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) was 25 years old in 1994, when he was entrusted with $9 million in seed capital to start Ho-Chunk, Inc. Today, that company that launched with one employee brings in roughly $250 million per year and has more than a thousand employees across multiple subsidiaries.

He says one of the things that has helped is that the company’s mission hasn’t changed.

“It’s exactly the same basic mission as when we started,” he says. “It’s ‘to use the Tribe’s economic and legal advantages to create job opportunities for people.’ The scale has changed dramatically. Obviously, the resources have changed. But the mission itself is exactly the same.”

“Tribes have a set of advantages that are unparalleled in business,” Morgan says.

And under his leadership, Ho-Chunk, Inc. has developed a formula to make sure everything they do leverages at least one of those advantages.

As a result, Morgan was selected as a “Champion of Change” by the White House in 2011. He was awarded the Nebraska Builder Award by the University of Nebraska in 2012, and was the keynote speaker for their commencement ceremonies.

He was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in 2013-2014. And he was honored with the Advocate of the Year Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.

Lance Morgan

With more than two decades under his belt, Morgan recognizes that the company is just getting started.

“In some ways, it’s a miracle that HoChunk, Inc. evolved in the middle of a prairie into a big company,” he says. “We’re in the seventh generation of the people who moved here, and when they came they had nothing. We were starving and naked, but now, you know, we’re the largest local company in the Sioux City area.”

And if he can build a company that provides for the next seven generations, Morgan will have built opportunity and prosperity for his people that lasts long after he’s gone.

WILLIAM “SONNY” JOHNSON PHOTO COURTESY PEARL RIVER RESORT

PRESIDENT AND CEO, PEARL RIVER RESORT

By Andrew Ricci

William “Sonny” Johnson

U

nder the leadership of William “Sonny” Johnson, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Pearl River Resort became the first casino outside of Nevada to open a Tribally owned and independently operated sportsbook. What’s even more impressive, perhaps, is that the entire operation, housing two sportsbook locations, came together in only 45 days.

Johnson, who has been President and

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CEO of Pearl River Resort since 2015, counts more than 30 years of extensive experience working in the gaming industry, where his career began in 1989 as a dealer. He first joined Pearl River Resort in 2012 as Vice President of Casino Operations, where he was responsible for the operations of all table games, slots, casino marketing and Bok Homa Casino. Now, as the top executive for Mississippi’s second largest employer, he oversees the resort’s three casinos, three hotels, two top-ranked golf courses, and a water park.

Johnson said that he starts every morning at 5 a.m., and immediately checks his emails to see what the day holds before crossing his fingers and checking the stock market numbers. When he gets to the office, he enjoys some alone time and focuses on

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tackling the high-priority tasks for the day before meeting with his team to strategize and discuss additional projects and goals.

Then he conducts a walkthrough of the property.

Johnson says that the biggest lesson he has learned over the course of his career is that “it is truly about teamwork and trusting those around you, [because] you can’t do it alone.” This informs his approach to team building and succession planning.

“I believe that every leader should train their replacement,” he says. “Sharing knowledge and preparing those around you for leadership roles is pivotal.”

He adds, “I believe that a good leader should be honest, have a vision, and should trust those around them to help get the work done.”

COURTESY HO-CHUNK, INC.

LANCE MORGAN

100% Guaranteed ROI

Good Business Requires Attention To ROI For Randy Schwan, general manager at Spirit Lake Manufacturing, running a tribal business is all about assuring quality, productivity and profitability. It’s all about maximizing the return on investment (ROI) on behalf of the tribe and its members.

Guaranteed “Return on Indian” Country As the only 100% tribally owned insurance company, AMERIND expands the definition of ROI to mean “Return on Indian” Country. Beyond offering tribal businesses an unmatched level of financial reliability, transparency and strength, AMERIND is building a better world and brighter future in association with Randy and other business leaders in the form of community development grants, educational scholarships and cultural event sponsorships. To learn more or to receive a quote, visit amerindrisk.org.

Protecting Our People Property | Liability | Workers Compensation | Commercial Auto | Cyber | Critical Infrastructure | Employee Benefits S E P T E MB E R /O CTO B E R 2 0 1 9

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Derek Valdo

S

ince 2012, Derek Valdo (Acoma Pueblo) has been CEO of AMERIND Risk, the nation’s only insurance company that is 100 percent Tribally owned with 100 percent Tribal clients. Under his leadership, AMERIND Risk has almost doubled in annual revenue while the company’s Tribes, their people and their businesses have seen more than $4 million annually in savings on the cost of insurance.

“This has a double effect of growing a Tribally owned business and growing the financial strength of the Tribe,” he tells Na-

CEO, AMERIND RISK

By Andrew Ricci tive Business Magazine. “Tribes purchase over 70 percent of their insurance from the commercial marketplace and we set realistic goals to gain market share and improve products and services while strengthening our financial strength so Tribes can be assured we will be there to take care of them.”

Valdo says he starts his morning with an early workout to get his body and mind jumpstarted. From there, a typical day on the job includes phone calls, walk-in meetings, reviewing critical documents, a walk around the office, a solid lunch, and some visioning for the future.

With 54 employees, Valdo says that proper workforce management is important.

“Managing a workforce requires constant attention to your work culture, future plans, and critical operational systems to

realize the full efforts of dynamic workforce. Checking in with each individual helps them feel like a valuable member of the team.”

Outside of AMERIND Risk, Valdo participates on several Boards of Directors, including the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Native American Rights Fund, The Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, First Nations Oweesta Corporation, United Way of Central New Mexico, The University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management Foundation, and the National Indian Child Welfare Association Board of Trustees.

Finally, what tool can’t Valdo live without? He says it’s his “mighty cell phone.”

“Seventy percent of my work can be completed on my cell phone from wherever I am with good cell service or Wi-Fi,” he says.

BYRON BIGHORSE

CEO, OSAGE HOTELS AND CASINOS

By Andrew Ricci

S

ince 2014, Byron Bighorse (Osage) has been CEO of Osage Hotels and Casinos, where he is responsible for overseeing all facets of seven Osage casinos operating in northeastern Oklahoma — including more than 1,500 employees.

Before assuming the role of CEO, Bighorse was General Manager of several Osage Casino properties, where he gained a working knowledge of operations, finance and policy that has been critical in carrying out his current responsibilities.

Along with his executive team, Bighorse says that he is committed to building an organization based on shared values, including transparency and accountability, while ensuring efficiency and profitability throughout the enterprise. He credits this creed for his dedication to transforming

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Osage Casino into an organization that not only creates opportunities for all casino employees, but also delivers memorable experiences for casino guests while honoring Osage Casino’s contributions and commitment to the Osage Nation.

And he has been recognized for his efforts. Bighorse was named the Most Admired CEO in the Daily Record (Oklahoma City) as well as the 2018 Tulsan of the Year in the Tulsa World.

Bighorse tells everyone that he meets that he is blessed to do what he does.

“I am in a position to make a difference not only for my organization, but for my entire Tribe,” he says. “It’s a tremendous role and opportunity that I do not take for granted. Failure is not an option and I embrace the pressure.”

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Byron Bighorse

Finally, for someone vying for an executive leadership position, Bighorse says it’s important to get educated. He receives a daily business trend report from Fantini Research and follows several outlets for the latest news and information related to hospitality and gaming.

“Prepare yourself by reading as much as possible about your respective business and related fields,” he says. He also suggests finding a mentor to be a sounding board and proactively seek out their advice, being approachable and open to change, and hiring smart people and getting out of their way.

COURTESY BYRON BIGHORSE

PHOTO BY FRANK FROST PHOTOGRAPHY

DEREK VALDO

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VALENTINA SIREECH

CEO, UTE TRIBAL ENTERPRISES, LLC

The People Person “I have focused on recruiting the best talent, people who are forward-thinking, innovative and creative. Then I inspire them to reach their full potential,” she says.

E

very morning, Valentina R. Sireech wakes up early and “prays to the Creator,” then starts planning her always-busy day. “I write down what my intention and focus are for the day, and that really allows me to anchor myself to determine what’s important and what I can push off to the side.”

It’s a formula that is working like gangbusters for the chief executive officer of Ute Tribal Enterprises, LLC (U.T.E.), the business arm of the Ute Indian Tribe.

Stockholders of the corporation are all Ute

while strengthening the Tribe’s financial position,” says Sireech, an enrolled member of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, the second largest Indian reservation in the U.S. Some of the businesses Sireech oversees include oilfield water and pumping services, a grocery store, a family fun center, a restaurant, a catering and event center and a coffee house, to name a few U.T.E. subsidiaries. “We have been able to grow businesses and diversify in a tough, volatile economy due to the cyclical downturn in the oil and gas industry,” she says.

And people are taking notice.

The U.T.E. CEO, who had a meteoric rise within the corporation since she developed its entire marketing department early on, believes her greatest achievement to date is “rescuing faltering businesses in rather tough economic times.” In 2017, she renovated and rebranded the Ute Plaza Supermarket, incorporating the Ute Indian language and culture to highlight its rich history in the region.

Sireech also had the vision to develop one of the Tribe’s natural resources — free-roaming bison, a herd which numbers 253 to date — into a successful retail sales operation that offers 100 percent, grassfed bison meat.

Despite all the success that resulted in Sireech being nominated for “Busi-

“My goal is to serve Tribal communities, offer jobs and training for Tribal members, while strengthening the Tribe’s financial position,” says Sireech.

Indian Tribal members, and its Board of Directors is the Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee. Under Sireech’s direction, U.T.E. operates and manages 12 Tribally owned businesses that employ up to 260 people.

“My goal is to serve Tribal communities, offer jobs and training for Tribal members,

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ness Woman of the Year” by the Women in Business Association, the U.T.E. leader realizes that she is only as strong as the people around her. “I have focused on recruiting the best talent, people who are forward-thinking, innovative and creative. Then I inspire them to reach their full potential,” she says, offering up the secret to her effective leadership, adding that teamwork and loyalty are most important to her.

“So if you want good team members, hire people who are able to understand and follow your mission statement and vision, and work well with others to accomplish your department’s goals.”

Infused with what seems like limitless energy, this business leader, wife and mother of one who is also raising two nephews is currently working toward her third college degree — a Master of Business Administration from Utah State University’s Huntsman School of Business.

For her, great leadership is about courage. “The courage to take on a big challenge, to do what no one else will, to question the status quo, confront a difficult situation and to never give up.”

Above all, she says, leadership is a people job. “When an employee needs to talk with you, whatever the reason, make sure that you set aside time to do so,” Sireech advises other leaders. “Put your work aside, put down your smartphone and focus on the person standing in front of you.”

PHOTO COURTESY UTE TRIBAL ENTERPRISES, LLC

By Lynn Armitage

Valentina Sireech

PRESIDENT AND CEO, DOYON, LIMITED

Aaron Schutt

A

aron Schutt (Native Village of Tanana) has been with Doyon, Limited for more than two decades, rapidly rising through the ranks from Senior Vice President to Chief Operating Officer to, in 2011, President and CEO. Since its founding in 1972, Doyon, Limited has developed 12 subsidiaries across the oil and gas, utilities, construction, information technology, tourism and telecommunications industries. With headquarters in Fairbanks, Alaska, and offices in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and Federal Way, Washington, Doyon, Limited counts among its most notable clients the Unit-

ed States Army’s Defense Logistics Agency and multinational energy corporation Conoco-Phillips.

During his tenure, Doyon, Limited (through Doyon Utilities) has seen the completion of the largest utility privatization in military history for 12 utility systems at three Army bases in Alaska. Today, his company (through Doyon Drilling) is currently transporting North America’s largest land drilling rig to Alaska’s North Slope to work for Conoco-Phillips.

He says that one of the biggest lessons he’s learned about leadership is that every person “has needs, motivators, and a preferred communication style. If you take the time to learn and respond to each individual, you will get more from your team. If you ask everyone to meet you at your comfort zone, you will not.”

He also says that it’s important to read constantly, including politics, business, economics, and general news trends in your state and industries in Indian Country. In so doing, you can see what is coming down the road.

“There is a surprising amount of publicly available information to help predict future trends and understand the industries your business participates in,” he says.

At the end of the day, the best part of his job is being able to help people and see an impact.

“I love working for our shareholders,” he says. “Although we have more than 20,000, I have many friends and relatives in that group. Even for those I don’t know personally, I appreciate the opportunity to work for our people.”

PHOTO COURTESY MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE

PHOTO COURTESY DOYON, LIMITED

AARON SCHUTT

In Memoriam

NEIL CORNELIUS FORMER CEO, MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN NATION

By Andrew Ricci

“N

eil’s continuous focus on doing things ‘The Right Way, at The Right Time, with The Right Intent’ is a phrase that will be used for many years to come,” Joe Olujic tells Native Business Magazine of the late Neil Cornelius.

Olujic worked with Cornelius as his right-hand person for 16 years, starting at Oneida Casinos, then Osage Casinos, and lastly at Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Olujic, who is now the CEO of Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, remembers Cornelius as “a great boss, mentor, leader, and most of all, a friend.”

An enrolled member of the Oneida

Neil Cornelius

Nation of Wisconsin, Cornelius was employed with Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for three years, starting as COO before his promotion to CEO, where he oversaw all governmental operations. Cornelius walked on last year, but his legacy as a business leader in Indian Country continues.

Prior to his work with Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Cornelius spent five years as CEO at Osage Casinos, where he oversaw a period of robust growth, expansion and financial success. He also served as General Manager with Oneida Casinos, CEO at Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, General Manager for Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, and as General Manager with

Oneida Bingo and Casino. Cornelius also spent two decades with IBM Corporation as an Information Technology Services Manager.

Cornelius’ strengths were leadership, management and training, and he loved the challenge of helping people grow professionally while growing business enterprises financially. An advocate for creating jobs for Tribal members, he was instrumental in developing successful training programs for employees with the Oneida Nation — a model he later replicated with the Osage and Muckleshoot Tribes.

“I miss him tremendously,” Olujic says of Cornelius.

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TROY CLAY

PRESIDENT AND CEO, MNO-BMADSEN

Leading Like A Native Troy Clay leverages Pokagon Band strength.

By Josh Robertson Seven Generations philosophy, which guides Mno-Bmadsen; running a business that will provide for your grandchildren’s grandchildren is in its way the purest meaning of the word investment, and the ultimate in long-term thinking.

“I know in the future, after I am gone, those leading and working for Mno-Bmadsen and our family of companies will be thankful for the diversified wealth and careers that we are building today,” he says.

In the short term, there’s plenty to be done, and Clay offers three non-bashful lessons learned. “First, stay out of Tribal politics but respect leadership’s role and workload in serving our people. Once you bring politics into the business as CEO, or even as a manager (which I have a zero tolerance for), it undermines the credibility of our business.”

“Second, once you put your investment plan together, hire talented people to help you execute it. If you compromise on your talent, you will have a less than stellar team to work with.

I learned early on that you must hire people who have a demonstrated history of success in the area for which they are hired, that are humble to learning and working within a team, are passionate about growing their company, and most of all, who adhere to our values at Mno-Bmadsen.”

“Third, know when to invest and when to divest. The investment plan should drive the sourcing of investments — type, size, industry, etc. However, it is just as important that you know when something isn’t working, because we do not want to sink cash into a business that is simply not tak-

“Humility is that quiet strength that works best in most Tribal environments,” Clay says. says. “We are the Pokagon Band. We always will be, with our rich heritage, sacrifices of prior generations, and enormous strength.

I just maximize those qualities of our Tribe in my leadership. I know that the quality of leadership is directly proportional to the level of talent that I lead.”

One theme Clay returns to, repeatedly, is identity — the importance that Mno-Bmadsen be aligned with the Pokagon Band not just financially, but in terms of belief, mission and heritage. And it makes sense when you think about the

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Troy Clay

ing flight. When that happens, the investment becomes a cash burner and a distraction of talent and resources from profitable M&A and growth initiatives.”

When it comes to employees, Troy clearly wants to find the very best people — but he also stresses the employer’s end of the bargain. When you find those super-employees, they will likely be super-curious as well — don’t keep them in the dark. “Make sure that your employees are clearly tied to your business or investment strategy; and that they know this,” he says. “If an employee doesn’t see the connection to the big picture and the metrics that define success, they are working in a vacuum. This often leads to inefficiency and declining performance.”

In Troy’s thinking, leadership isn’t something you do, it’s something you are. “I have dedicated much of my life during the last nine years to get us to the success we have,” he says. “If your heart isn’t into the vision and the great potential you have as a Tribe in business, then you won’t survive the tough times, and there are plenty of those.”

Troy’s final words of advice apply to CEOs and small-business entrepreneurs alike.

“Don’t be afraid to lead — just make sure that you lead with humility, persistence, and hard work,” he says. “Humility is that quiet strength that works best in most Tribal environments. Persistence is absolutely necessary to get through problems and challenges; and hard work is essential, because you will have to wear many hats and be the chief cook and bottle washer as you launch your business.”

PHOTO COURTESY MNO-BMADSEN

"I

don’t have all the answers and I am not bashful about that,” says Troy Clay, Pokagon Band of Potawotami, who is President and CEO of Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band’s business operations. Employing 315 individuals in 13 locations throughout Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, Mno-Bmadsen maintains four direct-investment portfolios: professional services, manufacturing services, construction services, and real estate investments and services.

Clay may not have all the answers, but he has a lot of insight regarding leadership, and he’s not bashful about sharing it.

“What may be most unique about my leadership style is that I don’t make Mno-Bmadsen something it is not,” he

Congratulations Congratulations to Holly Gagnon for being named one of Native Business Magazine’s Top 30 CEO’s!

We are honored to have you as our President & CEO. - From all of us at Seneca Gaming Corporation

NIAGARA FALLS • BUFFALO • SALAMANCA • 1-877-8-SENECA • SENECACASINOS.COM

N at i ve A m e r i c a n I n s u r a n c e G r o u p, I n c .

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JASON CAMPBELL

CEO, SOVEREIGN POWER

The Nation Builder

Jason Campbell

"I

f Jason Campbell were a chess player, he would be a grandmaster,” says Mike Tedesco, Executive Director of the Spokane Tribe of Indians. “Whether he’s testifying in front of the United Nations, in a corporate boardroom negotiating with a Fortune 500 company, or building a Nation by establishing partnerships with external governmental jurisdictions, Jason sees five moves ahead of the game while most don’t even know they’re on the board. Jason’s leadership style is one of patient coaching, which includes everybody from individual Tribal members to CEOs of large corporations. He exercises the same patient, humble leadership to all who interface with him. Because of Jason’s subtle guidance and tutelage, I’m a better leader, a better person, and far better equipped to confront the challenges that face Indian Country on both macro and micro levels with a perspective that aims for nothing less than systemic, sustainable solutions.”

That’s quite an endorsement. But it’s the kind of feedback we’ve received from more than one of Campbell’s colleagues.

In Campbell’s own words, he always knew he wanted to engage in meaningful work that inspired people — or a Nation — to fulfill their highest potential. His path to leading Sovereign Power, which works to maximize renewable energy opportunities and promote energy independence for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, was anything but linear.

Among his first professional roles, the citizen of the Spokane Tribe of Indians started a division within a literacy company to work specifically with Tribes across the country — from Bethel, Alaska, to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. During that time, Campbell earned his MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship from

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Gonzaga University, and later completed the Certified Financial Planner course at the College for Financial Planning.

It was through volunteering for the Washington, D.C.-based Social Investment Forum and its Indigenous Peoples Working Group that he got turned on to socially responsible investing.

When he landed a job at a Boston-based asset management company, he got to thinking: “How do I engage with individual Tribal citizens on financial tools as a means for wealth creation and wealth preservation? And simultaneously, how do I [influence] how Tribal Nations invest their financial capital? I knew that it was going to be a value-based approach,” he says.

That’s just how Campbell’s mind works — he’s always circling back to how he can empower Tribal citizens and Tribal Nations. It’s that mindset that led Campbell to launch his consulting business, Areté Development Group, in 2008.

Through Areté, Campbell was approached by the then-Chairman of the Spokane Tribe to advise the Tribal Council on social responsibility and sustainability. That’s when Campbell learned about the Tribal entity Sovereign Power. “It was developed in the late 90s as a power marketing company, and it was the first of its kind for any Tribe in the country,” Campbell says. But the once impactful company essentially only existed on paper. “Instantly, I see the necessity for Sovereign Power to be a vertically integrated company that ultimately creates energy sovereignty for the Spokane Tribe of Indians,” Campbell tells Native Business.

So, with that vision as the foundation of Sovereign Power, the Chairman at the time asked Campbell to lead the Tribal enterprise as its CEO. While Campbell had just built Areté Development Group “to the size and scope that I wanted,” he made the decision to “let off the gas pedal on my own company,” he says. “I decided that the energy sector is so significant to Tribal Nations, self-determination and sovereignty, that really that was the higher calling between those two choices.”

Campbell’s formal position as CEO of Sovereign Power started in 2015. Soon after, Sovereign Power began to establish partnerships across Tribal, public, private and nonprofit sectors to grow capacity in power marketing, power production and power distribution.

PHOTO COURTESY JASON CAMPBELL

Jason Campbell gives all his energy to advancing Spokane sovereignty.

For instance, Sovereign Power has partnered with Solar Energy International (SEI), a nonprofit that provides technical training and expertise in renewable energy, and GRID Alternatives, a solar installer and capacity developer, to deploy solar panels to deliver an efficient energy source to low-income communities in Washington State.

Sovereign Power’s layered approach to renewable energy technology will also lead to the development of residential, community and utility scale solar, and community-scale biomass heat on the Spokane Indian Reservation in eastern Washington State.

“We have timeline goals around our vision for utility-scale solar.

We would like to have utility scale construction completed by the end of construction season of 2020,” Campbell says. “Our goal is to have the Spokane Tribal Utility Authority chartered and built by the end of the calendar year 2019. Then in 2020, we can start the implementation — delivering the service to end users, meaning internal Tribal customers.”

The benefits of asserting energy sovereignty are enormous — reservation jobs created and lowered cost of monthly utility bills for the Spokane Tribe, to list a couple of advantages. “It’s really exciting to be able to engage in these businesses that are also satisfying other Tribal needs, like reducing unemployment and under-employment rates and increasing the labor participation rate,” Campbell says.

Naturally, building a Tribal utility authority, utility-scale solar project, and a biomass heat district are no easy feats. Fortunately, Campbell is a networker by nature. He enjoys engaging with others, and isn’t afraid to ask for guidance. “Tribal organizations are very transparent Tribal to Tribal,” Campbell says. “If I have questions, I can call up the CEO of Energy Keepers, Inc., which is an entity of the Salish & Kootenai, or I can call up the general manager of Yakama Power, or the director of Warm Springs Power. Those folks are more than willing to share whatever part of their story is relevant to what I need direct input on in the moment.”

While his hands may seem full with Sovereign Power, Campbell is committed to “Nation building” — a term he frequently throws around — and, for him, that means moving the needle forward on various Tribal projects.

The biomass heat district, for instance, is more than just a power generator. Campbell is the visionary behind the mixed-use facility in the heart of the Spokane Indian Reservation, featuring “a brand new grocery store to help us address our food sovereignty issues,” a food distribution program and a post office. This project is the first node in the Spokane Tribe’s Sustainable Community Master Plan with a vision to catalyze long-term physical, mental, spiritual and economic wellbeing for Tribal citizens.

To turn the Tribal grocery store into a source of health and vitality, Sovereign Power and Spokane Tribal Enterprises identified companies that reflect their cultural values. That led to a strategic partnership with Whole Foods.

Joe Rogoff, the former President of Whole Foods Market for the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, shares his thoughts on Campbell’s leadership with Native Business: “Jason is a pragmatic visionary, singularly focused on attaining sovereignty for the Spokane. He’s able to translate his vision into logical yet challenging projects, and to actualize those projects by inspiring supporters, allies and participants. Jason has the rare talent to translate philosophy to action, and his integrity ensures that those actions are replicable and that his network continues to grow.”

As far as we can tell, Campbell’s network will only continue to increase, as he continues to blaze trails for Nation building.

Jason Campbell’s

Leadership Philosophy The people we engage with will decide if we are leaders, not our titles.

Leadership provides values, vision, purpose and direction.

Leadership provides the grand challenge, creates the environment, and invests in the individuals we engage with to inspire greatness to emerge.

Leadership inspires individuals to achieve extraordinary things.

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KIP RITCHIE

PRESIDENT/CEO, GREENFIRE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC

The Family Man A family-oriented work environment is the foundation of this award-winning construction management firm in Milwaukee.

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Kip Ritchie

Ritchie adds, “This is a place where you can grow and have a career, do wonderful things and work on great, exciting projects — community transforming projects.”

iary of PBDC, as its President and CEO. “People are very familiar with the Tribe, because they’ve been in the gaming business for the last 29 years, and they have a phenomenal corporate citizenship presence. They are one of the pillars in the community.

Another way we can demonstrate the ingenuity and the leadership capabilities of the Tribe is through Greenfire, a construction company and a builder, creating jobs, and helping to develop the infrastructure around Milwaukee. We have projects all over the city and into the suburbs,” Ritchie says.

The Tribe actually launched Greenfire Management Services in 2010, in the middle of the recession. “It was a huge learning curve,” Ritchie says.

Just prior to the launch of Greenfire, PBDC had made some significant investments, including in the Marriott Residence Inn in Washington D.C., through the Four Fires economic partnership between the hotel chain and four Tribes — the Forest County Potawatomi Community, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. PBDC had also made diversified investments — ”to varying degrees of success” — in energy, real estate, hospitality, technology and federal contracting, Ritchie says.

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So in 2010, still during the height of the recession, the Tribe was approached by a retired construction professional about starting a minority-owned construction management firm in Milwaukee with financial capabilities and bonding capacity. “That’s part of our corporate goal — to build capacity, infrastructure and business acumen,” says Ritchie, adding that, today, Greenfire boasts $75 million in bonding capacity.

The Tribe was able to draw from an already established team — some counting 20-plus years of experience in construction. In addition to managing projects for the Tribe and across Wisconsin, Greenfire could compete commercially, leveraging its minority ownership.

“Like any startup business, it took a few years of fledgling, growing, learning and adjusting,” Ritchie says. “Right around 2014, things really started to take off in Milwaukee, and especially around multifamily housing. There was a huge demand,

PHOTO COURTESY GREENFIRE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC

A

Forest County Potawatomi Tribal member, Kip Ritchie’s ties to his Tribe run deep. His grandfather and great-grandfather both served as Tribal Chairman, and his great-grandfather was instrumental in forming the Forest County Potawatomi Tribal government in the early 1930s, Ritchie tells Native Business. “For me, it’s a lot of pride,” he says.

“It’s a great opportunity to be involved and to work for the Tribe.”

Ritchie started his career in marketing for AT&T and other major corporations, before transitioning to the gaming industry at his Tribe’s then small bingo hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“There’s since been about $800 million worth of development on that property in Milwaukee, and it’s now become one of the largest and most successful Indian gaming casinos in the country,” says Ritchie, who served as the Director of Marketing then as Assistant General for Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, before leaving the gaming enterprise to serve on the Board for Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC) to help his Tribe pursue economic diversification. (Ritchie served on the PBDC Board from 2003-2007, joining PBDC full-time in 2006 as Senior Vice President, before holding the COO position at PBDC from 2009 to 2014.)

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is a prosperous venture for the Tribe and an economic driver for Milwaukee and surrounding areas. The Tribe’s gaming success bodes well for the company Ritchie currently helms.

For roughly 5 years, Ritchie has led Greenfire Management Services, LLC, a subsid-

as we’ve seen nationally, for multifamily residential housing. These projects can be anywhere from $10 million to $40 million.”

Greenfire secured a contract with one of the largest real estate developers in Milwaukee, the Mandel Group, for multifamily housing, and similar opportunities manifested in its wake. Over nearly a decade, Greenfire has scaled from roughly $5 million in revenue to $80 million.

“We’re a top 20 construction firm in Milwaukee — competing with companies that have been in business for over 100 years,” says Ritchie of the award-winning Greenfire Management Services, which raked in 11 awards in 2018 alone.

Greenfire currently employs 45 people and counts two offices — one in Milwaukee and one in Wausau in northern Wisconsin. “We started the company with about $600,000, and the Tribe invested about $5 million for our bonding package — held in a separate account to bond some of these large projects,” Ritchie shares, paying credit to the Tribe and Greenfire’s eight-member leadership team for the business’ formation and success.

The Tribe tapped Greenfire to manage construction of its new 19-story hotel at

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino; Data Holdings, the Tribe’s $36 million Tier 3+ data center; and the expansion of the Tribe’s Wgema Campus, formerly Concordia College, in historic Milwaukee.

In addition to leading Greenfire, Ritchie has served as the Chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community Foundation’s Board of Directors for 20 years. He additionally serves on various Boards, including the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Froedtert Hospital Foundation, New Mexico Community Capital (Board Chair), NUMU, Inc. (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe EDC) and Gun Lake Investments (Gun Lake Potawatomi Tribe EDC).

A family man, married with two children, Ritchie likewise values cultivating a family-oriented work environment. “We knew that in order for this to work, to retain our employees, we needed to create a culture that people are going to gravitate to that’s family oriented, community oriented, and treats people with respect and trust. We’re collaborative, transparent, encouraging, and we promote from within,” Ritchie says.

Ritchie adds, “This is a place where you can grow and have a career, do wonderful

things and work on great, exciting projects — community transforming projects.

And while you’re doing it, you can really enjoy the people you work with, and know that the company has your back. You have a company that respects and appreciates you.”

To hone his leadership skills, Ritchie participates in a CEO roundtable called Convene. “It also pulls in my faith, which can be very beneficial in leading an organization,” says Ritchie, who also frequently reads business and team management books, such as those by Patrick Lencioni and John Maxwell. When it comes to podcasts, you can catch him listening to StartupCamp, Ultimate Entrepreneur and the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast, featuring conversations designed to help leaders go further, faster.

Ritchie is certainly committed to going further — in a sustainable fashion.

“With the strength and knowledge of our top-notch engineers, project managers and superintendents, we have been able to compete really well,” Ritchie says. “The challenge moving forward is to manage our growth and continue to expand our operations, both here in Milwaukee and geographically.”

Owned and operated by the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation

MILWAUKEE 3215 W. State St., Suite 200 Milwaukee, WI 53208

greenfire.com

WAUSAU 301 N. 17th Ave., Suite 100 Wausau, WI 54401

KENNETH MANUEL, JR.

CEO, GILA RIVER HOTELS & CASINOS

Committed to his Community

Kenneth Manuel, Jr.

N

ot only did Kenneth Manuel, Jr., grow up in the Gila River Indian Community in southern Arizona, he has worked in the gaming and hospitality industries for his Community for 25 years. “I’ve grown up in this business,” he emphasizes. “So many of our team members, I have worked alongside with, from day one. So many of the folks that I grew up with, within the Gila River Indian Community, work here today. Whether they’re relatives, neighbors, friends, people who know my family, people that I went to school with... these are the folks that I interact with on a regular basis.”

Manuel laughs and adds, “I chuckle a bit… because we’re taught to respect our elders at an early age, and we’re taught to respect our Community. So they’re not afraid to pull me aside and scold me at times.”

And that’s just fine with Manuel. He whole-heartedly believes in innovation through teamwork. “I say this on a regular basis to my team: I never want us to be stagnant or stale. I’m always open minded.

I know that the best decisions don’t always come from myself. I have an excellent leadership team who provides me with guidance and provides me with suggestions,”

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he says.

It’s not surprising that Manuel sees value in input from people throughout the enterprise and Community. He’s held positions across departments at Gila River-owned ventures, from entry level to C-suite. He was involved in his Community’s first foray into gaming, beginning as a slot attendant. “For myself and other members of the Community, this was our first experience, our first exposure to gaming. Many of us learned this business from the ground up,” he explains.

As a slot attendant, Manuel quickly became passionate about the gaming industry. “It was not uncommon for me to volunteer for shifts, outside of my own shift, whenever they needed help,” he says.

Gaming on Gila River grew at a rapid rate in the mid-90s, and Manuel advanced with it, quickly graduating to a slot supervisor position. Come 1997, the Community opened the doors to Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, in Chandler, Arizona, where Manuel served as slots manager before eventually getting promoted to acting director for slot operations. Manuel thrived in the fast-paced environment.

“It was non-stop: day shift, swing shift,

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graveyard. We were constantly moving and engaging with guests and just about every department of the casino. We were at somewhat of an infancy stage, and we were learning together as a team and as a Community,” he says.

Seeking to hone his skill set on the hospitality and hotel side of the business, Manuel transitioned to join the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa team for a year, where he participated in their Executive Management Trainee Program.

He also honed his leadership skills on Gila River’s corporate board of directors.

“I became exposed to all of the different departments, all of the different areas of casino operations, and to the Tribal government perspective as well,” he says.

Over the course of those seven and a half years serving on Gila River’s corporate board of directors — including five and a half years as the President of the board of directors — Manuel witnessed how the Tribal enterprise could affect change and benefit the Gila River Indian Community.

“Because I grew up in the Community before gaming, I did see the struggles, I saw them firsthand,” he tells Native Business.

When an opportunity presented itself

COURTESY GILA RIVER HOTELS & CASINOS

Manuel began as a slot attendant at Gila River’s first gaming venture and worked his way up to the C-suite — and he’s just getting started.

The Gila River Indian Community's Wild Horse Pass Casino

to advance his career through Gila River Hotels & Casinos’ mentorship program, Manuel took it. Manuel had the unique opportunity to work under two different CEOs through the mentorship program, and he officially took the helm at Gila River Hotels & Casinos as CEO in January 2017.

The mentorship program that groomed Manuel for executive leadership continues strong today. “I believe at last count, approximately 70 members of the Gila River Indian Community have gone through this program and have obtained positions in management within the enterprises at our three different locations,” Manuel says proudly.

Speaking of the Gila River Hotels & Casinos’ three properties, Manuel has been key in the creation and completion of them all: Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, Lone Butte Casino, and Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino.

“We have a group called the Casino Expansion Owners Team or CEOT. I’m a member of CEOT, so we meet on a regular basis. We’re always looking at our long-term goals, strategic plans and the ways of carrying out the different facets of that,” he says.

Manuel is also particularly proud of Gila River Hotels & Casinos’ corporate relationships with professional sports teams in Arizona

— including the NFL team the Arizona Cardinals, the Major League Baseball team the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the NHL team the Arizona Coyotes.

With NFL rules relaxed, at the start of this year’s NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals named Gila River Hotels & Casinos as its official hotel and casino partner. “It definitely helps put us on the map,” Manuel says. “When I look at our partnership, I look at it from a couple of different perspectives — one, from the business perspective, and two, from the Community perspective.”

He explains, “From the business perspective, there’s brand recognition. When you go into a football stadium, you see Gila River Hotels & Casinos alongside other big businesses like Budweiser, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and the various airlines that partner with the Arizona Cardinals. Having our product and our service alongside those names is extremely important to the business with some 70,000 fans there not only throughout football season, but year-round with the different events held at State Farm Stadium.”

The partnership is also beneficial to the Gila River Indian Community — particularly its youth, Manuel expresses. “The Arizona Cardinals will be donating $5,000 to the Gila River Fire Department apprentice program, and they also host four youth football clinics each year for children in the Community. There are player appearances, cheerleader and mascot appearances, and many other activities that we collaborate on. Our long-standing partnership is proof that, with a shared vision and mutual respect, anything is possible.”

As a Gila River Indian Community member who worked his way from slot attendant to CEO, while witnessing the evolution and growth of his Community’s economy, Manuel is a believer in the power of Gila River Hotels & Casinos to make a positive impact now and for generations to come.

“We are the largest revenue source for the Gila River Indian Community. So I have a vested interest in what we do on a daily basis,” he says.

To Manuel, effective leadership is achieved by staying grounded and continuously reinforcing and remembering the vision, purpose and mission of a business. “It doesn’t matter what business you’re in — it goes back to the core vision and goals,” he says.

And Manuel underscores, again and again, that he’s a big proponent of not only investing and reinvesting in the business, but investing in the team. “I’m a big believer in team,” he adds. “I understand 100 percent that no one succeeds alone. I give all my credit to the team. I give all the credit to my Community. There is a great sense of pride in the Community.”

“We are the largest revenue source for the Gila River Indian Community. So I have

a vested interest in what we do on a daily

COURTESY GILA RIVER HOTELS & CASINOS

basis,” says CEO Kenneth Manuel, Jr.

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CELEBRATING TRIBAL EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS Congratulations to Kenneth Manuel on his selection to Native Business’ Top 30 CEOs. His hard work and leadership are a wonderful example to business leaders in our communities across the country.

PlayAtGila.com | 800-WIN-GILA Owned and operated by the Gila River Indian Community

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DAVID NIMMO PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHICKASAW NATION INDUSTRIES

A High-Powered CEO With a ‘Servant’s Heart’ Care about the people you lead, and they'll embrace your vision and work to achieve it.

By Josh Robertson

C

EOs of Tribal businesses are different. A business provides a good or service to a customer, but when you’re running a Tribal business you’re providing another service — to the Tribal people themselves. It’s not charity, it’s opportunity, and many Native business CEOs consider it a privilege, not a burden.

You hear it in the words of David Nimmo, President and CEO of Chickasaw Nation Industries (CNI). (He is not a Tribal member, but he is married to one.) “Like all of the Native Business CEOs, I am driven by the opportunity to help the resilient and deserving Tribal citizens enhance the quality of their life following years of failed federal policy,” he says. “We say we are fortunate to be both democrat and republican, in that we exercise our entrepreneurial or business interests to fund a totally social mission.”

In less than 20 years, CNI has gone from a fledgling business awaiting 8(a) status approval to a giant conglomerate with 24 subsidiaries and employing 1,850 people. CNI specializes in government contracting, manufacturing and fluid filtration for clients that include the U.S. military, government agencies, the Ford Motor Company, and heavyweights of the energy industry.

And then there’s the other client — the Chickasaw Nation and people, who reap the benefits of CNI’s success, and for whom CNI is a potential career. Beneath Nimmo’s name on the CNI corporate website the mission statement makes the goal crystal clear: “to build a business that supports a Nation.”

For Nimmo, getting his teams to buy

into that Nation-supporting mission inspired a kind of self-leadership among them.

“Keeping the vision and mission in front of the team provided all the motivation they needed,” he says. The diversification into so many different arenas is a point of pride. “I think changing over time was necessary for David Nimmo our success in building a sustainable business. It takes a great team to embrace “My philosophy in life is to do what I change, and take the difficult steps necescan to help those with whom I come into sary to adopt a new way and own it.” contact,” Nimmo explains. “You have to be Nimmo also believes that leadership attentive to the needs of others in order to starts with the hiring process. “You cannot serve them. I believe I inherited or learned know everything,” he observes, “therefore from my mother a form of empathy that trust in your team is of paramount imporhelps me understand how other people feel, what they want to achieve, and where they are in their journey. That understanding helps me help them.”

Does this all sound a little… soft?

With a lot of CNI’s clients, the stakes are high — not only does the company work with every branch of the U.S. military, it’s also contracted with the Departments of Interior, Energy, Justice and others. But the mere fact that your company is handling logistics in a war zone doesn’t mean the leadership style need be combative. tance. Hiring the right people is critical.

“My view is that you must demonstrate Not just technically sound, but aligned you truly care about those you seek to lead,” with your values, and possessed of fire-insays Nimmo. “Then they will hear you when the-belly drive.” you cast a vision, trust you when you ask The passion of the team must be balthem to embrace it, and work to achieve it. anced by the compassion of the leader — Have a vision that is compelling; a strategy the most important skill or trait, Nimmo that is aligned with their capabilities; and believes, is to “develop a servant’s heart.” hold the team accountable for their role.”

“Hiring the right people is

PHOTO COURTESY CHICKASAW NATION INDUSTRIES

critical,” Nimmo says. “Not just technically sound, but aligned

with your values, and possessed of fire-in-the-belly drive.”

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ANGELA HEIKES PRESIDENT AND CEO, SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY GAMING ENTERPRISE

A Champion for Gaming She operates on two guiding principles: trust and gratitude.

A

ngela Heikes has been a sure bet for the Minnesota Indian gaming industry for nearly 25 years. In her current role as president and chief executive officer of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Gaming Enterprise, she oversees the operations of Little Six Casino and Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, the second-largest hotel in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

It is a role that plays to her strong suit as a business leader, financial expert and strategic planner. “I love the people who I get to engage with at all levels. And I love the purpose of working hard every day to support the sovereignty and success of Tribal government,” shares Heikes, also a yoga practitioner who bends herself in many directions every day guiding 3,300 team members.

Through the years, Heikes has held a number of top-level management positions with both the SMSC and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribes and is a recognized advocate for the protection of the state’s gaming industry. This well-accomplished dynamo believes her greatest achievement to date is the 20-year master plan she created for the Gaming Enterprise and Community of SMSC Tribal members.

“To develop the plan, I worked closely with Gaming leadership, and officials and

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members of the Community in setting the future course of the SMSC,” says Heikes about the document that has laid the foundation for the work the Tribe does every day. “Together, we defined objectives for economic development, charitable giving, natural resources, infrastructure, health and wellness, education and culture.”

This visionary blueprint has helped sweeten the pot for the Tribe through key partnerships with prominent Minnesota businesses. The chief executive officer of Canterbury Park, a horse racing track in Shakopee, credits the alliance with the SMSC for saving the horse racing industry in the state. What’s more, the SMSC owns a 342-room luxury hotel at the Mall of America, for which Heikes serves as chief operating officer of Hotel Development LLC, the Tribal division that oversees this important investment.

It’s no wonder that Heikes is an expert at growing bottom lines. She is also a University of Minnesota Master Gardener who teaches about horticulture and volunteers in community gardens. She and her husband also own and operate a corn and soybean farm in Braham, Minnesota.

But perhaps the real secret to Heikes’ extraordinary success is her humble leadership style. She operates on two guiding principles: trust and gratitude. “Good lead-

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ership is grounded in gratitude. It includes being a good listener, setting clear expectations and goals, providing resources so team members can do their jobs and trusting the leadership team I put in place.”

Along her impressive journey to the top as SMSC’s president and CEO, Heikes has earned a number of accolades. Twin Cities Business Magazine named her one of the “100 People to Know in 2017.” In 2015, she was a “Women in Business” honoree of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and named one of Global Gaming Business Magazine’s “25 to Watch.” And in 2010, she received the “Top Women in Finance” award from Finance & Commerce.

For other aspiring leaders whose sights are set on that executive corner office someday, this champion for gaming deals out some good career advice: “Take advantage of every opportunity to broaden your skills and experiences, find a mentor who will challenge you and be your champion, and always be open to taking on projects that you think are a bit beyond your comfort zone.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY GAMING ENTERPRISE

Angela Heikes

By Lynn Armitage

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TOP 30 CEOS

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Chuck Garrett MAKING CHEROKEE NATION BUSINESSES THE BEST EMPLOYER IN OKLAHOMA

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