By Tatiana Martins, journalist at G&M News.
Congratulations on being chosen ‘Tribal Leader of the Year’! What does this recognition mean to you personally, and how do you see it reflecting on your work with the casino and the wider tribal community?
This honor at the SBC Awards Americas 2025 is both exciting and humbling and I accept it on behalf of the 2,400 team members at Potawatomi Casino Hotel and the Forest County Potawatomi Community who help shape what we do on a daily basis and make me be a better leader. We couldn’t have done this USD 190 million renovation project that included our outstanding Potawatomi Sportsbook without a lot of hard work from everyone involved. I have surrounded myself with great, smart people. We brought in a Chief Experience Officer with decades of experience in Las Vegas, a construction consultant who helped make our vision a reality, and a CIO who has upgraded our systems to not only make us more secure, but on par with what you’re used to seeing in Las Vegas. We’re out here every day to make this facility the best it can and the place everyone wants to come to for entertainment. For me, this is the latest step on a long road that started in Kansas where I grew up. I am an enrolled member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. My dad is a longtime leader in the Tribe and was once a Tribal Chairman. I’m proud of what we’ve done and what we’ve become, but the work isn’t fully done yet.
You’ve held leadership positions in several major tribal gaming operations across the country. How have these diverse experiences shaped your vision for your current role?
I think you learn things everywhere you go in life. I got my start in the casino industry working at Harrah’s in Kansas and, without a doubt, working in front-of-house had a major impact on my leadership style. I know how important it is to show your team members that they are valued every day. Through my leadership roles, I came up with working on the finance side of things where it’s easy to get tunnel vision only looking at the numbers on the page. In my role today as CEO and GM, I make it a point to look at the impact my decisions have on the lives of real people.
What innovations or strategic initiatives have been most impactful for the Potawatomi Casino Hotel and its long-term success?
Being the first sportsbook in Milwaukee has quite literally changed the game for us. It’s a new experience we are able to offer that has opened up a new market for us to entertain. My strategy is to go big. We could have sat back and not done much because our brand is already well known in the area. But instead, we invested in ourselves, in the future, and we built on that success. Took it to a whole new level with one of the biggest and best retail sportsbooks in the country. The best in dining and gaming options. There are so many entertainment options out there and we’ve got casinos popping up in our backyard. We have to make sure we’re constantly evolving, always getting better.
You said you are a proud member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. How do your cultural roots influence your management style and decision-making in a business environment?
I wouldn’t be the leader I am today without sharing the credit with my family and my Elders who have mentored me over the years. My father was a USMC Sniper Vietnam Veteran, member of the Wa Te Se Warriors Society, and is a former Tribal leader and Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. I continue to inherit life lessons from him daily. My Elders, they would say: “If you look at each decision and ask yourself ‘Is it good for our people?’, it will guide you as you trek to find good hunting grounds for the nation.” It keeps me grounded and focused on what’s really important when it comes to business: the people behind it all. My vision for the future of tribal gaming is rooted in the values of my community, ensuring that gaming revenues are reinvested into programs that support education, healthcare, and economic development for tribal members.
In that sense, what are your key goals and aspirations, and how do you envision your role in shaping that future?
Never stop looking for the next big thing. Never stop trying to enhance the guest experience. Never stop trying to do what’s going to benefit the tribes the most. We’ve got social gaming and an on-premise sports app coming this year. Both will be huge for us, but we can’t stop there. We always have to be looking for the latest and greatest to make sure we are at the top of our game and are the best entertainment destination in the Midwest. We’re here to show that Tribal casinos can be as successful as Wynn and MGM, but those dollars are going to benefit marginalized and displaced communities who will build a future from it.