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We asked tribal leaders discuss their current priorities, how innovation is shaping their gaming and hospitality strategies, and how they cultivate leadership to support long-term stability and growth. Here is what Chairwoman Regina Cuellar had to say…
Regina Cuellar, Chairwoman
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Red Hawk Resort & Casino – Placerville, CA
redhawkcasino.com / shinglespringsrancheria.com
PRIORITIES: Our tribe’s top priorities are housing and economic diversification. These two goals allow us to foster growth and stability for our membership and for the next seven generations that come after us, ensuring the longevity and health of our people. Our gaming enterprise supports us in all that we do, but it cannot be the only source of revenue we rely on. Right now, the revenue stream from the casino allows us to continue building up our government operations that provide direct services to our membership, revitalize our culture so that we can continue our traditions, and allows us to make continuous investments into our future growth outside of gaming so that we can become more self-sufficient. We would not be as successful in achieving these goals without the support of our gaming enterprise.
INNOVATION: We are always looking into the latest and greatest gaming, entertainment, and hospitality technology. By attending both tribal and gaming industry conferences and showcases, we are able to gather inspiration and learn from the success of other tribes by seeing what works for them and how that could fit for our demographic and unique area. Recently, we have expanded our casino amenity offerings to better reach every member of the family, making our establishment a family-friendly place where there is something for everybody. This has allowed us to truly offer a resort experience and not just be a solely gaming facility, bringing in a whole new demographic of patrons to our property.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Our tribe invests 100% into the higher education of our membership. For any member that desires one, we ensure they get it. We concurrently create opportunities for our members through our internship program where our youth can get introduced into tribal government to learn and experience a wide range of different departments from an early age. This exposure can then lead to a passion or interest in higher education with the hope of that member bringing back the knowledge they gain to become a future tribal leader. When they are ready to return, the tribe invests in the employment of the member by finding a position for them where they can employ the skills they learned and be successful. This cycle ensures that our tribe has fully developed leaders from an early age that are ready to contribute to the tribe’s operation for long-term stability and growth for any that want it.
