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Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel (Yaamava’ Resort & Casino) will host their second ‘Next Level Casino Careers’ virtual career event, April 4th – 5th, 2022, with multiple panels to discuss everything from consumer trends to recruitment and exceptional dining experience.
Additionally, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians & Yaamava’ Resort & Casino executives will be joined by a variety of speakers from several industries, including Caesars Entertainment Corporation Board Member, Jan Jones Blackhurst, Chief Operating Officer at AEG, Russell Silvers, former NFL Player and CEO of Grant Irons Enterprises, Grant Irons, and many more.
From fostering creativity to building a successful team and lessons from leadership, those who tune in will be able to hear from top executives as they share their unique perspectives and advice from their professional experience. Yaamava’ Resort & Casino will administer four exclusive panels each day with the ambition to inspire growing professionals to consider a career in casino gaming, hospitality, entertainment, or tribal government operations.
Full schedule of the event with list of speakers can be found below.
WHEN: Monday, April 4, 2022 – Tuesday, April 5, 2022
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PDT
Monday, April 4th
9:00 am – Consumer Trends – In a constantly changing world it is important to pivot and adapt. Hear from leaders who will provide strategic insight on what is changing in consumer behavior and how you can be prepared. Speakers include:
- Tracee Nalewak, Chief Growth Officer at UrVenue
- Russell Silvers, Chief Operating Officer at AEG
- Tim Riester, Founder of Riester Ad Agency and CEO, Vice Chairman and Alternate Governor of Phoenix Rising FC
- Drew Dixon, VP of Entertainment at Yaamava' Resort & Casino
11:00 am – Fostering Creativity – A panel brought back by popular demand! Hear from leaders who are required to think creatively daily and how they foster creative executions with their team. Speakers include:
- Ed Olsen, CEO of Line Drive Sports Marketing
- Jerry Bowlen, Director of Horticulture at Yaamava' Resort & Casino
- Celena Haas-Stacey, Owner of CHS Communications
- Laura Esfeller, Director of Marketing Services at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
1:00 pm – Recruitment in 2022 & Beyond – A topic that is on everyone’s mind is how to recruit and retain team members. This panel will dive into what is on the horizon and how employers can strive to find success in the labor market. Speakers include:
- Tonya Oatman, VP of Spa & Retail at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
- Jasmine Takeshita, Director of Talent Acquisition at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- Leslie Aguila, Recruitment Supervisor at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- Paul Engl, General Manager of Learfield/ IMG College
3:00 pm – Lessons in Leadership – Hear this diverse panel uncover lessons learned throughout their expansive careers and how you can apply these lessons to your career. Speakers include:
- Jan Jones Blackhurst, Board Member at Caesars Entertainment Corporation
- Larry Krutchik, Executive VP at Hill + Knowlton Strategies
- Jeffrey Decker, Professor Emeritus at Whittier College
- An Tran, VP of Human Resources at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- Bo Bernhard, VP of Economic Development at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Tuesday, April 5th
9:00 am – Building a Winning Team – Success is only made possible by the collective effort of the team. Tune in to this panel to learn what it takes to build a winning culture and team. Speakers include:
- Jaime Stratton, Head of Human Resources at the Las Vegas Raiders
- Ari Mizrachi, SVP and Head of North America Business at Tangam Systems
- Sonna Gonzales, Director of Retail at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
- Kenji Hall, COO - Casino at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
11:00 am – Experiential Dining – The F&B leadership group of Yamaava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel will be taking questions on everything that makes an exceptional dining experience. Yaamava’ Resort & Casino speakers include:
- Oliver Wolf, VP of Culinary Operations
- Chris Fava, VP of Food & Beverage
- Ryan Sharpe, Director of Beverage Operations
- Kevin Kraft, Director of Food & Beverage
- Linchul Shin, Director of Food & Beverage
1:00 pm – Mentorship – Hear how you can find mentors, the importance of having an experienced resource, and why relationships are pivotal to success. Speakers include:
- Grant Irons, Former NFL Player and CEO of Grant Irons Enterprises, LLC
- Michael Ganton, VP of Facilities & EVS at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
- Lance Ewing, VP of Enterprise Risk Management & Operations at San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
- Anna Tristan, Manager, Business Finance - IT
3:00 pm – Holistic Hotel Operations – A successful guest experience is only made possible by an empowered hotel operations team. Hear this team give you a sneak peek on what it takes to run a best-in-class hotel team. Speakers include:
- Afsi Bird, VP of Hotel Operations at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
- Howard Copen, Director of Revenue Management at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
- Ron Tenorio, Director of Housekeeping at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
WHERE: Online - Guests must register at https://nextlevelcasinocareers.com/en/registration
ABOUT YAAMAVA’ RESORT & CASINO AT SAN MANUEL
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel is Southern California’s newest luxury resort featuring a 17-floor hotel tower with 432 guest rooms and spacious suites, an elevated pool deck experience, a lavish full-service spa and salon and convenient 24-hour in-room dining. Millions of visitors each year will now be able to enjoy a premier “stay and play” experience with more than 6,500 slots, five high-limit gaming rooms, incredible entertainment, a full array of dining options, multiple bars and lounges, luxe retail shops and a generous player’s reward program.
The San Manuel Entertainment Authority (“SMEA”) wholly owns and operates Yaamava’ Resort & Casino. Located just 60 minutes from downtown Los Angeles in the city of Highland, Calif., the casino resort offers sweeping views of the San Bernardino Mountains. In 2021, San Manuel Casino and San Manuel Tribal Government Operations were certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the global authority on workplace culture.
For more information on Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, visit www.yaamava.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel is located at 777 San Manuel Blvd, Highland, Calif. 92346. Telephone 800-359-2464.
