She owes much to mentors , like the “ Wolf of Water Street ” Tim Brooks , co-owner and GM of the Emerald Island and Rainbow Club Casinos . “ Tim inspires me by being a visionary for the historic Water Street District and an advocate for our downtown Henderson community . The best advice Tim has given me is ‘ to keep moving the needle forward .’”
Jay Ship , CEO of Xs & Os of Success , reminds Garland “ to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday and know the difference between reacting and responding .”
Garland says she ’ s fortunate to work with a diverse team with unique perspectives that help her make decisions .
“ I aim to facilitate strong teamwork by providing employees autonomy and coaching them through challenges ,” she says .
Garland checks with employees to assess what works and what could use improvement . “ The team can always count on me to research how to resolve any issue . It is important to me to be both available and approachable .”
Put another way , inclusion and knowledge make for more ownership of their work .
“ The best feeling is watching team members become excited about their part of the operation and seeing them succeed by reaching their own personal goals .”
Despite all the positivity flowing from Garland , there were times she experienced a lack of confidence and self-doubt since women occupy such a small percentage of leadership roles in the gaming industry . “ I overcame these feelings by reminding myself I am qualified , and focus on what I have to offer the team and company .”
Yes , she was treated unfairly because of her gender , overlooked for an opportunity or excluded from negotiation . “ Because I am a woman . I chose to find my voice and bring awareness in these situations by advocating for myself and proving I can contribute to the conversation in a beneficial way .”
Unstoppable
Lana Rivera • Vice President and General Manager , Graton Resort By Marjorie Preston
For Lana Rivera , a career in gaming was in the cards .
Rivera grew up on card games — not just “ Go Fish ” and “ Old Maid ,” but gin rummy and spades . Playing cards was a safe , no-cost pastime for Rivera ’ s family , who lived in a “ rough neighborhood ” in Joliet , Illinois . By age 7 , young Lana could shuffle like a dealer .
That skill came in handy in the early 1990s , when a Harrah ’ s casino opened on the Des Plaines River . Twenty-one-year-old Rivera applied to be a riverboat dealer , and underwent a grueling audition process .
“ I want to say we trained for three months , 20 hours a week ,” she recalls . “ I was going crazy , but by the time it was over , I could deal in my sleep . And that ’ s exactly what they wanted .” Her first shift was exhilarating ; four hours in , a high roller had gambled and lost $ 300,000 .
Looking to rise through the ranks , Rivera saw few women in mid-level management and fewer still in leadership roles . Eventually , working for the Cherokee Nation Entertainment ’ s ( CNE ) Hard Rock in Tulsa , she confronted then-general manager Gary Weddell . “ I was honest with him : ‘ Throughout my career , this has been a man ’ s world . I ’ m curious to know what you think about women in gaming .’”
Taken aback by the question , Weddell went on to become one of Rivera ’ s earliest champions , along with Mark Fulton , CNE ’ s chief executive officer .
“ Between those men , I had the best of both worlds — real training in leadership , management , marketing , and caring about people . I worked 70 hours a week to make things happen , but I loved it .” By 2005 , she was CNE ’ s table games manager .
32 Global Gaming Business SEPTEMBER 2022