Q & A with Craig Clark, General Manager

After months of searching, Pechanga Resort and Casino has a new General Manager, Craig Clark. With the support of the Pechanga Development Corporation, Craig intends to hold leadership and Team Members to high standards of respect, integrity and accountability.

Only a handful of individuals can boast of leadership positions at a property comparable to Pechanga. Craig Clark brings 14 years of experience from Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Turning Stone recently celebrated 16 years of operation and is currently one of the top 5 tourist destinations in the state of New York. After a brief stint as the internal auditing manager for the Oneida Indian Gaming Commission, he spent 6 years as Turning Stone’s Director of Finance. Craig’s professional career culminates with spending the last 8 years as the General Manager at Turning Stone.

Among his first impressions of Pechanga, Craig states, “This is an amazing property with lots of opportunity, clearly unmatched by any of our competitors. We need to get Team Members aware of how valuable they are to our success. This will result in guest satisfaction and continued loyalty to Pechanga, for Team Members and guests alike.” Through improved communication and cooperation, the new General Manager plans to leverage his considerable experience and leadership skills to promote a culture of passion, pride, and professionalism.

Q: What words best describe you?
A: Business leader

Q: What’s your biggest challenge?
A: The challenge is coming into an organization like Pechanga, where leadership has experienced fantastic growth and success in the previous economy, and I hope to improve internal processes.

Q: What sparked your interest in casino resort leadership?
A: There’s an energy and excitement in our business. It’s dynamic, always changing, always challenging. I’m drawn to the combination of excitement and the challenge to maximize profitability and success.

Q: What was your first job?
A: Selling bait (1 cent per worm, 2 cents per night crawler) probably doesn’t qualify, so let’s go with working on a dairy farm.

Q: How did you wind up here?
A: I answered an online advertisement for the position, but of course I knew of Pechanga because of its size. I’ve always looked to Pechanga as an excellent resource for information through its web site and especially Native American gaming issues.

Q: What has been the most significant moment in your career?
A: We had 5 championship golf courses at the other property. Once, a Professional Golfing Association event at Binghamton, New York, had to be relocated due to flooding. Through teamwork, we relocated the event in just 12 days to Atunyote (eagle), a Tom Fazio designed golf course on the property. The event exceeded expectations of fans and the event coordinators from the PGA.

Q: If you couldn’t do what you’re doing now, what would you do?
A: Something along the lines of finance, probably associated with the stock market. While the downturn is causing widespread change and challenges, from an economist’s viewpoint, it’s a tremendous period for analysis of business opportunities.

Q: Best childhood memory:
A: My first Major League Baseball game with my family, at Yankee Stadium.

Q: How do you manage stress?
A: I enjoy exercising, going on long bike rides or using a stationary bike.

Q: Who has been your inspiration/mentor?
A: A former Chief Operations Officer at the Oneida Turning Stone Resort and Casino, named Frank Riolo. He provided my introduction to gaming. A gambler at heart, he worked in Vegas for Steve Wynn, the Golden Nugget, among other places.

Q: What makes you happiest?
A: Success and winning.

Q: Tell us something that most people don’t know about you:
A: From the time I was 16 years old, I worked side by side with my dad, as a carpenter. I actually put myself through college working with my dad. As a result, I became very close to him, and remain so today. Hopefully, he gets a chance to visit Pechanga soon.

Q: Best advice you ever received?
A: My parents were always very supportive and encouraging. They always challenged me to pursue any dream or aspiration; they made me believe anything was possible.

Q: What difference would you like to make?
A: I look forward to improving communication and cooperation in all areas of the resort and casino.

Craig looks forward to relocating his family here to the Temecula area. He is also excited about joining the family at Pechanga Resort and Casino.