The Navajo Nation owns and operates the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona. Photo from Facebook
The chief executive officer of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise has been placed on administrative leave with pay, according to news reports. Derrick Watchman, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, has served as CEO since January 1, 2013. He is the first tribal member to hold the post and only the second person in the job. The tribe is a relative newcomer to the Indian gaming industry. The first casino, in New Mexico, opened in November 2008 and the Arizona facility opened in May 2013. According to the tribe, the casinos have created 1,500 jobs. Eighty-five percent of the positions are held by Navajo citizens. “It’s good for our Navajo people to get a paycheck, go shopping and buy cars. It gives them a tremendous sense of pride that they can raise their families,” President Russell Begaye said last November. Read More on the Story:
Navajo gaming CEO on administrative leave (The Farmington Daily-Times 9/22)
Gaming CEO suspended (The Navajo Times 9/21)
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