First Pokagon Citizen and First Female to Serve as COO
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s Four Winds® Casinos are pleased to announce that Mary Smith has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mrs. Smith, who most recently served as Executive Vice President of Casino Operations, assumes the role which was being fulfilled on an interim basis by Clayton Mason, who also serves as Chief Financial Officer for Four Winds Casinos. Mrs. Smith is a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the first female executive to serve as COO of Four Winds Casinos.
Mrs. Smith joined Four Winds Casinos in 2007 and during her tenure held successive roles of increasing responsibility including Financial Analyst, Assistant Property Shift Manager, Property Shift Manager, Director of Hotel Operations, Vice President of Hotel Operations, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations and Development, and Executive Vice President of Casino Operations. She holds a degree from Indiana University in South Bend.
Commenting on the appointment, Rebecca Richards, Tribal Council Chairwoman of the Pokagon Band and CEO of the Pokagon Gaming Authority said, “We are very pleased to promote Mary Smith to the role of Chief Operating Officer. In addition to being a Pokagon Citizen and the first female executive to take the helm as COO, Mary is a long-time member of our casino operations team, who has been with us from the beginning. Her knowledge and diverse experience with the inner workings of our organization will provide her with the necessary perspective and insight to lead Four Winds Casinos into the future.”
Commenting on her appointment, Mary Smith said, “It is a tremendous honor to be named COO of Four Winds Casinos. I want to thank Chairwoman Richards and the Pokagon Gaming Authority for their confidence in my ability to serve on the casino operations team in this capacity. I look forward to continuing my service to my tribe and leading Four Winds Casinos for years to come.”
About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care, and cultural preservation for its more than 6,000 citizens. The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind. In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011, Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in January 2018. The Pokagon Band operates a variety of businesses via Mno-Bmadsen and the Pokagon Development Authority, its non-gaming investment enterprises. More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov, www.fourwindscasino.com and www.mno-bmadsen.com.
