Since January, the Shawnee Tribe Gaming Commission are the new residents of 314 Northridge Circle in Guymon, OK. Commission staff moved out and began setting up the new office space in under a week, without any interruption to the operations of the Golden Mesa Casino.
“Our staff was growing, and our building wasn’t,” said Gaming Commission Director Otis Hughs. “We have regulations to maintain, and we were simply at capacity for safety and storage.”
In addition to more office and breakroom space for staff, the new location enhances the Commission’s ability to store valuable and confidential information securely as required by law and offers a safer workspace in general. The previous building had a single point of entry and no emergency exits.
“This made it difficult for us to write procedures that would assist in helping staff and guests in case of emergencies,” continued Hughs.
Beyond safety and security, the Gaming Commission is able to keep up with the demand of vendor applicants from the expansion of the casino and hotel. Applicants include construction employees in addition to new casino and hotel staff.
“My office at the old address also functioned as the conference room,” said Deputy Director Lisa Gipson. “We can now host our trainings in this new conference room, and I get an office all to myself!”
“I want to express our gratitude to our tribal leaders for listening to our needs and making this move a possibility in a short amount of time, said Hughs. “I also want to express appreciation to my staff – they worked extremely hard to get moved into our new building in a short timeframe. I couldn’t ask for a better team!”
For many people, the holiday season brings connection, celebration, and routine changes. But for survivors of domestic violence or past trauma, this time of year can also bring unexpected emotional challenges. Increased stress, family expectations, and sensory triggers can intensify anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD. Holiday environments can activate the brain’s trauma pathways. Sensory […]
Common E-Waste Items: Why does it matter? Key Facts: Sources: World Health Organization
On Saturday, September 20, during the Annual Meeting of the Tribal Council, former Shawnee Chief Ron Sparkman gave a history and retrospective. In 2019, the Business Council gave Sparkman the title of Ambassador to the Shawnee Tribe. He served as Chief from 2001 to 2019. “We have come a long, long way,” said Ambassador Sparkman. […]
WHY SHOULD I RECYCLE? HOW DO I RECYCLE? Sources: earth911.com
by A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack The original mouth of the Scioto River, in what is now southern Ohio, is far from Oklahoma. So far, perhaps, it has been forgotten. But important events in Shawnee history—in the mid-1700s and thousands of years earlier—took place there. Two painted panels on Portsmouth, Ohio’s floodwall highlight its […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MIAMI, OK — The Shawnee Tribe has declared a state of emergency and released emergency funds to assist citizens who may lose access to food assistance following the federal government’s suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified the Tribe on October 22 that SNAP operations will […]
RSVP to the Elders’ Luncheon!
The Shawnee Tribe’s 2025 General Council & Election Weekend included a community dinner and stomp dance, as well as the annual meeting of the Shawnee Tribal Council and Business Council election. Citizens had the opportunity to meet tribal service programs & administrative staff, collect raffle prizes, and hear reports on the past twelve months of happenings of the […]