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!”
Meet Magdalene “Mag” Walls, a proud Shawnee citizen born on February 25, 1921, in Ramona, Oklahoma. Her early years were spent in Ramona before her family moved to White Oak, where Mag attended grade school and met her first husband. Together, they had two wonderful children, Deloris and Jim. In 1942, Mag embarked on a […]
Shawnee language learners of all ages and abilities are invited to join the Shawnee Language Immersion Program for the 2026 Language Fair, Dinner and Stomp Dance on Saturday, July 25 in Miami, OK. Citizens of all three Shawnee nations are eligible to participate. Over $6,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top three winners […]
Did you know that the average US Citizen throws away an average of 70 lbs. of clothing annually? The fashion industry is a major contributor to global pollution, generating about 10% of annual CO₂ emissions. Reusing, donating, or recycling clothing helps reduce its environmental impact. Clean Out Your Closet—Responsibly Finished cleaning out your closet and […]
Hello! My name is Jenean Perryman, and I’m so grateful to join the Shawnee Tribe as the Education Outreach and Special Projects Director. I’m honored to be part of this community and appreciate the opportunity to work alongside tribal youth, families, and our education partners. I am a citizen of the Choctaw Nation – Halito […]
The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral Health Program is providing information in February for Dating Violence Awareness Month. This is a time dedicated to raising awareness about a serious issue that impacts people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Dating violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to gain power and control over a partner in […]
On December 24, 2025, The Oklahoman published Chief Ben Barnes’ op-ed on important priorities for the state in 2026. As Oklahoma prepares for an election year and the 250th anniversary of the United States, this is a fitting moment to reflect on who we are as a state and what kind of future we want […]
The Housing Department is moving! Housing is now located at 1525 A St NE, Miami OK 74354. Directly behind (East) of the Sonic Restaurant. * As with the previous location (at the Headquarters building) please press the button to be let inside. DOWNLOAD directions to the new location from the headquarters building.
The Shawnee Tribe’s Behavioral Health Program is providing information in January for Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking is a serious and often misunderstood form of victimization. It involves a pattern of behaviors that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or experience significant emotional distress. Stalking is not rare, and it is not […]