Joanna Hadley, Grand Lake Casino General Manager
(Grove, OK –) Joanna Hadley, recently hired as General Manager at Grand Lake Casino in Grove, Oklahoma, didn’t hesitate for a moment when she took the reins of the popular casino. The facility is already sporting a new look, new games, and a renewed commitment to serving the community.
Ms. Hadley is neither a stranger to expanding and improving such industries nor to the Grand Lake community. She first worked for the Seneca-Cayuga tribe in 1983 at the tribe’s original bingo hall located in what is now the tobacco plant outside Grove. A short year later, she accepted a similar position with the Eastern Shawnee Tribe where she worked for the ensuing 29 years.
“Initially, I assisted the General Manager of paper bingo operations for the Eastern Shawnees,” she recalls. “Later, I managed that facility, eventually moving into a position as Gaming Director at Indigo Sky Casino, supervising all gaming revenue operations.”
When the opportunity arose to apply for the vacant General Manager’s job at Grand Lake Casino, she immediately leaped at the opportunity. Her commitment to improved quality and expanded economic impact became immediately evident.
“With 186 employees, our payroll at Grand Lake Casino is approximately $5 million a year,” said Ms. Hadley. “Ultimately, it is my responsibility to ensure policies, procedures, and facilities that continue to grow employment and economic opportunities for the Grand Lake community.” she said. “With the Grand Lake Casino lodge next door, the tobacco plant outside of Grove, and the Cherokee Queen paddleboat operations at the base of Sailboat Bridge, we are working hard to deliver a positive impact in our area with more and better jobs.”
Changes have already been put in place. A new, permanent Players’ Club facility is complete, and the beautiful new lobby area at Grand Lake Casino now welcomes visitors from throughout the four-state area. The performance stage, which was originally built twenty years ago, has been mercifully removed and a new stage is being constructed at the renovated restaurant and bar. New games are arriving on a weekly basis at the 45,000 square foot casino facility located on Highway 10, just north of Grove.
“We are also planning changes to the tour and charter packages on the Cherokee Queen paddleboat, and I’m hopeful of re-opening a restaurant facility at Grand Lakeside, adjacent to the operation of the Queen. Captain Terry Fowler continues to manage the riverboat operation as he has for many years. I’m just looking for better ways to serve the community and improve the tourism draw at Grand Lake,” she said.
Aside from her management skills and dedication to improving both operating efficiency and economic growth potential, Joanna Hadley is deeply steeped in Seneca-Cayuga tribal traditions, as well. She is, in fact, a pot hanger, one of six women and six men in the tribe whose work keeping tribal traditions intact and ensuring their maintenance for future generations is a never-ending task. They are responsible for tribal dances, as well. With more than 6,000 members of the Seneca-Cayuga tribe, it is an awesome responsibility.
With Joanna, it’s not all about business and her sense of duty extends deep into the community. Much of her time is consumed by efforts to honor those who deserve our respect, whether the sacrifices of those honorees were made for the tribe, the community, the state or the nation. June 28, for example, Grand Lake Casino will host a “Salute to Veterans Poker Run” benefitting The Wounded Warrior Project. After the inaugural event, a new motorcycle will be given away to an active or veteran member of our Armed Forces.
“Sometimes, it’s not about business,” Joanna confides. “Sometimes, it’s just about doing the right thing.”
With renovations now in place at the casino and popularity of the adjacent lodge on a rapidly rising trajectory, Joanna’s pace has not slowed.
“We understand our fortunate position and our responsibility as a good corporate citizen in our community,” she said. “Every day we are searching for new and improved ideas, new and improved products, and new ways to assist other business leaders and civic club officials in a continual expansion of the job market and economic development prospects in the Grand Lake community. I couldn’t be more optimistic about the future!”
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