John James, a veteran with more than 25 years of experience in tribal gaming in California, Florida and Arizona has been named CEO and president of Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino.
James comes to the job from his current position as CEO of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. He will step into his new role on August 12. He succeeds Felix D. Rappaport, who died in June 2018 and = was succeeded by interim Chairman and CEO Rodney Butler.
Butler, who will step back into his role as tribal chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, praised the incoming leader: “Over the past decade, Foxwoods transformed the traditional gaming model through a relentless pursuit of guest-first experiences resulting in the only true all-encompassing resort destination. With his proven track record for innovation, John is the right leader to continue that commitment to our guests, fulfill our vision and ignite our passion for delivering a resort that excites and surprises. John perfectly represents our team’s values and beliefs, and we are ready to drive the future of Foxwoods together.”
James has experience in finance, innovative marketing, design and development. He commented, “Foxwoods is the premier destination in the Northeast and a pioneer in the tribal gaming community, and I’m thrilled to be joining their stellar team.
“Over the past 27 years, Foxwoods and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation have built a world-class resort casino with an unparalleled array of offerings for guests, and I look forward to working with the entire team to continue fortifying Foxwoods’ position as one of North America’s premier resort destinations.”
James came to Morongo from Gila River Gaming Enterprises, where as CEO he led the tribe’s three casinos. Under his leadership, the casino achieved record profitability. He also was chief executive at Seminole Gaming Inc. and Pechanga Resort and Casino.
James is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno.
