With about nine months remaining before the $960 million MGM Springfield opens in the Bay State’s third largest city, it is preparing for the launch by cooperating with the opening of the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute’s Gaming School, a joint operation with the Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College.
The school was launched on December 6 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, just a few blocks from where the casino is rising in the South End.
Classes start February 26. Students will get instruction in blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, among others.
Meanwhile, the casino has announcement the appointment of Springfield native son Jose Delgado as director of government affairs.
Delgado comes to the position from a previous job as pre-admissions advisor and recruitment coordinator for the University Without Walls, which is put on by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Just as much to the point on his new job, Delgado was an aide to Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who has been an active supporter of the casino since it was first proposed.
MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis last week praised Delgado for “his abundance of local government and community experience and deep understanding of Springfield’s rich heritage [that] makes him a welcome addition to our team.”
He will be a liaison between the casino and state and local officials and represent the casino at the state capital. He will also reach out to host communities and other “stakeholders.”
Delgado said, “It’s a privilege to be joining the passionate and talented MGM Springfield team. I am excited to take on this role during such an important time for both MGM and for Springfield. As a Springfield native, I look forward to playing a role in MGM’s efforts to enhance the positive impacts of the company’s programs in our community.”
