The new chief executive officer of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, Brian Parrish, has come under attack for his involvement in a 2002 contest-rigging incident at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
Quincy Natay, chairman of the Enterprise, released a statement supporting Parrish. “We believe Mr. Parrish possesses all the necessary gaming management experience and leadership qualities to effectively lead Navajo Gaming into the future,” he wrote.
Natay added, “Additionally, the board is more than satisfied that Mr. Parrish has successfully undergone extensive employment history reviews and has consequently received approvals from multiple state and tribal regulatory licensing jurisdictions over the past 17 years. To be clear, his employment history presented no ongoing concerns to independent gaming regulators or to our board and we couldn’t be more excited about the continued growth and success of Navajo Gaming under Brian’s direction.”
Parrish was promoted from chief operating officer to the job in September after former CEO Derrick Watchman left for undisclosed reasons.
Parrish was fired from the Venetian for the incident, which did not cause him to gain anything personally. The state gaming authority declined to act against him.
In the interim Parrish, has worked at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, Quechan Casino Resort and Navajo Gaming. He was COO for two years before his elevation to CEO.
