< Previous| tribalnetonline.comFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM50FEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM50FEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.ORGTRIBALNET MAGAZINE FALL 2017 | In our previous agency update, FirstNet and AT&T had just announced our public-private partnership to build and deploy the nationwide public safety broadband network. In the weeks following that announcement, we worked together to finalize and launch the State Plans Portal. Through the portal, we simultaneously released customized State Plans to each state, territory and the District of Columbia, outlining our proposal for deploying the FirstNet network within that state or territory to include coverage of tribal lands within their boundaries. FirstNet and AT&T staff fanned out across the nation to meet with state points of contact (SPOCs) and public safety stakeholders as they reviewed their plans. These meetings gave public safety officials at the local, state and tribal levels opportunities to dig into coverage maps; ask questions about users, priority and preemption; and press AT&T and FirstNet staff for more details on deployables, network buildout and rate plans. TRIBAL INVOLVEMENT IN STATE PLAN FEEDBACK Our staff recently teamed with SPOCs to involve tribal nations from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the State Plan review engagements. FirstNet collected feedback at these meetings and considered thousands of State Plans comments. When we redistributed State Plans to governors in September, the official 90-day clock began for each to decide whether to opt in (FirstNet builds the network at no cost to the state) or opt out (the state builds the network at their expense). THE GOVERNOR’S CHOICE Several governors have already chosen to opt in. Opting in offers all public safety providers within a state distinct advantages, including immediate access to priority on AT&T’s LTE network and preemption by the end of the year. End-to-end encryption will be implemented on the FirstNet network by March 2018 when the evolved packet core is fully functional. Opting in also transfers all risks and responsibilities for building, maintaining and upgrading the network from the states to FirstNet and begins AT&T’s investment in the state. When New Mexico decided to opt in on August 1, Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay Jr. from the Navajo Nation, said: “It’s very encouraging to see New Mexico become the first state in our region to adopt the FirstNet system, and I am thankful to Gov. Martinez for opting into the program”.A NEW BEGINNING FOR CONSULTATION WITH TRIBAL ENTITIES Once a governor has made the opt-in/opt-out decision, FirstNet will establish a nation-to-nation relationship with federally recognized tribes that complements its National Historic Preservation Act section 106 obligations but was previously constrained by its enabling legislation. FirstNet’s Tribal Working Group, part of our Public Safety Advisory Committee, contributed to drafting a Tribal Consultation Policy that has been reviewed by the FirstNet Board and codifies FirstNet’s commitment to this relationship going forward.You can view our Tribal Consultation Policy and news about state opt-in/out decisions at www.FirstNet.gov. For details on FirstNet products and services, visit www.FirstNet.comEncouraging CollaborationAGENCY UPDATE: FIRSTNETNationwide public safety broadband network & State Plans PortalAGENCY UPDATE | IRSTNETWE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO OUR TRIBAL GOVERNMENT LIAISONS WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS:MARGARET GUTIERREZ FirstNet Regional Tribal Government Liaison—East (Regions I-VIII) 202-738-8344 or margaret.gutierrez@firstnet.govADAM GEISLERFirstNet Regional Tribal Government Liaison—West (Regions IX-X))202-631-1188 or adam.geisler@firstnet.govCARL REBSTOCK FirstNet National Tribal Government Liaison 202-657-2777 or carl.rebstock@firstnet.govAGENCY UPDATE | FIRSTNET 50| tribalnetonline.com50broadbandnetwork_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 509/19/17 5:05 PMTRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 519/19/17 5:05 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com52During the mid-1970s, I was a teenager sitting at our local Indian hospital, waiting to see a doctor. The hospital was an older PHS/IHS hospital located in the capital city of Sacaton, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation. As I sat in the waiting room, I noticed a worn-out magazine sitting on a chair next to me. I skimmed the magazine, losing interest fast, but when I laid the magazine back on the chair I noticed something interesting on its back cover: a beige machine with a set of white keys. The name below the machine read IBM 5100 Portable Computer. I was fascinated by the computer with all its electronic trinkets laid out on its front casing and knew I would continue my ongoing research into this new finding. In 1976, after I graduated from eighth grade, my mother Lois (Pima), a registered nurse, took a nursing director’s assistant position in Northern Arizona on the Hopi Reservation. That same year, I began my high school adventures as well as my research on these so-called computers. I remember spending time in the high-school library, reading up on computer books written by various computer gurus of previous generations. Most of the computer books, written in the 1960s and early 70s, discussed different types of computers, various storage sizes, memory and displays. But they also introduced me to computer terminologies and BASIC programming. After a few months buried in computer books, I came to a realization that I wanted to pursue a career in computer systems.Upon completing my high school education, I attended college for a year. Shortly thereafter, I decided I wanted to work so that I could support myself and my family. I began my career working in both the semiconductor industry and Indian Health Services (IHS). While working as an IHS Computer System Analyst, I decided that I wanted to return to college to complete my computer degree program. I applied for an Indian Health Scholarship Award and was blessed and fortunate to receive the award in 1992. In early 1993, prior to my return to college, my father Bennett (Hopi) passed away. I began college with a heavy heart, but I knew that in the long run, I had to be strong for myself and my family, and completed my college education. Armed with my college degree and additional computer knowledge, I headed back to the Gila River Reservation and jumped back into the tribal computer work force. I was able to seek employment in various jobs pertaining to semiconductors, tribal database management systems, computer training and casino Indian gaming.IT IS MY GREATEST HOPE THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL REACH MANY OTHERS SO THAT THE FAVORABLE EDGE OF THE SWORD WILL CONTINUE TO SHINE SHARP IN A POSITIVE WAY FOR ALL. BYBENNETT SMILEY JR. INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER, GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITYa double edged swordcomputer techTECHNOLOGY | CHANGING LANDSCAPESBennett Smiley Jr. is the Information Systems Manager for Gila River Indian Community. Residing in Sacaton, Arizona on the Gila River Reservation, he enjoys art, movies, and working with young adults in his spare time.ABOUT THE AUTHOR_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 529/19/17 5:05 PMtribalnetonline.com |53TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017The Double Edged SwordOn a rainy evening at home a few days ago, I began reflecting on both my past schooling and computer career. I also began thinking about how computer technology has massively evolved in the past forty or so years, from advancements in computer systems to how computer technologies are utilized in our world today. As I continued to reflect on the good ole’ days, a burst of lightning sounded off nearby leaving my house in total darkness. Instead of playing card games on my laptop, I continued my trip down ‘computer’ memory lane. I tried to think of a word or phrase that best describes our world’s current relationship to computer technology. I pondered for a second or two, and then finally, a phrase popped into my mind: “double edged sword.” I grabbed a dictionary and read through several definitions until I found the one that best fit:“Something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences.” As long as I have worked with computer systems, I have witnessed many “favorable and unfavorable consequences.” There are many “favorable consequences.” I have seen or read about great computer advancements and inventions found in computer sciences, businesses, education, governments and other computer-related entities in our world today. Not only have these results improved the way of life for millions of people around the globe, but they have given birth to even ‘newer’ technologies associated with people, places and things. Keeping the double-edged sword in mind, how do we, the world, society, continue to work the favorable edge? The “unfavorable consequences” that also exist on the double-edged sword’ do not necessarily apply to computer technology itself, but how computer technologies are utilized in the world today. I have seen so many unfavorable consequences found in computerized mediums such as social media, email, websites and video streams—harsh, unfavorable consequences that ruin people’s lives and careers, destroy computer systems and networks, spread hatred, violence and even death. These and other destructive results are detrimental to both computers and human lives.Finding the Favorable EdgeKeeping the double-edged sword in mind, how do we, the world society, continue to work the favorable edge of the sword and negate the unfavorable edge? I, for one, continue to educate others in both my tribal community and business world that computer technology is to be used as a positive tool and should never be exploited in damaging or negative ways. If one uses computer technology in such a way, it is pretty much guaranteed that “unfavorable consequences” will surely follow. I’m pretty certain that my past and current attempts at telling people to use computer technology in a positive and productive way have fallen on several deaf ears. But, I will continue to defend and promote all good things found on the favorable edge of the sword, and hope that generations to come will do likewise. It is my greatest hope that this important TribalNet article will reach many others so that the favorable edge of the sword will continue to shine sharp in a positive way for all. Stop by our booth & enter to win a Yoga Tablet 3For more information, please contact Andrew Martin at martinan@lenovo.comwww.lenovo.com/governmentFind us on Twitter@LenovoGov TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 539/19/17 5:06 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com54Can you give us a snapshot of IT support for your department and the enterprise you oversee?We have four people in our IT department including myself. With a smaller staff, we have to all know a lot about everything! We support all technology for the gaming/hospitality operations at Prairie Knights Casino & Resort. The tribe and their other gaming enterprise are overseen by separate IT departments. Our site has 725 slots, a hotel with 200-rooms, a gas station, a marina on the Missouri River with 32 RV sites, and is located in rural North Dakota. What are some of the projects your team has been working on over the last year?We have had some business as usual upgrades and updates this year, mainly dealing with our network, gaming and hospitality systems. For back office, we have replaced our HR/payroll solution with the focus of that project to improve reporting and integration of HR and payroll systems. We have also been focusing on end-user security training after we had a full security assessment done that covered in-depth penetration testing, physical security tests and covert phishing attempts. We didn’t do too bad but certainly identified room for improvement. The most critical and hardest factor to control in a solid security plan is the human factor. As we put more information in the hands of end users, their awareness is critical to improve the protection of the overall organization. It’s a continuous focus for us. The casino is owned by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, I have to ask, how did the protest of the Dakota Pipeline impact your department?We were dealing with challenges never seen before and likely will never see again which is what made it even more challenging. We needed to address the problems at hand but they weren’t things we could invest a large amount of money in because those challenges aren’t part of what we will deal with in our everyday business. Like our wifi, which in light of what was going on, was highlighted as needing a refresh and upgrade. With limited cell service in our area something like a benefit concert that people were text messaging donations for, was a problem. We had to increase bandwidth for our guests tremendously with the volume of people and things like reporters streaming video. Our hotel was at what some would say was over 100% occupancy. Our department was called on to run dedicated hard lines and patch and re-patch cables for dedicated connections. We had to quickly put policies in place that didn’t exist before and think about things like limitations on toners in our business center due to guests printing thousands of pages of legal and other documents. Not your standard boarding pass printing. Physically the main protest was about eight miles away but we were the closest hotel. Our gas station was overflowing and you couldn’t walk through the hotel lobby without tripping over someone basically camped out on the floor. It was a sight to see. You’ve been coming to TribalNet for many years and through multiple positions! What do you enjoy about being a part of the network and attending the conference?I like that it’s tribally centric. Most people don’t understand sovereignty so it’s nice to have a network of people to call on that do. I can connect with my peers to discuss challenges and discover what other casinos are using and what’s working and not. It has helped me and saved me time in researching software and other tools. I also enjoy the camaraderie and feel confident I will get a straight answer instead of pre-screened one. I look forward to attending each year I can. We would like to thank Herb for taking the time to meet with us for this interview. He welcomes your questions and comments at: hkraft@prairieknights.com HERB KRAFT MIS MANAGER AT PRAIRIE KNIGHTS CASINO & RESORT, A GAMING ENTERPRISE OF THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE• NETWORK—Extreme Networks• TELECOM—ShoreTel• PAYROLL—Paycom• SLOT ACCOUNTING—Aristocrat• POS AND PMS—Oracle Hospitality• ACCOUNTING—Sage• HELP DESK—Track-ITTECHNOLOGY BREAKDOWNCASINO Q+A_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 549/19/17 5:06 PMtribalnetonline.com |55TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017www.mygamingandleisure.cominfo@mygamingandleisure.com702.547.4545TOP PRIVATE FORUM IN NORTH AMERICA Gaming & HospitalityResearch Center G&L BusinessPartner andG&L CommunityMember ProfilesBringing together tribes and technology for 17 years focusingon both gaming and federalcomponents of tribes DigitalG&L Monthly G&L Website G&L IndustrySegmented Newsand Calendarof EventsStatistics &Resource LibraryEmploymentDashboardNEWNEW _!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 559/19/17 5:06 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com56MANAGEMENT | PATRON ENGAGEMENTI haven’t seen you for quite some time. Is there something wrong? Have I done something to anger or make you want to push away from me? How come we don’t talk anymore? It just seems as though we’re drifting apart. We used to see each other at least a few times a month, and now it’s like we hardly see each other at all. I know I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to make time for you like I did when we were first getting to know one another, but that doesn’t mean I want to stop seeing you. Hey! I’ve got an idea. How about I give you some free slot play and a free buffet for two? You can use it any day, excluding Friday and Saturday.Same Old StoryThat scenario is all too familiar with casino operators. It’s easy to become complacent in our approach to patron engagement. Patron engagement has become more complicated than just relying on customer loyalty and offering a token of appreciation. Patrons today expect enhanced amenities and gaming options as well as exceptional guest services. Patron engagement needs to be constant and consistent, not overbearing or “stalker-like,” but thoughtful and purposeful. Relying on patron loyalty alone can potentially create the “wandering eye.” Maybe that valued patron decides to play the field or see if the grass really is greener on the other side. Once this happens, it may be harder to lure them back, and most likely it will come with an added cost. Surely the old opening “pick up line” of offering some free slot play and a free buffet won’t work again.Fragile RelationshipsLet’s face it: it’s harder to regain a patron than to retain one. Once relationships get strained or tested they become fragile, and every interaction gets magnified and scrutinized. The offers and gifts that were once thought to be adequate are no longer desirable, especially since others have revealed that they are receiving something perceived to be more valuable or appealing. Human emotions are so hard to gauge, especially when they involve jealousy and envy.The importance of quality patron engagement should not be underestimated. The effort that was put forth to gain the loyalty has to be sustained—at least to some degree—if there is any hope of a long-term relationship. Who knows? If the cards are played correctly and things go really well, maybe the relationship evolves into an exclusive one at some point.Keep it FreshKeeping things fresh and exciting go a long way to maintaining patron loyalty. Exhibiting a propensity to stay on top of emerging trends and offering creative promotions with highly desirable amenities shows a commitment to providing a superior patron experience. If all else fails, I guess the free play and buffet opening line may just need an upgrade to include some free jewelry!BYFRAN MOORE VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYCACHE CREEK CASINO RESORTABOUT THE AUTHORFran Moore is Vice President of Information Technology at Cache Creek Casino Resort. A proven leader with over 30 years of information technology experience. Fran’s previous entrepreneurial and corporate endeavors have allowed him to experience many facets of the business world. A resourceful and solutions driven individual that combines technical aptitude and management acumen to elicit confidence from team members, stakeholders and business partners. Am I Losing You?IT’S EASY TO BECOME COMPLACENT IN OUR APPROACH TO PATRON ENGAGEMENT._!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 569/19/17 5:06 PMtribalnetonline.com |57TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017Enhance profitability with a PMS solution that adaptsto your unique needs.With over 20 integrated modules on a singledatabase, Maestro property management softwarewas developed from the ground up as a trulysophisticated enterprise system adaptable to diverseneeds. The result: countless solutions offeringenhanced profitability, all from one industry-leadingsoftware suite. That’s Maestro PMS – trusted byleading casinos, resorts and multi-property groupsacross 92,000 rooms in 14 countries.Increased profitability is a call away. Contact us today.maestropms.com 1-888-667-8488 sales@maestropms.caIndustry-leading 24/7 Service and Support at your fingertips.maestropms.com 1-888-667-8488 sales@maestropms.ca_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 579/19/17 5:06 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com58Founder and CEO, LaunchboxDAN NEGRONITHE NEXT GENERATION WORKFORCE & CUSTOMERREGISTER ONLINE TODAY AT TRIBALNETONLINE.COMFounder and Executive Officer, TribalNetMIKE DAYSTRONGER TOGETHERRIDE THE LIGHTNINGFounder and President, Native Discovery, IncD.J. VANAS2017 TRIBALNET CONFERENCE KEYNOTESGet inspired to MAKE YOUR IMPACT!DAN NEGRONI “6 Steps to Understanding and Engaging Your Next Generation Workplace & Customers”Successful businesses understand what their employees and customers need to thrive. Tribes will succeed if they understand what the next generation wants, needs and expects from their professional relationships, careers and services. Attendees will learn six key steps to engaging the next generation.D.J. VANAS “Ride the Lightning: Timeless Wisdom for a World in Flux”Learn about traditional concepts from Native American culture that will strengthen you as you navigate change with confidence. The Native wisdom on how to live and work provide guidance on how to slow down to speed your performance, maintain perspective despite the hectic pace of change, keep our human connections strong in a world of high-tech, combat information overload and find the opportunities that change brings. MIKE DAY “Stronger Together” TribalNet is introducing a host of new products and services at this year’s conference. In this keynote session learn what is new, what is on the way and what it all means for you and your organization. Discover how to leverage new services and divisions to succeed in your position. Join us as we officially announce and launch seveveral exciting initiatives during this session._!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 589/19/17 5:06 PMTribalHub is the parent organization of: TribalNet, TribalWise, TribalValue and TribalFocus. The motto and direction of TribalHub is to bring together all Native American organizations. Stronger together than apart. TribalHub is the place to connect and share that aggregated power.Educational Training & DevelopmentConsulting & Management ServicesBringing Technology & Tribes TogetherPartner & Solutions Program(269) 459-9890 | info@tribalhub.com | TribalHub.comGET CONNECTEDTO THEHUBSTRONGER TOGETHER.Building on 20 years of TribalNet's Legacy _!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 599/19/17 5:07 PMNext >