TRIBALNETONLINE.COM SPRING MAGAZINEmagazineSPRING 2018TribalNeTA PUBLICATION FOR TECHNOLOGY MINDED PROFESSIONALS IN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT,TRIBAL HEALTH, TRIBAL GAMING AND NON-GAMING TRIBAL ENTERPRISESTechnologyLEADERSHIPstrategyCyber SecuritySee Inside for information on these topics and much more!Q+As WITHTRIBE & GAMING IT LEADERS2018 ADVISORY BOARDSFEATURED PARTNERSAGENCY UPDATES from IHS, NTIA, FCC, USDA & NAFOASPRING 2018 AD INDEX5 TribalFocus 7 TribalHub 13 Handel IT 15 Atrient 18 InfoTech NATRC 21 MS-ISAC 25 EnerTribe 39 TribalWise 41 Gaming & Leisure 47 Gartner 55 NAFOA 57 Hospitality WiFi 58 Concept3 61 TribalValue 63 Native Network WELCOME TO TRIBALNET’S MAGAZINE What kind of start are YOU having to 2018? From what our writers are covering in this issue, I think things are looking pretty good for this industry so far this year! In these positive times, it will still be ever-changing...some days seemingly at light speed! So in a world where the most certain thing is uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to arm yourself with the most powerful tool — knowledge! This issue we bring you tips on topics that can make you a better leader or manager for your organization, team and yourself. We bring you articles on tech talk such as, Blockchain, AI, AR and Bitcoin. We provide writer perspectives on best practices for organizational and departmental strategies, upgrade projects and cyber security plans. And SO MUCH MORE! I really think you guys are going to love this issue and it’s our most packed one yet with so many amazing topics and contributors! PLUS hear about what value we are bringing to you this year AND gain insight on the personalities of our advisory boards for 2018- don’t skip past that spread! They tell us about their superpower dreams and what they want to be when they grow up. We even put a picture of one of them on our cover! True or False? I can’t leave this intro without sharing a bit about how we’ve kicked things up a notch at TribalNet over the past year. You may have noticed a new look to our nearly 20 year old logo! We thought it was time for an upgrade. We’re still TribalNet, but now we are under a new brand called TribalHub. This allows TribalNet to continue being as amazing as it always has been, while adding additional services such as consulting, partner solution portals and training services through other TribalHub divisions. TribalHub is a collaborative network that really is about creating endless opportunities for tribal organizations. Much of what we’ve done for the technology industry for tribal organizations over the past 20 years is what we plan to do for other areas of focus through TribalNet and other divisions of TribalHub. And we’re just getting started! As always — we hope you enjoy this issue, in your hands the old fashioned (and my favorite) way, as it arrives to your mailbox OR viewing the digital version online at TribalNetOnline.com. Don’t forget it’s not too soon to make your plans for TribalNet November 5-8, 2018 in Las Vegas. I hope to see you there! So, read on and store some bits of info you get from this issue — it just might come in handy in the uncertain but exciting future! Maybe you will even discover what YOU want to be when you grow up! Shannon BouschorTribalNet, Director of Operationsshannonb@tribalnetonline.comFROM SHANNON BOUSCHORTRIBALNET DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONSTIME TO COMMIT!P. 20 by Dan Garrow, St Regis Mohawk TribeSUCCESSIONPLANNINGIHS: EXCITING THINGS HAPPENINGP. 12 AGENCY UPDATECopyright © 2018 TribalHub® All rights reserved. TribalHub is the parent company of the organizations: TribalNet™, TribalWise™, TribalValue™ and TribalFocus™. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the editor, authors and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.E: INFO@TRIBALNETONLINE.COMP: 269-459-9890 F: 269-459-9889TRIBALNETONLINE.COMTribalNeTmagazineSPRING 2018P. 28 TALENT RETENTIONTHINK OUTSIDE THE BOXby Chuck Scharnagle, Mohegan Tribe of Indians DISASTER PREVENTIONPREVENTION PLANNING IS CRUCIALP. 62 Hamed Hemmati, Pala Band of Mission Indians IT LEADERMARK TREAT, SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY P. 08 Q&A P. 44 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCETHE NEXT FRONTIERby Ram Patrachari, Viejas Casino & ResortFEATURES04 BUSINESS VALUE OF IT by Fred Brown 06 LEADERS OF CHARACTER by DJ Vanas 10 DECISION MAKING R&R by Andrew Trawick 14 HOME GROWN AWESOME! TEAM DEVELOPMENT by Chris DeCamp16 CAPITALIZING ON BLOCKCHAIN by Larry Fretz22 DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING: THE HUMAN FACTOR by Carrie West24 FUNDING BROADBAND by Forest James & Ron Flavin30 A LATE NIGHT CALL: WANNACRY by “Anonymous”38 LEADERS AS PERFORMANCE COACHES by Chris Orozco40 GAMING SYSTEM UPGRADE by Richard Radar46 STRATEGIC GOALS AND ALIGNMENT by Bob Brese50 ITs IMPACT: TRIBAL MEMBER PERSPECTIVE by Jeffrey Keeble, Jr. 52 KEEPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS FRESH by Joe Nayquonabe, Jr.54 KEEPING YOUR PAY RATES IN LINE by Scott Cannaday56 INNOVATION FOR NEXT GEN GAMERS by Andrew McElrath60 AUGMENTED REALITY: A GAME CHANGER by Nate RegimbalTRIBALNET | FALL 2017TRIBALNET | FALL 2017TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING 2018AGENCY UPDATES12 IHS: Indian Health Service23 FCC: US Federal Communications Commission 26 NTIA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration53 NAFOA: Native American Finance Officers Association 64 USDA Rural DevelopmentPRODUCT SPOTLIGHT65 ARCTIC IT Tribal Platforms Q+As42 Gaming Industry Titans Innovation and Trends48 Mike Day & Dave Bailey CRM ProjectTRIBALNET27 2018 TRIBALNET CONFERENCE32 2017 CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS34 GET TO KNOW THE BOARDS51 INDUSTRY AWARDS 201766 2018 VENDOR SHOUT OUTIT LEADERSHIP | BUSINESS VALUE| tribalnetonline.com4I have never been a fan of the term “aligning IT with the business.” It is an oft-used term and (hypocritically) I am also guilty of using it on occasion. However, I believe it undermines the role of IT employees and separates IT as if they are consultants and not an actual part of an organization or business. I know what you’re thinking, and I get it. As with similar departments like HR and Finance, IT is viewed as a support division that is in place to help maintain the optimal output of the business. In my case, that optimal output includes delivering a world-class gaming, hospitality and entertainment experience to all of our customers, for which technology is essential. Without technology, the customer experience not only diminishes, but ceases to exist altogether. Therefore, I would argue that the goal of forward-thinking leaders should not be to simply align IT with their business, but to ensure that it is an integrated part of the business. By seeking to truly provide organizational value through technology, measuring it objectively, and constantly improving upon it based on guest and team member feedback, we can ensure the cohesion of IT with the other parts of a company or organization. THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS MAKE UP BUSINESS VALUE: • GUEST SERVICE • DIFFERENTIATION VIA INNOVATION • OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY If you have read other articles on IT business value, you may be wondering about two additional drivers that are commonly stated: lowering costs and increasing revenue. I feel that these elements are already integrated into the other three. For example, if you create more efficient processes and more productive team members using operational efficiency, then you theoretically will drive down costs. Similarly, if you offer blow-away guest service or innovative solutions, you technically should drive revenue. All three (or five) of these components work off of and support one another to achieve a holistic business value. GUEST SERVICEI would first like to clarify something about “guests.” That term is often misconstrued as external guests only — those people that are patronizing our businesses. However, your focus on guest service should consider internal guests as well — the other teams within the organization that IT services daily. Setting similar high standards for treatment of both groups will go a long way by itself in IT providing business value. In addition, treating peers and co-workers in a welcoming and respectful fashion will ultimately translate into a positive chain reaction affecting your team’s behavior toward external guests as well. IT should always be seeking ways to utilize technology in order to deliver a superior guest experience. Most of the time the best way to achieve this goal is to ensure that the IT department is integrated into guest service processes and meetings. At a minimum, the IT department should receive continuous communication about potential service issues so they can maintain an awareness of any problems and can help find solutions. Beyond that, increased guest satisfaction can be achieved through innovation. Mobile room keys, kiosks, wayfinders, and chat bots are just some examples of technological innovations driven by the need for better external guest service. For internal service, consider your current processes and technologies and determine if there is a way to improve them so that your team members are more satisfied. For example, do you offer your teams the ability to work from home via a VPN? Do you provide them with modern software and computers? Are they swamped with paperwork when you could have a system able to automate online forms? If your team feels well taken care of, they will provide better service to your organization both internally and externally. DIFFERENTIATION VIA INNOVATIONThis driver is, in my opinion, the heart of how IT can provide business value. It’s true that a slot machine is a slot machine and a hotel room is a hotel room no matter what resort you visit. However, there are ways to differentiate just about any service you provide in your business through technology. Put yourself in your guest’s shoes when coming up with ways to innovate. Imagining any experience from the guest’s point of view BYFRED BROWNCIO & SVP OF IT, MOHEGAN GAMING & ENTERTAINMENTFred Brown is the CIO for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), responsible for the IT strategic direction and operation for MGE and all of their associated properties. Prior to joining Mohegan in 2006, Fred spent most of his 24+ year career in technology consulting, supporting a wide range of markets including Fortune 500 accounting and utility firms.ABOUT THE AUTHORBusiness Value of ITtribalnetonline.com |5TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018will help eliminate the danger of innovation for innovation’s sake. At the end of the day if your new idea is not providing value to the guest, then you should reconsider the importance of pursuing that innovation. Contrastingly, it is important to always think outside the box and dare to try new things. Many businesses and specific industries are afraid to step outside their comfort zone and instead wait for the competition to test out new ideas. Many companies might resist trying something different if they have been doing things a certain way for many years (particularly true for the gaming business). This behavior is a trap that should be avoided. Break away from the pack; utilize innovation as a way to differentiate your business, not just to keep up with the Joneses. OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCYThis agent might be the least glamorous of the value drivers, but still a very important one. IT can do a lot from a productivity and efficiency standpoint via technological solutions. Paperless initiatives, workflow automation, human replacement technology, and software implementations are all common focuses of IT when trying to streamline a business. However, with any solution it is important to be mindful that your return on investment and total cost of ownership make sense in the big picture. There are other ways for IT to make a business more efficient as well. Data center and IDF advancements can reduce power, heating and cooling needs, as well as reduce the footprint of IT equipment. In addition, re-evaluating your IT operational spending and ensuring your contracts are effectively serving your needs can increase the efficiency of your department as a whole. There are some great third party services which can help with that exercise. Since compliance and information security doesn’t get its own credit as a standalone driver (and it probably should), I will list it here as another extremely critical area for which IT provides business value. Adhering to compliance standards and maintaining a solid cyber security posture are key elements in any business, and both are typically shepherded by IT. As you move to implement any of the other drivers discussed here, be sure to keep information security in mind and ensure that your business is well aware of the risks and mitigation factors that your measures might present. For any of the above business value drivers, it is important that you set up a means to measure and report on each, as well as contrive ways to continuously improve. Measurement reporting is a great tool for presenting progress to the board or senior management and ensures that IT maintains a seat at the table when decisions are being made. Clearly, I have only scratched the surface in this examination of each value driver. Hopefully, these thoughts give some helpful insight into how to position IT as an integral part of any business or organization, and not just another isolated function that is compelled to align to it.| tribalnetonline.com6LEADERSHIP | CHARACTERThere has never been a time where leaders of character are more needed to stand and be counted in our businesses, tribal communities, government and society overall. In an era of fake news, misinformation, purposeful deceit and doubletalk, the leader of character is a standout for all the right reasons. The leader of character refuses to be comfortable with a lie posing as the truth, prioritizes ethics over an empty win, prizes integrity over accolades, and makes choices by viewing situations through a moral lens. These leaders know they are setting an example and leaving a legacy through their every word and deed, so they act consciously and courageously. Becoming a leader of character requires challenging work and a fierce desire to do the right thing for the right reasons. Whether you are leading a business organization, an agency team, a community or a family, the following points apply:POINT 1. BEING A LEADER OF CHARACTER IS NOT ABOUT BEING A PERFECT LEADER.Perfection in leadership is not in the cards and I’d argue it’s dangerous to try to achieve it. When we are more focused on the public relations of leadership and worried about presenting a pristine, flawless image, we risk breaches of integrity and ethical lapses as we try to maintain that facade. Leaders can fall prey to the temptation to cover their tracks and offload blame in the quest for perfection, and in the process, sacrifice their honor and even the welfare of those they serve. Perhaps some of you reading this may have witnessed the disgrace of a leader at your organization, business, tribe or team and know how painful this can be. I advise you to learn and log the lesson and remember this: your people do not need you to be perfect, but they do need you to be honest. Mistakes and bad calls are inevitable, but the way we handle them defines our character, which brings me to point two.POINT 2. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY.When (not if) mistakes occur, own them. Fix them if you can, apologize if it’s appropriate, learn the lesson and move on. That is the best anyone can do and is the soundest course when serving as a leader of character. Playing the blame game, pointing fingers and wiggling out of the moment isn’t ok. True leaders need to be accountable for not only the good but the bad and the ugly, too, because inevitably, every leader is going to have and face all three. The best leaders I have ever followed were the best not because everything they touched turned to gold, but because they were accountable for what they did and expected the same of me. In ancient Rome, engineers who built bridges were placed under the bridge while the Roman legions marched across. Did that ultimate accountability work? Two thousand years later, many of those bridges are still standing! Being accountable for what we do is the best form of leadership by example and the quickest way to build a reputation of integrity and begin the process of building a rock-solid leadership model hewn from character.POINT 3. THE TRUTH MAY HURT, BUT IT’S BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE.To not recognize and own our own truth — our faults, shortcomings and mistakes — eliminates our ability to solve problems and sets us up for failure. Time and time again the world has publicly witnessed how hubris, a lack of accountability or unethical behavior has caused major damage or even the complete collapse of organizations (think Volkswagen, Enron, Lehman Bros. or Lance Armstrong). We cannot be leaders of character if we are not facing the truth head on and fighting to attain integrity within. We must be honest with ourselves about who we see in the mirror each day. We also need to be willing to hear, no matter how painful, the observations of our customers, leaders, colleagues, co-workers and family when we are called on the carpet if our walk doesn’t align with our talk. I know from experience that this kind of criticism can sting. But the good news is that being honest with ourselves and hearing feedback (even the tough stuff) from others is what gives us an opportunity to course correct and improve. Plus, the truth not only sets us free, it’s redemptive, purifying and the best sleep aid I know.When we decide to be a leader of character, we enlist in a struggle that is worthy of our sacrificed effort and ego. We must practice daily to replace perfection with integrity, deal in truth instead of denial and remain accountable for all we do. Each new day and interaction with those we lead brings another opportunity to forge strong bonds with them and practice being a leader of character. To the true leaders of character among us I say: stand and be counted.ABOUT THE AUTHORD.J. Eagle Bear Vanas (Odawa) is an internationally acclaimed motivational storyteller, business owner and author of best-selling book The Tiny Warrior and his newest, Spirit on the Run. D.J. shows people and organizations how to apply warrior spirit principles to create clarity, lead with courage and serve at their best regardless of circumstances and has done so with groups such as Intel, Subaru, P&G, NASA, Costco, U.S. Army, Mayo Clinic and 500 tribal nations. He is the owner of Native Discovery Inc. BY D.J.VANASPRESIDENT, NATIVE DISCOVERY INC.“You must speak straight so your words may go as sunlight into our hearts.”Cochise, Chiricahua Apache / Leader of Character Leaders of Character Stand and Be Countedtribalnetonline.com |7TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018| tribalnetonline.com8QUESTION + ANSWER | TRIBALHUB PARTNERS WITH ARCTIC IT ON CRM PROJECTWhat can you tell us about your role and areas of department oversight?As Vice President of IT, my role is to lead the delivery of all IT services that support both the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Gaming Enterprise departments and other tribal operations and entities. Centralizing IT services creates efficiencies, leverages resources and allows us to deploy standardized solutions, where possible. For the gaming enterprise, this includes the infrastructure and applications that support the core departments of over 5,000 slots and table games at two properties, our 700-plus room hotel, multiple restaurants, a 2,200-seat showroom, entertainment venues and our new 70,000 square foot convention center. For tribal operations, we cover all tribal government services, a large sport and fitness center, two convenience stores, an elite golf course, a childcare facility, an ice arena, a natural foods grocery store and other non-gaming enterprises. What can you tell us about your department size and organizational structure?The SMSC IT Department is a mid-sized department comprised of five areas, each of which are led by an IT manager. Together, the managers and I comprise the IT Leadership Team. This team works closely together to ensure all operational issues and projects are addressed with a coordinated, team effort.OUR 5 MAJOR IT GROUPS ARE:1 | BUSINESS SYSTEMS Responsible for all the software application, database management and ETL and application development. Our application strategy is to leverage COTS products wherever possible. Our application development team is relatively small, as we use that team to fill application functionality gaps that we can’t fill using the commercial market.2 | PROGRAM MANAGEMENTThis team can be thought of as an IT PMO, which is responsible for project intake, IT portfolio management and the management of all major projects that provide technology solutions for any operation.3 | NETWORKResponsible for infrastructure and cybersecurity. Infrastructure includes networking, wireless, voice/phone systems, firewalls and other security appliances, e-mail, servers, centralized storage/SAN and more.4 | CLIENT SYSTEMSResponsible for engineering and configuring all client technologies (PCs, desktops, Macs, printers, scanners, etc.) and management of these machines through SCCM and our MDM solution. Comprised of the Level I service desk and Level II support team, covering both hardware and software.5 | SERVICE DELIVERYThe primary responsibilities of this team include quality assurance, change management and technical writing. This also includes developing in-house CBTs for the delivery of application training. Can you share how your team tackled your most recent expansion project — opening a new hotel and convention center?This was a major enterprise initiative that was well planned to include all departments throughout the gaming enterprise. Because of that, IT was able to get solid requirements from the departments that would have ongoing operations in the new Mystic Lake Center: Food and Beverage, Group Sales, Marketing and others. Based on these requirements, IT planned the delivery of the technology solutions that helps manage the services at Mystic Lake Center. Because Mystic Lake Center hosts events ranging from large conferences to weddings, one of the major needs we identified was the demand for these spaces to have reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi and cellular service. In anticipation of this, the first step we completed was the upgrade of our Internet service in order to handle the demands of social media and video streaming, which was needed for both business clients and those attending social events. We then planned the installation of a high-density Wi-Fi network. We also worked with a major cellular carrier to install an in-building cellular system, which ensures guests will have great cell service even while inside the Mystic Lake Center. The last major piece of infrastructure was the power and hard-wired data solution. In order to ensure flexibility in the use of each room, we placed in-floor power and data jacks in multiple locations. Of course, there are other technologies the enterprise needed to enable its operations. These include digital signage, multiple fixed and portable point-of-sale workstations and security and surveillance equipment, among others. We also integrated the new 180-room hotel tower adjacent to the Mystic Lake Center into the existing property management/hotel system and deployed in-room Wi-Fi access points for guests. MARK TREATVP OF IT SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITYIT LEADER Q+AQUESTION + ANSWER | VP OF IT MARK TREATWe would like to thank Mark for meeting with us for this interview. He welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at: Mark.Treat@mysticlake.comtribalnetonline.com |9What key projects are on the horizon for your team?A major initiative being planned for the tribal operations entities is an enterprise-wide loyalty program. We want to give our customers more reasons to consume products and services at all enterprises from the convenience stores, to the sport and fitness center, to the natural foods store, daycare facility and more. This loyalty program is intended to pull together customers of all enterprises in order to provide revenue for growth opportunities. We are also in the process of implementing a solution that will reduce the multiple sources and identifiers of players that are not members of our loyalty program to one, single identifier. This solution will “learn” the one best e-mail address by which we should communicate with that guest. This will help us ensure we direct promotional offers and other communication to the right e-mail address. On the hospitality side, we are evaluating solutions to allow our guests to check into the hotel via their mobile device, which will enable a mobile key via that same device. This will provide the guest a faster check-in process and eliminate their need to carry a hotel key-card. Another key initiative that will apply to many areas of our organization is leveraging our existing Electronic Content Management (ECM) application to eliminate paper, manage digital documents and provide workflow solutions for several other departments within the tribal government. The ECM application has already been deployed successfully to manage tribal government documents, but we see broader applications and benefits by enabling that solution to work for other operating departments. What areas of focus are most important to you as a leader of your IT team in 2018?Alignment of IT with the enterprise leaders of every operating entity is an important leadership principle I stress with my team. Our IT leadership team practices that principle regularly and leads their teams to do the same. IT would not exist if not for the needs of our internal guests. Therefore, it is critical that we understand what their enterprise needs are, and deliver the technology solutions to meet those needs. Our portfolio and project management processes are key enablers of this. Alignment of IT with the major strategic initiatives of both the gaming enterprise and tribal operations are also very important. Within IT, we align our project portfolio and the priority of those projects with the strategic initiatives that are set each fiscal year. This provides guidance to our IT team in terms of the allocation of our resources. Engagement of our IT team members is also a very important part of leading the IT organization at Mystic Lake. If not for motivated IT team members with clear objectives, none of the projects in our portfolio would be delivered successfully. Likewise, team member retention would suffer, particularly in the current economic climate of intense competition for IT talent. We strive to ensure our team members understand their key priorities, have the tools they need to deliver projects, are armed with the necessary training, are empowered in designing solutions to the extent possible, and we try to remove as many barriers as possible. Our belief is that when team members have meaningful and rewarding work, their overall engagement and effectiveness are increased. This is an ongoing focus for 2018 and beyond. IT’s KEY HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTSMEMBERSHIP: “Fiber-to-the-Home”Provides a direct value to tribal members who were experiencing a substandard availability of high-speed Internet to their homes on the reservation, and the infrastructure for future growthCULTURAL: A new building housing tribal artifacts and a venue for cultural educationThe preservation of culture through the use of technologyLANGUAGE: Configuring computers for a new Dakota language educational programEnsuring the native language is preserved and carried onENTERPRISE: Implemented support for EMV across all POSImproved security/compliance and reduced riskMOBILE: Replaced F&B POS with new solutions that have the mobile capability for taking orders and tenders on the casino floor, as well as a pay-at-the-table option at our restaurantsImproved efficiency of team members and enhanced guest experienceGAMING: Major upgrade to Slot Accounting System (Scientific Games SDS), which moved us from a proprietary Unix environment to a mainstream Windows server platformMore cost-effective and highly redundant solution, better user experience for staffGOLF: Migrated the golf course management solution to a cloud-based platform and PGA-affiliated system called EZLinksRevenue optimization and expanded customer baseSHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY’S NEW CULTURAL CENTERTRIBALNET MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018Next >