TOWER, MN – Drew Ebert, CEO of Bois Forte Development Corporation (BFDC), has made recent key management changes to give Bois Forte band members a chance to lead Fortune Bay Resort Casino into the future.
“From day one I wanted to understand the best path forward as a corporation while respecting culture and integrating into the tribal nation system,” said Ebert. “The solution was to enable and empower as many band members as possible, and frankly they have made it very easy for me because of their backgrounds, experience, and passion to succeed.”
The changes include Elizabeth “EJ” Deegan taking over as GM; Alanna Sherman as Interim Director of HR; Paxton Goodsky as Interim Director of Gaming; and Wes King as Director of Surveillance.
“With over 20 years of dedicated service to Fortune Bay, EJ has been a steadfast leader and visionary, previously serving as our Director of Gaming for the past 15 years,” said Ebert. “Her deep understanding of our operations and commitment to all employees have been instrumental in our success, and we are excited to see how she will continue to elevate our company in her new role. Wes brings over 19 years of valuable experience to this position, having expertly managed the role of Interim Director of Surveillance multiple times. His keen eye for detail and unwavering dedication to Fortune Bay have been vital to our operations, and we are confident that under his direction, our surveillance team will thrive.”
The moves have also allowed other Bois Forte band members to step into positions of leadership, including Madison Porter as Bar Manager, Josh Sherman as Tables Game Manager and Tara Wagner as Lead Manager on Duty.
“It was time to entrust in her leading our flagship business [to EJ] and I believe she’ll do a great job for us,” said Bois Forte Tribal Chair Cathy Chavers of Deegan. “Alanna also brings a lot of talent to her position as does Paxton and Wes. Fortune Bay was built on the idea that band members could carve out successful careers for themselves, while paving the path for other band members to follow in their footsteps.”
“I have faith in our new leadership,” said Ebert. “Moving forward, we will continue to create and share high standards, strong culture, patience, and a drama free environment, so that our work is done in a good way.”
Fortune Bay Resort Casino is located on the shores of Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota, roughly four hours north of the Twin Cities.
