Female casino execs find career paths (1/3ページ)

What kind of job can a woman find at a casino? The one Trudy Clark found is "boss."

Clark, 39, is the first woman and first member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation to become general manager of the Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Ariz. She also is one of only a handful of Native American women at the highest level of casino management nationally.

Clark said she always has enjoyed gaming and admits to a passion for video poker.

Still, fun and personal opportunity were not primary reasons she accepted an auditor job at Cliff Castle in 1995, after graduating from Northern Arizona University.

"I see my job as head of a long-term economic-development project," said Clark, who in July was promoted from internal audit director for Cliff Castle. "I saw the financial opportunity for the Nation."

Like most tribal casinos, Cliff Castle, which opened in 1995, has channeled money to state and community services as well as to tribal businesses. The Yavapai-Apaches' enterprises include a lodge and conference center, a gas station and a recreational-vehicle park. The tribe also has helped some small gaming tribes in California obtain financing to build their own casinos.

Cliff Castle, which has 656 slot machines, 10 blackjack tables and eight poker tables, recently launched a five-year expansion that includes plans for a "family-friendly" section of its center to include a 40-lane bowling alley, an auditorium for live entertainment and a food court.

To manage all that, Clark works long hours. One recent day, she was in meetings until midnight.

A typical day for her involves frequent checks with staffers running the various parts of the casino operations, including gaming machines, restaurant kitchens and the casino's 26,000-member players club. Evenings often are filled with community meetings.