Seneca Gaming announced Friday the appointment of two longtime employees, Joanne Israel and Marc Papaj, as general managers at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, respectively.
Seneca Gaming Corp. President and CEO Kevin Nephew, said: “Joanne and Marc have established themselves as effective and respected leaders in our organization who share a similar focus on delivering operational success and excellent customer service. We are proud to have them lead our Seneca Niagara and Seneca Buffalo Creek properties into their next exciting chapters.”
Israel joined Seneca Gaming in 2011 after five years in public accounting. She was named assistant general manager at Seneca Niagara in 2018, and helped manage and facilitate the $40 million “Seneca Arrival Experience” project, which renovated the east entrance to the resort.
Senenca Niagara Resort
She also played a leading role in the closing and reopening of the resort at the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic. As general manager at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino from 2016-18, Israel coordinated and supervised facility expansion that included new gaming, dining and retail space. Her previous roles within the company also included corporate director of finance and casino controller.
She was a recipient of the inaugural Rising Leader Award presented by the National Indian Gaming Association, and was recognized among the Emerging Leaders in Gaming by The Innovation Group and the Global Gaming Exposition in Las Vegas.
“Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is recognized throughout the gaming industry as a destination of choice,” Israel said. “Our reputation as a world-class operation has been built by the incredible and tireless work of thousands of dedicated team members over the past two decades. I’m grateful for the opportunity to carry that work forward.”
Papaj also joined Seneca Gaming in 2011, and has served as assistant general manager at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino since 2018. He previously served as vice president of resort operations at Seneca Niagara, where he led a $7 million renovation of the property’s penthouse suites.
He also served as vice president of resort operations at Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, launching the 200-room expansion of the resort’s original 212-room hotel tower.
Seneca Buffalo Creek.
After beginning his career in the hospitality industry in 1996, Papaj worked in management roles at Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, W Los Angeles Westwood, and the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., and opened the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandra, Virginia, for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants before joining Seneca Gaming Corp.
“I am honored to accept this opportunity and continue to grow my career with Seneca Gaming Corp.,” Papaj said. “We have built a culture of energy and excitement at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, which is truly a centerpiece in downtown Buffalo. I am excited to work with our team to build on that excitement in the months and years ahead.”
Seneca Gaming is celebrating milestone anniversaries at both Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino this year. Seneca Niagara opened 20 years ago, after the Seneca Nation completed a $100 million transformation of the former Niagara Falls Convention & Civic Center. Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino opened 15 years ago, in July 2007, becoming one of the first pieces in the growth of the now burgeoning Cobblestone District in Buffalo.
As the Seneca Nation and the state of New York’s agreement approaches its 20th anniversary, Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels said back in August that he’s looking for a ‘fair, new’ gaming compact with the state, arguing the gaming landscape has changed ‘drastically’ since the Nation obtained exclusive rights from the state to operate three casinos in Western New York. Their current gaming compact is set to expire in December 2023.
