14 Indian Gaming May 2008

EXECUTIVE Q&A

Tell us about your position with the Chickasaw NationDivision of Commerce.

As the CEO of the Chickasaw Nation Division of CommerceI'm responsible for the activities and operations with regard tothe businesses. We have 57 businesses statewide and thoseinclude two of the largest casinos in Oklahoma, WinStar andRiverwind. We have 16 casino locations total, but operate sev-eral other types of non-gaming businesses, as well. We also haveother entertainment-type venues, tobacco shops, conveniencestores, hotels, restaurants, radio stations, a newspaper, travelstops, a power distribution center, and a chocolate factory.

What impact have the CNDC's non-gaming businesseshad on the Chickasaw Nation?

Primarily, the biggest impact is the income that we gener-ate from these businesses. It allows us to provide social services,such as health care, programs for our senior citizens and foryouth and families. It also allows us to provide educationalopportunities for Chickasaw citizens. We have numerous pro-grams in place that help our citizens from the cradle all the wayuntil they're senior citizens. We offer programs that are focusedon wellness and health in addition to programs that are focusedon our culture. We probably have close to one hundred programs that are designed to enhance the quality of life forthe Chickasaw people.

What health care industries is the Nation involved in andhow have these benefited tribal members?

The Chickasaw Nation operates a health care facility for ourcitizens and other Native Americans that live in this area. Wehave made some major investments in terms of our health care.We invested in a company that is located in Texas and we pro-vide health care services to Texans. Also, we own some hospitalfacilities here in Oklahoma, as well as some community healthcenters. These facilities employ about 600 people. In fact, withall of our businesses together, we employ about 9,300 people.

We have another venture segment that we've diversified into.It's called CNI - Chickasaw Nation Industries - and it's an 8(a)business. The majority of CNI's business is focused on IT services to different branches of the government. These

services include networking, programming, personnel staffing,and security work. So CNI provides lots of different facets ofIT services to the federal government. They also provide dental and medical services to the military in addition to con-struction services. CNI does a lot of different things, but theyare really up and coming, growing and doing a great job.

During the Nation's trip to China, what business oppor-tunities were (or are) being considered?

Primarily we were focused on health care. We have achocolate factory, so we also focused on working towardexporting chocolate to China. We're in negotiations there toship our product overseas. The real focus of the trip was toget a feel for what types of opportunities existed there, buthealth care and chocolate exports were the two specific areaswe looked at.

In the current economy, how important is it for gamingtribes to explore non-gaming business ventures?

It's difficult for me to say, particularly if you look at thecountry as a whole. Here in Oklahoma we're seeing that theamount of competition is increasing. There are more casinos located here in this state, so we've kind of reacheda plateau. I think diversification is very important for us,but I think that importance depends on what geographicalsegment of America you live in. For us it's very important.We're reaching a maturity phase here in Oklahoma so wehave to look for opportunities outside of what we're currently doing. In our case, diversification makes sense.We've been in this boat before, as gaming has its ups anddowns. We certainly want to take advantage when businessis good and diversify so that we can mitigate any potentialslowdown in the gaming sector.

What aspects are the most important to consider whenlooking at new business ventures?

I think you really have to look at your core competency.We try to identify the areas where we feel that we mighthave a competitive advantage. It's very important to putforth your due diligence and weigh your risk in return. You

Brian Campbell serves as the Administrator and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce. As CEO,Campbell is responsible for the management of all commercialbusiness enterprises of the Chickasaw Nation. His recent projectsinclude the construction and startup of Oklahoma's largest casino,Riverwind Casino, and he recently led the first Chickasaw delegation to China.

Up Close with Brian Campbell Chief Executive Officer of the Chickasaw NationDivision of Commerce

May 2008 Indian Gaming 15

need to determine whether a potential venture is an indus-try in which you feel like you have sufficient experience, orwhether you can obtain that experience to be successful.

What advice can you offer tribes looking to take that firststep into expanding outside of the gaming industry?

It's really important to have knowledge about the particu-lar area that you're looking into. If you don't have that knowl-edge, and you determine it is an area you want to look at, it'svery important to obtain that knowledge. This entails hiringpeople that are knowledgeable and qualified to help advise youin those areas. There are things that you don't want to do, too.You don't want to get too spread out. It's still important to main-tain focus, so you don't want to be involved in too many different types of businesses. Your focus should be in areas youfeel you can be successful in.

There are a lot of great opportunities out there andseveral tribes throughout the country have been successful.I know we're not the only tribe that's diversifying. I thinkit's important to really look and see what opportunities existand position yourself to take advantage of them. You alsohave to keep in mind that in time, things change. What isgreat today might not be so great tomorrow, so you reallyhave to try to understand what the future holds to the best

of your ability. You need to have a vision in mind, a goal toward which you'd like to work, so that you can besuccessful in the future. ¨

Oklahoma’s former Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, JasonWhite and Billy Sims join Chickasaw Nation Commerce Division CEOBrian Campbell and Roland Miller,owner of Autographs Sports Bar,in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the restaurantinside Riverwind Casino, August 2007.