Pamunkey tribe hires EVP of gaming, resort operations

Rodney Ferguson to serve in senior leadership role at Norfolk casino

Published March 18, 2021 by Kate Andrews

The Pamunkey Indian Tribal Gaming Authority, a non-corporate entity owned by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, announced Thursday that Rodney Ferguson has been hired as executive vice president of gaming and resort operations, effective April 12. He also will serve in a senior leadership role at the tribe’s forthcoming Norfolk casino resort.

Ferguson was most recently CEO and general manager of the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has worked in commercial and Native gaming resorts for more than 30 years, according to the tribe’s news release. His hiring marks a return to Virginia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University. Ferguson also is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

“I am honored the tribe has put their trust in me to bring their vision of a premier destination resort and casino to an area I know well,” Ferguson said in a statement. “It feels great to return home to Virginia and Hampton Roads.”

The Pamunkey tribe plans to break ground this year on the $500 million Norfolk Resort & Casino, which will include a Four-Diamond convention hotel, onsite restaurants, an entertainment venue, spa and pools. The tribe also is one of six proposers in Richmond’s casino negotiations, having put forward a $350 million plan for a casino and 300-room hotel, along with a spa, pool, fitness center and several restaurants on the city’s South Side on 24.5 acres off Interstate 95. An advisory committee appointed by the Richmond mayor’s office will recommend one project to the Richmond City Council in early summer, and city voters will vote on a referendum allowing the project to go forward in November. Norfolk voters approved its casino project last November.

“The tribe and the gaming authority could not be more excited to welcome Rodney to our team,” Tim Langston, chairman of the Pamunkey Indian Tribal Gaming Authority, said in a statement. “He brings decades of experience to our Norfolk casino and understands the mission of our tribe and our goal of bringing a world-class casino to the region and investing back into the community.”