Board of Directors and Corporate Management

Stephen Szapor has over thirty-eight years of operational, financial management and consulting and advisory experience in the gaming, leisure and hospitality industries.  He is currently a Managing Partner at Prospect Growth Partners for which he provides advisory and consulting services to primarily Native American tribes in the areas of Economic Diversification Strategies, Executive Leadership Training and Project Development.

Stephen’s professional experience includes his work as Founder, President and Senior Partner of the Innovation Group, a leading hospitality, tourism, racing and gaming industry consulting company.  His professional experience also includes sixteen years of work as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for several public companies engaged in leisure, hospitality and casino operations.  His professional affiliations include service on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Gaming & Entertainment Company, the Board of Directors of the Sahara Gaming Corporation, and the Hollywood Casino Corporation.

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University.  His certifications include a Certified Public Account licensure (now inactive), a Key Gaming License/Finding of Suitability from the States of New Jersey, Mississippi, Nevada and Colorado, and service as a former Chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office Board.

Ron Solimon retired as Director of the Center for Lifelong Education (“CLE”) at the Institute of American Indian Arts (“IAIA”) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prior to joining the President’s Cabinet at the Institute of American Indian Arts, he served as the Executive Director of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Inc., and President & CEO of Indian Pueblos Marketing, Inc., and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Inc. Ron is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.  He also has paternal bloodlines at the Pueblo of Zuni. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from New Mexico State University, College of Business, and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico, School of Law. Ron’s service includes the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Inc., Native American Professional Parent Resources, Inc., Haverland Carter Lifestyle Group, Inc., Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Board of Trustees, Albuquerque Community Foundation, UNM Health Science Center, U.S Travel Association Board of Directors and the Tourism Association of New Mexico (now known as the “New Mexico Hospitality Association”).  Ron was elected to the New Mexico Tourism Hall of Fame in 2013.

Ethel Abeita’s professional legal experience spans more than thirty years and includes service as follows: Government Affairs Attorney Director and In-House Attorney for the Pueblo of Laguna; Office of the Special Trustee Director of the Office of Trust Records, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Deputy Regional Director (Southwest Regional Office); Office of the Solicitor – Assistant Regional Solicitor (Southwest Region) for the Department of the Interior; Assistant Regional Attorney, Office of the General Counsel, Albuquerque, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Deputy Director, Native American Rights Fund; Realty Specialist for the BIA Statute of Limitations Program; and Managing and Staff Attorney for Indian Pueblo Legal Services, Laguna, NM.

Ethel’s professional experience has also included lobbying Congress on behalf of Indian tribes on proposed settlement of water rights claims and working with congressional staff on legislation for Montana tribes and the Pueblo of Laguna.

Ethel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education from San Jose State University in San Jose, California and a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Helen B. Padilla, Esq., is a tribal member of the Pueblo of Isleta. Helen serves on the Board of Directors for the Laguna Development Corporation. She also serves as Secretary-Treasurer for the 19 Pueblos District Oversight Commission, assisting the tribal government that oversees Pueblo trust lands located in Albuquerque, NM. Helen is the Chair for the Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession of the State Bar of NM (CDLP), currently serving as Chair of the CDLP’s Subcommittee on Advancing Diverse Bar Applicants. Helen is committed to increasing the number of Native Americans and other diverse groups being admitted to the practice of law. For 15 years, she was the Executive Director of the American Indian Law Center, Inc. She has also served as General Counsel and Tax Administrator for the Pueblo of Tesuque. Helen served as General Counsel for the cabinet-level Indian Affairs Department for the State of New Mexico, appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson. She was also a senior staff attorney for the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut for over seven years, assistant regional counsel for the Social Security Administration in Denver and a legal intern with the National Indian Gaming Commission in Washington, D.C. She received her Juris Doctorate, with a Certificate in Indian Law, her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico. She is a member of the New Mexico Bar and is also admitted to practice law in Colorado and Connecticut. She served five years on the Board of Directors for the Indian Law Section of the State Bar of New Mexico, serving as Chair of the Board in 2009. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at UNM School of Law, teaching State-Tribal Relations.

A 40-year hotel veteran, Mark is recognized as an industry leader and innovator in marketing and operations in the hotel, resort, casino, and real estate industries. He is a former adjunct professor at Boston University and the University of Denver. He co-authored one of the hotel industry’s classic textbooks and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on future trends, marketing, and operations. He is a current and past board member of a number of public and private corporations.

Mark is co-founder of several hospitality enterprises including Hartland Hotel Group, a hotel and resort advisory group to real estate owners and developers (2014- present), GCommerce Solutions, an award winning digital marketing agency specializing in hospitality industry clients (2002 – present), and Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, a boutique management company specializing in the management of independent, luxury hotels and resorts and the asset management of luxury branded hotels and resorts (1994 -2009). Mark also held C-Suite positions with several large hotel and casino companies.

Mark graduated from Michigan State University’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management and worked toward a master’s in business administration at the University of Chicago. He lives in Park City, Utah with his wife and enjoys golf, tennis, wine, and travel.

Maxine R. Velasquez is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna Indian Reservation, located 46 miles west of Albuquerque New Mexico. She was named President and CEO of Laguna Development Corporation (LDC) in April 2020. An attorney by training, Maxine became the first woman to steward a multimillion-dollar tribally owned corporation for her community.

LDC’s businesses include three New Mexico Indian gaming establishments, twenty-two food and beverage establishments, entertainment and hospitality, a grocery store, two travel centers, and three fuel stations. Under her leadership, LDC’s gaming, food & beverage and hospitality operations have enjoyed record-breaking revenues, facility expansion and job growth. During her term as leader of Laguna’s largest business entity tribal member promotions to executive leadership positions has steadily increased. The LDC subsidiary Fuego Enterprises LLC has led the growth and expansion of the World Famous Laguna Burger, a growing fast casual restaurant brand with six locations. In 2022 she was the lead negotiator in the sale of the company’s Racing and Gaming facility in Kentucky to a nationally recognized casino and racetrack operator. The deal generated a 305% return on the company’s original investment.

Before becoming President and CEO of LDC, Maxine served as In-House General Counsel and was in private practice for more than twenty years representing tribes and their business entities on the full range of legal and policy issues, including Indian gaming, economic development, land, water, taxation, contracts, ordinances and regulations, and rights-of way negotiations.  She also advised and represented Tribes before a wide range of governmental departments, agencies, and committees at the local, state, and federal level.

Maxine received her Juris Doctor, Master of Public Administration, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of New Mexico, an associate’s degree in administration of justice from Allan Hancock College and is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of New Mexico. She also received a Business Administration Certificate from the University of Notre Dame.  She continues to be licensed to practice law in New Mexico. In 2023 she was named Executive of the Year by the Native American Finance Officers Associations, a national organization. In 2024 she was named the winner of the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award by Leadership New Mexico. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership and commitment to benefit the state of New Mexico and their community.       

In her spare time, she enjoys golf, martial arts, RVing, hiking, weightlifting, gardening, and is learning to play the guitar.

Mr. Loveland Is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with an accounting career spanning more than 15 years concentrated on serving tribal governments and casinos. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Robert O. Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. Mr. Loveland oversees the financial reporting of LDC’s full portfolio of companies and provides essential strategic guidance on business opportunities and acquisitions aimed at diversifying and growing the company.

Mr. Brasil has over twenty-five years of management experience. Prior to working at LDC, Mr. Brasil worked at Grand Casino Mille Lacs where he was Vice President of Food & Beverage Operations. Jorge’s passion for working in the hospitality industry began with the start of his own catering company Bon Vivant in 1986.

Mr. Khader is a seasoned IT executive with over 20 years of experience in the gaming and hospitality industry. He has a strong track record of leading successful teams in the development and implementation of innovative IT solutions that drive business growth and increase efficiency. His expertise lies in building and managing complex IT systems, overseeing large-scale IT projects, and developing and implementing IT strategies that align with business goals. Mr. Khader has been with LDC since 2002.

Ms. Hernandez is a dynamic, proactive and people-driven professional with more than 20 years’ management experience. Over half of her career has been in gaming and hospitality.  Her broad experience includes all areas of expertise in Human Resources. She provides vital support, guidance, and leadership to senior management in the development and implementation of strategies that achieve measurable business results.  She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Robert O. Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico with a concentration in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development. Mrs. Hernandez has been with LDC since 2006.

Mr. Fox has been involved in the hospitality industry for over 20 years.  He graduated from the University of Nevada and has worked in gaming jurisdictions in Nevada, Colorado and Florida.  Mr. Fox has experience in casino leadership, start-ups and acquisitions for Native American and commercial organizations.  Mr. Fox has been with LDC since 2015.