DENNIS RIZZO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Chief Human Resources Officer at Tohono O'Odham Gaming Enterprise
Argelia Medina currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Tohono O'odham Gaming Enterprise (TOGE)/Desert Diamond Casinos, and she is an enrolled member of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Part of the Desert Diamond team for over 23 years, Argelia began her employment in the Cage department. Within a year, she started her career with the Human Resources department. Since then, she has held the positions of HR Employment Supervisor, Human Resources Manager, Assistant Human Resources Director, and Human Resources Director.
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Argelia is responsible for all Human Resources strategies, functions, and services across all four Desert Diamond Casinos properties and its 2,900+ team members, including talent acquisition and retention, benefits and employee services, organizational development, compensation, employee relations, guest service training and reporting, and tribal outreach, employment, and development.
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer at Chumash Enterprises
In 2020 Dan Nogal brought his talents to the Chumash Casino Resort as Director of Human Resources. In 2021 he was promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer for Chumash Enterprises, the largest employer in Santa Barbara County, California.
As the newest member on the "Best of The Best" list, he is in excellent company. Dan has worked with two prior Bests of The Best inductees: Arte Nathan and Cindy Kiser Murphey. He worked with both for the opening of the Mirage and with Cindy for the opening of the MGM Grand.
Dan graduated from the University of North Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration and is an avid kayaker and paddleboarder.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Senior Vice President
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Hospitality
Gerard "Jerry" Inzerillo is a globally celebrated Forbes-cover visionary in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a deep aptitude for positioning strategies and iconic developments. Over the course of his five-decade career in the industry, he has been a champion for the sector and its people, and the creative and logistical mind behind some of the world's most innovative luxury brand activations and spectacular development launches.
Job Titles:
- SVP of Hotel Operations for Hard Rock International
John Rees, SVP of Hotel Operations for Hard Rock International, is an accomplished hospitality industry veteran with over 30 years of experience and a multi-faceted skillset to lead operations with excellence. His passion for innovation and extensive experience has inspired him to target industry challenges such as procuring and incubating hospitality talent through impactful leadership programs and ensuring quality control across key hospitality verticals.
Rees completed his hospitality studies at Newbury College and has since gained various certifications in restaurant management, leadership training, and wine studies from top accredited institutions and universities such as Cornell University (Restaurant Management) and Wine and Spirits Institute UK. He completed his hospitality training at the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Bern, Switzerland, and also holds an Honorary Degree in Culinary Arts from the Long Island Culinary Federation.
His career path began as an Executive Chef, where he honed his fine cooking and leadership skills at some of the world's most prestigious hotels. This led him to take on Food & Beverage Director positions before moving into his current focus in Hospitality Operations. He also previously held senior hotel operations leadership roles at Marriott International and Ritz-Carlton, where he managed operations in more than a dozen different countries on four continents. Rees's most recent role as Vice President of Resort Operations and Guest Experience at Marriott Vacations Worldwide drove operational excellence for over 130 properties and guests worldwide across all disciplines.
"I'm thrilled to join the Bentley Price Associates' "Best of The Best" list," said Rees. "Hard Rock International's future pipeline of hotel projects is very robust, allowing me to work with my teams to innovate and create more special brand touchpoints and guest experiences our fans expect. My goal is to make Hard Rock Hotels feel like the coolest place to stay with the best vibe and where every guest around the world is made to feel like a VIP."
Welcome, John! We are honored to add your name to the our list.