Q+A: GLEN MEADOWS:

At Station, versatility is a prized characteristic

Glen Meadows, director of ancillary gaming at Station Casinos, worked with the late Bobby Dean to create Station’s $600K Big Bingo Weekend, a four-day event.

Cash is king, says Glen Meadows, corporate director of ancillary gaming at Station Casinos. That’s why he and Tony Bruno, executive director of ancillary games at Station, try to come up with creative ways to give it away in bingo rooms, “be it cash balls, free games, large-scale bingo events or anything else,” he said. As bingo grows in popularity, Station is allocating resources to the game, and Meadows and Bruno have “a few more projects up our sleeves,” Meadows teased. “Stay tuned.”

Do you have any recent news you’d like to share?

We recently opened a bingo room at Santa Fe Station. It’s really impressive in terms of technology and guest experience. We also are in the process of building a new room where bingo began for our company, Palace Station. That project should be completed in the second quarter of this year.

What is the best business advice you’ve received?

I began my career in gaming at Green Valley Ranch Resort in the race and sports book. When I came up for my first promotion, I met with Art Manteris, who told me this: “The three most important things in this business are policies and procedures, accuracy and guest service. If you can consistently do those three things, you will succeed.”

Art’s advice is true in any area of the casino business. If you follow the laws and make sure details such as orders, betting slips, bingo calls and cash are accurate, all while providing great guest service, you are on the right track for success.

What’s the biggest issue facing Southern Nevada?

I’m a father of an elementary school student so for me, it’s education. It’s really a Nevada issue, not just a Southern Nevada issue. Reports rank the education system of our state either last or second to last as recently as last summer. We’ve got to do better, and we will.

There are steps in place with the upcoming rollout of the new student funding formula, as well as the reorganization of the Clark County School District. As part of the reorganization, each school has formed a School Organizational Team made up of teachers, parents and community members. I’m on the SOT at my daughter’s school; it’s a great opportunity to get involved and lend a hand in helping our education system improve.

What has been your most exciting professional project?

In 2013, the late, great Bobby Dean, (a long-time bingo manager at Palace Station) and I came up with what we now know as $600K Big Bingo Weekend. The idea was for all seven of our bingo rooms to host a large-scale linked event over four days. We’ve continued to grow the event year after year. It’s been fun to watch the baby grow.

What’s your favorite place to have fun in Las Vegas?

On a softball diamond at Arroyo Grande or Sunset Park.

Describe your management style.

I think of myself as inclusive and empowering. I have been able to spend time at all of our properties over the past several years, and I am always looking for input from team members. You really never know where the next great idea will come from.

I also love to interact with our guests. They are the lifeblood of the company, and they will definitely tell you how well you are (or not) doing.

Where do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?

The sky is the limit for our company. There are plenty of exciting projects in the works. As the company continues to grow, it only means more opportunities for everybody involved. I see myself continuing to learn different aspects of our business and being able to fill any role that may be asked of me.

What is your dream job outside of your current field?

Politics or police detective work. Two pretty different paths, I know. Both just seem fascinating to me, perhaps because they are centered on solving problems.

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

I would love to live in Pittsburgh, at least one time, for the football season.

Whom do you admire?

The men and women of our armed forces. The sacrifice that they have made for our country is amazing. What these men and women do and have done for our country has shaped it. I have a friend from college who signed up for the Army the day after the Twin Towers fell. He’s been in ever since. He’s made a career out of protecting our country. There are countless stories just like his. That’s pretty admirable.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

I wouldn’t call it a pet peeve, just an observation of what seems to be a trend of self-absorbed behavior. It seems daily you can find an example of people forgetting that the world revolves around all of us. Can’t the phone conversation wait while we are in line at the bank? Do we all really need to hear your music blasting from your personal speakers at the airport? Can you look up from your phone and walk purposefully through the crosswalk, while a line of cars are waiting to make a turn? Can’t you pull into the parking spot while you let your children out of the car, rather than make a line of cars wait behind you to find their own parking spot? I guess those things peeve me.

If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?

We are already making the change that I would suggest, and that is family-friendly things to do. Just since I arrived in Las Vegas 12 years ago, we have added the Springs Preserve, Wet ’n’ Wild, the Smith Center, Cowabunga Bay, T-Mobile Arena and the NHL, to name just a few. We need to keep adding those types of things as the community continues to grow. It’s all a part of the puzzle to keep our valley headed in the right direction.

What is something people might not know about you?

I’ve played in an organized baseball or softball league nearly every year of my life since I was 7. Baseball was my first love.

What do you look for in a person when considering them for a promotion?

I look for people who can fit into multiple areas of our company. This goes for hiring managers or hourly team members. People who can play multiple roles are so valuable. Over the years, I’ve been involved in hiring managers who have done so well in the role they were originally were hired for that they were sought out by other departments, where they continue to thrive. That’s something about our company that I am so proud to be a part of.

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