Ben Douglass, left, talks with Lucy Carnahan and Sheriff Ben Trotter.
Ben Douglass is experiencing a homecoming, returning to Northern Nevada to take over as general manager of Stockman’s Casino and bring a fresh, experienced perspective to the establishment.
Douglass said it’s great being back in Northern Nevada. He said most of his family still lives in Reno, so he can visit them fairly easily. He added he’s always wanted to come back to the area and is very happy the opportunity presented itself.
The G.M. said he’s excited to be in Fallon. He recalled coming to Fallon for festivals when he was young; before the job was available, he was driving through the area and told his fiancé he would love to live in Fallon.
“It was a good kind of coincidence,” he said. “I’m excited to be here and to be back.”
Born and raised in Reno, Douglass managed a casino in Colorado for several years after college. He learned of the position in January and saw it as a perfect opportunity to return to his home state.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a Nevadan,” he said. “Even living in Colorado for 10 years, I never really thought I was a Coloradan; it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to come back.”
Casinos are in Douglass blood. He noted his family has worked in casino management for three generations.
“Pretty much my entire work experience has been in casinos,” he said. “Then my entire life experience has been around casinos … it’s definitely a part of my blood.”
Douglass has extensive experience working in all aspects of a casino as well. He said he started with an internship after college, then moved through various positions around the casino floor from dealing to floor management. He effectively knows something about every aspect of the operation.
“Between the internship and everything else, I’ve done every single job there is (at a casino),” he said. “It’s a good way to learn, versus just coming in. It’s very beneficial to manage your people when you know what they’re doing.”
Douglass said his management is centered around “old Nevada.” He is focused on restaurant deals, community and giving people more to bring them to Stockman’s over another business. Community is a big element he wants Stockman’s to pursue now.
Douglass said he’s looking at things with a fresh set of eyes. He said businesses can become complacent and never get around to some projects until they become critical priorities. He does not want to step on any toes, though, and noted he would be building on existing projects and “stepping on the gas” to launch other projects that were put on hold.
Douglass is currently overseeing the completion of some of the projects around Stockman’s. He noted there are a number of construction projects under way and other improvements to the facility.
“A big part of what I’m doing is pushing to get these things done,” he said.