Strategy Elevation Alliance
Executive Preview · Pre-Operational Readiness · April 28, 2026

Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation

Sovereign Nation · Highland, California · Cross-State Multi-Property Operator
Built for Peter Arceo, Chief Gaming Officer, and the San Manuel enterprise leadership team.
The Onliness
Strategy Elevation Alliance is the only strategic operating partnership where three enterprise practitioners run the full ILLUMINATE → FOCUS → PERFORM arc as one continuous discipline alongside the leadership team driving the enterprise. The same practitioners read the conditions, shape the priorities with leadership, and install the operating cadence inside the work. The methodology is SEA's to run. The enterprise is leadership's to operate. The operating rhythm is built together.
Climb Higher. See Further. Execute Intentionally.
Strategic Context · May 2026

The Cross-State Portfolio Operating Window

San Manuel operates a cross-state gaming portfolio anchored by Yaamava' Resort and Casino in California and the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, with a Chief Gaming Officer role created specifically to drive portfolio innovation and growth. The window to install the unified operating system that carries the cross-state portfolio is open right now.

2022
Palms Las Vegas Acquired
Multiple
Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards
28 Years
Arceo Operator Depth
Cross-State
Two Regulatory Regimes
What Just Happened

Two states, one operating system.

Operating across California and Nevada under two regulatory regimes is a pre-operational shape for the unified operating system that has not yet existed at this scale inside the enterprise.

  • 2022. San Manuel acquired the Palms Casino Las Vegas, establishing the cross-state multi-property posture.
  • Yaamava' baseline. Yaamava' Resort and Casino carries multiple Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards, with Peter Arceo previously serving as General Manager and leading the most ambitious gaming and hospitality expansion at the property.
  • CGO mandate. The Chief Gaming Officer role assumes strategic leadership for innovation and growth of the gaming portfolio across both properties, with 28-plus years of operator depth in the seat.

Why Now

Every decision made before opening is cheaper than every decision made after. Governance, leadership bench, operating cadence, guest-experience standards, member accountability structures. All of these are easier to install on a pre-operational enterprise than to retrofit on a running one.

The Palms acquisition, the Yaamava' Forbes-rated baseline, and the CGO role's portfolio-wide mandate raise the visibility of every cross-property operating decision in the next 12 months. The unified operating system installed at this stage is what carries the cross-state portfolio cleanly.

Why SEA, Why READY™

The READY™ diagnostic was built for exactly this profile: an enterprise in transition with a committed leadership team, a funded plan, and a defined window to act. It reads the five conditions that shape how strategy lands inside an operating enterprise: Reason for Change, Executive Sponsorship, Alignment, Decision Authority, and Yield.

SEA's three partners have personally carried multi-property hospitality and gaming enterprises through cross-jurisdictional integration transitions at Pinnacle, Choctaw Nation, and Chumash. The San Manuel profile, with a Chief Gaming Officer driving portfolio integration across two regulatory regimes, is the profile READY was designed for, with leadership teams we recognize.

Sources: San Manuel public communications · Yaamava' Resort and Casino releases · Forbes Travel Guide records · Palms Casino public communications · gaming-industry trade press. All figures sourced from public record as of May 2, 2026. Any figure cited in a subsequent engagement proposal will be confirmed directly with the CGO.
The Partnership

Three Practitioners. One Accountability.

SEA is not a firm that deploys associates. The three partners below own the work end to end, together. What you see below is what shows up in the room.

John Elliott
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Economic Development · Transformation Leader · Executive Coach
Innovative Venturer · Analytical Machine · Entrepreneurial Builder · Inspiring Storyteller · Future-Oriented
35+ years leading organizations through transformation as CEO, COO, CFO, and consulting practice leader. Career spans Big 5 consulting across Asia, Native American Tribal economic development, and corporate leadership in manufacturing, defense, and utilities. Known for navigating complex, regulated environments and delivering measurable growth. Established strategic partnerships and completed $1B of economic development transactions alongside Native Nations.
Core Expertise
  • Organizational Transformation & Strategy Execution
  • Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Integration & Growth
  • Economic Development Initiatives
  • Operations, Supply Chain & Outsourcing
  • Shared Services & Enterprise Performance Systems
  • Change Management & Cultural Transformation
elliottjohn32@gmail.com 508.272.4710
Teri Hill
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Strategic Advisor · Journey Architect · Executive Coach
Strategic Persuader · Vision Translator · People Optimizer · Alignment Builder · Outcome-Focused
Trusted business advisor with 35+ years helping executives grow and transform. Former Accenture Managing Director brings enterprise-grade expertise typically reserved for Fortune 500 companies to small and mid-sized organizations. Architected Chumash Enterprises' shift from functional silos to self-directed teams. Grew Accenture practice team 5x and Fortune client base across healthcare and energy. Predictive Index® Consultant, The Leadership Challenge® Advanced Facilitator, and licensed Line-of-Sight℠ practitioner.
Core Expertise
  • Enterprise Transformation & Strategy Execution
  • Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
  • M&A: Integration, Growth, Divestiture
  • Organizational Design & Operating Models
  • Talent Optimization & Behavioral Analytics
  • Strategic Planning & Expert Facilitation
  • Change Management & Cultural Transformation
trhill@hill-summit.com 602.831.0051
Tommy Rhoads
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Transformation Leader · Master Black Belt · Performance Integrator
Natural Persuader · Energetic Innovator · Change Catalyst · Visionary Trailblazer · Equality-Focused
Proven leader in hospitality, tribal enterprises, and corporate transformation. Built enterprise-wide transformation roadmap at Chumash Enterprises delivering $3M+ recurring value. Transformed customer and employee experience at Choctaw Nation: CSAT +39.5%, ESAT +31 points; launched Hoshin Kanri strategy system. Progressive leadership at Pinnacle Entertainment from F&B to Regional Ops with multiple Leader of the Year awards. Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner.
Core Expertise
  • Enterprise Transformation (people, process, digital, cultural)
  • Organizational Change & Leadership Activation
  • Hoshin Kanri & Strategy Deployment
  • Customer & Team Experience Strategy
  • Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Performance
  • Operational Excellence (Lean Six Sigma® Master Black Belt)
  • M&A Value Realization
tommy.rhoads@rtienterprises.com 469.475.4277
Next Step

A Thirty-Minute Conversation About the Next Twelve Months.

No slide deck. No pitch. A direct working conversation about your twelve-month priorities, the operating system the tribe needs to lock them down, and whether a partnership with SEA belongs in that room.

Email the Partners to Set Up a Conversation Email John Elliott Directly