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

Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians

Sovereign Nation · 330 Members · Lakeport, California · Pre-Operational Vallejo Enterprise
Built for Chairman Shawn Davis and the Scotts Valley Tribal Council.
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 · April 2026

The Pre-Operational Vallejo Window

The Scotts Valley Band is advancing a $700M destination resort through federal land-into-trust review while a Class II gaming preview proceeds on its own track. The window to build the operating system that will carry both is open right now, and narrows once the doors open.

330
Enrolled Members
$700M
Planned Vallejo Resort
3-2
Vallejo MOU Vote · Apr 14
15%
Local Hire Commitment
What Just Happened

The public posture shifted in thirty days.

Three events in April moved Scotts Valley from a tribe waiting on federal review to a tribe actively building a civic and commercial coalition around the Vallejo opportunity.

  • April 9, 2026. The Press Democrat ran Chairman Davis's op-ed titled "Scotts Valley Band ready to be Vallejo's economic partner." Public commitment. On the record.
  • April 14, 2026. Vallejo City Council approved the Memorandum of Understanding with the Tribe by a 3-2 vote, advancing the municipal authorization for the resort project.
  • Pending. The Scotts Valley Band's $700M destination resort land-into-trust application is under Department of Interior review. Timeline undetermined. The Class II gaming preview proceeds independently under separate tribal gaming authority.

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 3-2 Vallejo vote, the 15% local-hire commitment, and the federal pending status raise the public visibility of every decision in the first 12 months of operation. The operating system installed before opening is what carries that visibility cleanly.

Why SEA, Why READY™

The READY™ diagnostic was built for exactly this profile: a pre-operational enterprise in transition with a committed leadership team, a funded capital plan, and a short runway to reach operational. 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 pre-operational tribal and hospitality enterprises through this transition at Chumash, Choctaw Nation, and Pinnacle. Scotts Valley is the profile READY was designed for, with leadership teams we recognize.

Sources: Tribal Business News (Apr 20, 2026) · Press Democrat op-ed (Apr 9, 2026) · Vallejo City Council minutes (Apr 14, 2026) · Department of Interior public docket. All figures sourced from public record as of April 28, 2026. Any figure cited in a subsequent engagement proposal will be confirmed directly with the Tribal Council.
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