Anthony Williams: Coaching for success with Q Casino

Following an extensive search for a new President and CEO of the company, as well as for Q Casino & Resort in Dubuque, Iowa, the DRA Executive Board of Directors appointed Anthony Williams to the role in April, with the hire officially taking effect on July 1. Following his appointment, the former MGM Resorts SVP of Operations Strategy sat down with Gaming America to discuss how his time with the operator, and as a certified life coach, led to a hopeful future with DRA and Q Casino & Resort.

With your official start date still approaching as we speak today, what are you looking forward to most about taking over the role of President and CEO?

This is what I consider a superb opportunity. It gives me a chance to become a resident and really integrate myself into a community that’s, of course, going to be new to me. But looking at the opportunity itself, at the end of the day I’m in charge of leadership, strategy and getting to set that course is what’s really exciting for me. As I get deeper into the details and start to work with the Board and the Schmitt Development Corporation there in Iowa, we’ll be able to bring some things to light and plan out the future, which is exciting.

And with DRA and Q Casino & Resort, were those organizations you’ve held an interest in for quite some time, or more of a right place, right time opportunity?

It was definitely the latter. I think it was the right situation at the right time. And once I started to really do my research and understand the setup, the overall operating dynamics and the relationship between the two, it just makes sense in terms of timing of where I am both career and in life.

What are the first steps or initiatives you’ll look to introduce in the early going?

When you take on any role, but certainly a role of this magnitude and level of responsibility, things are going to be important right away such as the overall performance of the operations, the culture and the people. Understanding the leadership teams and what they do, and understanding different market dynamics for things that make up the success ratios and really support the overall business.

As quickly as possible I’d like to integrate myself into both the business operations themselves and there’s the community at large piece to this that I think is very important. Understanding where we operate, who our customers are, who the folks are out there that we support… they need us and look to us for guidance.

Given your experience with operators such as MGM Resorts, is there any carryover that can be brought into DRA and Q Casino & Resort?

Definitely. This is very customer-centric in terms of – you’ve got your internal customers, the employees which of course are the lifeline of the operation, and then you’ve also got the community at large, so external customers that come in and they’re considered patrons. They are looking for great service and to have a good time. I think those skills of operating in the hospitality industry for so many years will greatly carry over into exactly what this opportunity lends itself to.

When you think about the Schmitt Island development, the community at large and opportunities for growth, all of my prior experience here as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Las Vegas – and all of the ancillary duties that go along with that – should bode well for me in Dubuque.

Do you foresee any key differences in shifting from an area such as Las Vegas to a more community-driven market like Dubuque?

Overall, when you look at the makeup of the city of Las Vegas and the city of Dubuque, you’ve got your city council, your city manager, your mayor, the leaders for each are very similar. The overarching story here is economic growth and development, being able to sustain but also building that community for tomorrow as well. And I think those things are very similar whether it be Las Vegas or Dubuque.

There’s always going to be a need for addressing those things that create possible pain points in a city or there may be challenges to overcome, but it takes total collaboration across all departments and segments within the city to be successful.

It’s certainly a fair point if you think about size and scale, of course. There are going be some differences but, at the end of the day, we’re talking about the wellbeing of a community, we’re talking about the future of a community and we’re talking about the ability to work across all lines of partnership to be successful. I believe those things don’t change regardless of where you are.

Speaking on the wellbeing of a community, I’ve read you are actually a certified life coach to go along with your work in gaming and hospitality. Are there any ways in which the two intersect?

Oh, absolutely. We’re in the business of people, right? When you think about the life coach discipline, there are several areas you can really delve into. For me, it’s just really being able to understand and practice the emotional intelligence side of things because, in your day-to-day interactions, sometimes there are difficulties, right? There are going to be challenges whether it be disagreements or misunderstandings.

As a leader, you want to make sure you’re able to effectively communicate, resolve conflict and be able to work across multiple lines – which is not always easy. It’s about being approachable, but also knowing how to approach others, help them really understand the mission at large and self-motivate to all move in the same direction.

There’s also a self-awareness and self-management piece to this too for myself. In difficult situations, knowing how to collect yourself and respond is very important to the overall mission and goal you’re looking to accomplish.

With DRA and Q Casino & Resort celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, could you take us through what consumers can expect for the remainder of this year and possibly even beyond?

I know there are going to be some specific on-site celebrations and entertainment. The team is currently working on exciting activations for the property and, once I’m on board July 1, I’ll be able to really start to engender myself into the operation and better understand as we go forward.

It’s an extremely rich history over the past 40 years and how it evolved over time. Once again, I can’t express enough excitement around how the future is very bright and all that’s been done already, but I can also sit here and say as we continue to move forward, our best days are certainly ahead of us.

Kirk Geller

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