Great leaders inspire all of us to become the best we can be. Every one of us has a mentor, someone we look up to, someone who helps us define who we are and pushes us toward success. In school you may look up to a certain teacher who inspired you with their words; in the workplace it may be a peer who does their job with pride and honor, or your manager who’s efforts at work and within the community appear tireless and selfless.

It is for all these reasons and for all these people that Native American Casino magazine created its annual Leadership Award. To honor those who are mentors and leaders in our communities, our jobs and our lives. The recipient of this year’s Leadership Award is all those things and more. We would like to congratulate the general manager of the Santa Ana Star Casino, Conrad Granito! Following is the nomination letter, which will show you all the many reasons why Conrad inspires and is loved by many.

It is our honor to nominate Conrad Granito, the general manager of the Santa Ana Star Casino, for the prestigious Native American Casino Leadership Award. The property, owned and operated by the Santa Ana Pueblo, has been proud to call Conrad their general manager since 2003. While there is only one Conrad, for those who have the pleasure of working with him it often appears that he manages to be in 10 places at once. Conrad makes sure he visits virtually every single part of the casino on a daily basis.

Uncomfortable leading from behind a desk, Conrad is on the front lines, always making sure his team is taken care of and everything is running smoothly. He is very respectful of Native American culture (his personal library contains over 300 books on the subject), and he is a supporter and defender of the tribal traditions of the Santa Ana Pueblo.

Conrad’s remarkable energy and work ethic are not only appreciated by his staff, they can be directly linked to the meteoric success Santa Ana Star Casino has enjoyed while under his tenure. In just four short years, Santa Ana Star Casino has increased its market share from 10 percent to well over 18 percent. This remarkable growth represents an increase of over 300 percent in total revenues for the casino in the past four years. The casino has experienced an increase of over 45 percent to EBITA in just the past 12 months alone. Santa Ana Star Casino now features over 1,200 slots, 24 table games, a 36-lane bowling center, four restaurants and over 800 dedicated team members.

However, while these numbers are remarkable, they are only part of the reason why Conrad should be considered a leader among leaders. Beyond just the financial statements, Conrad is truly involved within his community. He sits on the board of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors’ Board and contributes his time and energy to other civic causes. Then, even after expending more energy in a day than most people will in a week, Conrad always manages to find time to donate blood once a month.

A list of Conrad’s successes and accomplishments only tell part of his story. Despite the fact that he is extremely driven and constantly challenging his team to be better, he is also universally liked and respected by everyone under his leadership as well as guests. His personable nature is clearly evident in his management style as well. He doesn’t just coach from the sidelines. When an employee, guest or vendor has a comment or concern, he returns each and every call personally. He’s quick to praise individuals for doing a great job, and at the same time open-minded and fair whenever a team member receives a negative comment. If you work on his team, you know three things: you’ll be given opportunity for growth and promotion; you’ll be challenged; and he’ll always give you the support you need to do a great job.

Additionally, to stay in touch with the day-to-day casino operations, Conrad typically has lunch or breakfast with at least three guests per week. He’s a general manager with an enormous amount of responsibilities, yet he routinely takes the time to engage the individual casino guest on a personal level. And the knowledge he has gained from these interactions has been invaluable -- even helping the casino correctly position itself within the market.

Santa Ana Star Casino branded itself as the casino for locals. All the casinos in the market were trying to sell a Vegas-style experience, a fantasy complete with grand marble entrances, high-roller rooms and plush resort amenities. However with the help of Conrad’s insight and leadership, the casino realized this wasn’t who they were, it wasn’t what their customers wanted, and it certainly wasn’t how Santa Ana Star Casino was going to stand out amongst its competitors.

So, Santa Ana Star Casino, in effect, did the opposite. Their customers wanted something that felt New Mexican, relaxed, comfortable and inviting. The “This is YOUR Casino!” brand was born in 2005, positioning the casino as a place that feels more like a home away from home and less like a luxurious fantasy. Conrad was influential in bringing this entire message to life, and because he understands the customer so well, he is its biggest advocate. “This is YOUR Casino!” has helped yield the greatest financial gains in Santa Ana Star Casino’s history.

After all these things, who would have time for anything else, right? The answer: Conrad Granito. He’s also an avid reader, bikes whenever he can and even enjoys woodworking. Conrad has many titles at Santa Ana Star Casino. General Manager. Boss. Gaming Czar. Guest Advocate. Coach. Cheerleader. Student. Teacher. Problem Solver. However, there’s one title he holds that makes him truly great at all the others: Leader.