Alumnus works to support his community through role in casino industry

Craig Fuller didn’t initially find St. Cloud State University on his own; he found it by chance.

Now the senior director of casino operations at New York’s Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort, Fuller initially started college in his home state of New York. He spent the summer after his freshman year in Washington, D.C. with an internship program for Native American students. While there he would play pickup softball games with some people he and his cousin met while playing lacrosse. Eventually the conversations evolved to where everyone went to school, and a number of the softball players were SCSU alumni. They encouraged Fuller to look into the University, and the rest is history.

Fuller said he felt welcomed at SCSU almost immediately. From being met at the airport by American Indian Center students, to having inspiring professors on campus, studying abroad and getting involved with different student organizations, the next three years seemed to fly by. He earned his bachelor’s in International Relations from the University in 2001. He’d go on to earn a master’s degree out of state and worked in human resources in Las Vegas before returning to New York, where he’d connect with the gaming and casino industry.

He’s worked his way up at Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, working through the HR and marketing departments and then through gaming operations. With ever-changing technology, rules, regulations and new ways to gamble like sports betting and online gaming consistently affecting his industry, Fuller said there’s always more to learn to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new trends.

One thing that doesn’t change, though, is the drive to support his local community through his work.

“I was born and raised here on this reservation. We're different than if you go to Vegas or if you go to Atlantic City. One hundred percent of the funds generated here at the casino goes back to the tribe,” he said. “So if we don't make revenue, if we don't make the budget we put forward every year, that impacts the tribe, which impacts my family — my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, my daughters — because everything goes back to the tribe.”

Heating assistance, scholarships and elder benefits are just some of the ways the casino’s earnings support the community.

“You go out into the world and learn as much as you can and bring that knowledge back. But this is always your home,” Fuller said. “As a tribal member, we value the expertise of family. Every culture probably says that, but it hits home here when you're from here, you're born and raised here, and you see what happens here. We put our culture and our beliefs behind us here in the community, on the reservation, and it is home and it's where we want to be.”

Through his work in the casino industry and supporting his community, Fuller has connected with and befriended fellow Huskies Chad Germann ’96, ’98 and Joe Nayquonabe ’04.

“Across the whole U.S. tribal gaming industry, of course there’s 50 states, but over 1,000 different casinos and different tribes. But it's a small industry. (Joe, Chad and I) graduated different times, different programs, a little time apart, but we still ended up meeting and becoming friends through our work,” he said. “We talk and we still put everything out there that we can and try to help each other out as much as we can. We work for different casinos, different tribes, different areas — but it's the same end goal. We’re all trying to help our communities prosper, from where we are and where we came from.”

For Fuller — who still visits the St. Cloud State campus when he can — it’s the connections like those he’s made with Germann and Nayquonabe that are important for current SCSU students and recent graduates to remember as they look to progress through their lives and careers.

“Value those friendships and those opportunities. You ever know when you're going to need help down the long run. My opportunities talking with Joe and Chad over the years, it's just helped me get to where I am and it's helped them,” he said. “I know Chad has in his role employed other St. Cloud State grads and I know Joe employs St. Cloud State grads, so it opens the door for what's out there. Being Native individuals and Native people coming from the reservation, coming from tribes — even though we’re from different tribes — we look to help in prosperity.”