Judy Campbell is vice president and general manager of the Par-A- Dice Casino in East Peoria. Born in West Bend, Wis., she went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, Washington County. In 1978 she made the move to Las Vegas to begin her gaming career as a blackjack dealer.

Moving quickly up the ranks to floor supervisor, and casino shift manager, she became Boyd Gaming Corporation’s first female casino manager in 1990. From there, Campbell was promoted to assistant general manager of the Jokers Wild Casino in Henderson, Nev., in 1993, and then to vice president and general manager of the Eldorado Casino in Henderson.

In 1996 she made the move to Peoria’s Par- A- Dice Casino. In February 1996, she was featured in Casino Journal Magazine in an article entitled, “Move Over Fellas,” and again in February 2000 as the Executive Profile of the month.

Active in the community, she was the Henderson Casino United Way leader from 1994 to 1995, and is currently recognized as a Pillar and Knight through financial support of the United Way. She also serves on the board of directors for the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce and the Susan G. Komen Association.

Tell us about your background, schools attended, family, etc.

I was raised in Kewaskum, Wis. I attended Catholic primary schools and the community high school prior to attending the University of Wisconsin. My mother still resides in Kewaskum and my brother, Ken, lives in Tampa, Fla. My sister, Kari, contracted cancer and passed away several years ago.

My mother long ago contracted breast cancer, but is a survivor. That is why I so enjoy serving on the board of the Komen Foundation.

I have been blessed with two nieces and a nephew with whom I spend increasing amounts of time now that I am back in the Midwest.

While I was in Las Vegas, distance and work commitments made it very difficult for me to maintain close contact with my family. Now that I am back here in the Midwest, I take a great deal of comfort in being able to maintain close contact with them and enjoy the support that only a family can give you.

Growing up in Wisconsin, what spurred your interest in the casino industry, and a move to Las Vegas in 1978?

Because I spent my formative years in Kewaskum my contact with people and experiences outside of Wisconsin was limited.

I had no particular interest in the gaming industry, but as a young woman in the late 1970s felt the need to get out and see the world. So, I heeded the advice to “go West young woman.”

My travels led me through Las Vegas, and I liked what I saw… a vibrant, growing community filled with enthusiasm and hope for the future. When I compared that with the malaise enveloping the Midwest at the time, I decided to stay. I didn’t know whether my stay would be permanent, but I believed it was a great place to start my adult life.

You began your career as a blackjack dealer. How did the experience differ from what you expected?

I started in the industry as a blackjack dealer. Why? In part, because it was so different from anything I had experienced to that time. Also, it permitted me to pay the rent. The work was exciting and had its high points. But most important, I began to learn more about the industry, the difficult work of relating to customers and coworkers, and ultimately, the skills necessary to manage people.

How did the training differ for casino employees when you began to today?

When I first began working in the industry, “on the job” training was the industry norm. However, since then the industry, and other industries, have done an about- face and have recognized the need to prepare their people before they are thrown into the fire. Today, training is viewed as an investment rather than an unnecessary expense.

The tremendous cost of employee turnover is well known in the business world today, and adequately training and preparing your people for their jobs reduces turnover and the cost associated with it tremendously.

Prior to beginning their jobs, new people joining Par-A- Dice are given not only technical training in the various aspects of their jobs, they are also backgrounded in our internal controls and government regulation of the industry. In addition, they are trained in customer and employee relations, two of the key elements for success in our industry. The training makes our people more confident of their own abilities, and confidence leads not only to success on the job, but to increased job satisfaction.

In the 1970s, people associated casinos with the mob. How did the industry change its image over the past 20 years?

The gaming industry has been glamorized in films, and the glamour has not always been complimentary. At one time in the past, organized crime infiltrated part of the industry, but not to the degree Hollywood would have you believe. The industry is populated by ethical business people. Bill Boyd is living proof of that.

The industry has moved well beyond the days when a few individuals gave the business a bad name. Indeed, gaming is now a province of publicly- held, well- capitalized companies intent on building the industry’s image.

The billion dollar plus projects in Las Vegas and Boyd’s current billion dollar project in Atlantic City are the result of the investment of tens of thousands of small investors and the work of highly skilled and imaginative managers.

Here in East Peoria, Par-A-Dice is a shining example of the ingenuity and hard work of several bright, hard- working and ethical local business people followed by the experience and professional management of Boyd Gaming, itself a publicly held corporation. So, organized crime is neither an issue here nor in Las Vegas.

Because of some of the early difficulties experienced by the industry, state regulation has increased dramatically. Here in Illinois, virtually all aspects of our business are monitored by the Illinois Gaming Board. In fact, agents of the Gaming Board are always present on our property and in the casino.

Over the years, we have enjoyed a professional relationship with the Gaming Board, one that has developed into a relationship of mutual respect and trust. Those who doubt the industry know little of the quality of the industry’s professional management and the significance of day-to-day regulatory oversight.

Are women in management roles a rarity in the industry? What’s being done to change that within the casino industry? What unique struggles do women casino managers face?

Unlike in years past, the gaming industry has seen an explosion of women in the management ranks.

The number of women in leadership positions at Boyd Gaming is increasing and is a great source of pride for the company. I have been there, and I know Boyd fills its management positions based on qualifications and accomplishments- not gender.

Boyd Gaming has a number of women in key positions throughout the company. I have been a general manager here at Par- A- Dice for more than four years, and was general manager of the Eldorado Casino in Henderson for two years preceding that. Stacey Noble is the vice president/ assistant general of the Fremont Hotel Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Marianne also serves on the company’s board of directors.

Bill Boyd did not have to be convinced of the value of women managers. However, we still face challenges in persuading people outside the industry. Let me give you an example. When I first arrived here at Par- A- Dice, a gentleman met with me to propose a business arrangement between Par- A- Dice and his company. I asked one of our male managers to attend. During the course of the meeting, I informed our visitor that we really couldn’t proceed to discuss the arrangement unless he prepared, and supported, a pro forma income statement and balance sheet. At that point, the gentlemen very pointedly turned away from me, spoke directly to the other manager I had invited, and asked him “what do you think should be some of the assumptions I make when preparing the pro formas?” I smiled to myself in recognition that this gentlemen had just done something which did not speak badly of my management skills, but of his. I knew right then that he would not take the time or make the effort to do his homework and get back to us. He didn’t.

So, yes, the number of women in management is increasing, but we still have a ways to go to convince some of our counterparts of our qualifications to manage.

Describe the history of the Par- A- Dice in the Peoria area. What’s the level of corporate involvement?

Par- A- Dice was here and prospering long before I arrived in East Peoria. Credit should be given to the local people who started the business, and more importantly, to the Par- A- Dice employees who made it a huge success.

We can’t overlook the support and encouragement of the City of East Peoria. Without the contributions of Mayors Giebelhausen and Dobbelaire and the city council, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Since it’s beginnings in 1991, Par- A- Dice has consistently grown; from a sternwheeler on the Peoria side-supported by an active and lively pavilion and a 208 room hotel facility which, we believe, is the finest in Illinois.

In short, through the foresight of East Peoria’s city leaders and local investors, the hard work of Par- A- Dice’s employees, and the professional management and unique skills of Boyd Gaming, Par- A- Dice has become a jewel in an increasingly vibrant tri- County economy.

Our industry and Par- A- Dice have critics. What those critics fail to see is what Par- A- Dice has brought to the community since 1991.

I won’t bore you with details, but the community should know that Par- A- Dice has a payroll that approaches $20 million per year and pays wagering and admission taxes to the state and the local communities which now approach $37 million per year. When you add our purchases of goods and services from local vendors, Par- A- Dice’s contribution to the growth of the local economy is apparent.

All 11 Boyd Gaming facilities are managed independently. Each general manager reports to Keith Smith, the company’s executive vice president of operations, enabling consistent communication to be shared on issues relating to operating standards, marketing, capital expenditures, etc.

However, property level decisions are my responsibility. But all properties, including Par- A- Dice, adhere to one philosophy which we call the “Boyd Style.” Integrity in the foundation of that style.

How many guests do you have in an average week/month/ year? What are the average ages, and from what area of the state/ country do most come from?

In 2000, we welcomed more than 1,750,000 visitors through our casino turnstiles. That’s almost4,800 visitors per day. In addition, we have thousands of visitors who enjoy our hotel and dining facilities.

Our customers range in age from 21 to more than 80, and we have a superior record of keeping underage persons out of the casino. Our weekend guests are, on average, younger than our midweek guests.

As you might guess, the younger weekend crowd is looking for an entertainment option other than the bar scene.

Our midweek customers tend to be people with more free time. The larger segments of our customer base reside in central Illinois. TPW