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Soper

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The first-ever president of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, who left in 2012 to head the tribe’s flagship casino in Connecticut, has been promoted yet again.

Robert J. “Bobby” Soper will assume the position of president of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority effective March 30 and will oversee all day-to-day operations of the authority, the MTGA announced Monday.

“I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to accept the position of president of MTGA,” Soper, president and chief executive officer for Mohegan Sun, the tribe’s flagship casino resort in Connecticut, said in a news release.

Soper, 43, will be filling the post of retiring casino veteran Mitchell Grossinger Etess.

“To follow in the footsteps of two empowering leaders such as Mitchell Etess and Bill Velardo who are the sole predecessors of this position will be no small feat,” Soper said. “Their imprint will be everlasting on this organization and I can only hope to apply the wisdom and guidance I received from both men and to continue their legacies in leading this company forward.”

Etess said Soper’s progressive leadership style, energetic spirit and dedication to employees and guest service made him the natural choice for the position. “I could not be prouder or feel better about having him in line to succeed me,” he said.

Ray Pineault will transition into Soper’s current position, overseeing the flagship resort in Connecticut. And Thomas P. Burke, acting president of Mohegan Gaming Advisors, will serve as chief operating officer of MTGA. In this newly created position, he will oversee operations of all MTGA owned and managed properties, the authority announced.

One of about 1,700 members of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, Soper started as legal council for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority in 1997. He holds a bachelor of business administration from the University of Georgia and a law degree from the University of Georgia Law School.

Etess told the Times Leader in 2006 that he was so impressed with Soper’s work ethic and desire to get ahead when he was senior attorney for the authority, Soper was drawn into helping plan and manage a billion dollar expansion of Mohegan Sun, the 240-acre casino resort and entertainment complex near Uncasville, that was completed in 2001.

As the project neared completion, Soper was named senior vice president of Mohegan Sun, where he was responsible for managing and overseeing the human resources department, security and surveillance, legal department and retail shops.

Soper held the position for four years before being picked to spearhead the renovation of Pocono Downs from a pari-mutuel racetrack into a combination racetrack and slots casino. He was named president and CEO of Pocono Downs on Nov. 22, 2004. He had also been tasked with overseeing five other off-track wagering sites across Pennsylvania.

He oversaw the successful addition of table games to the casino in 2010.

Soper was promoted to serve as president and CEO of the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in October 2012. Before he left, he oversaw the groundbreaking of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs’ $50 million, 238-room hotel/events center at the site.

Soper, who lived in Dallas with his wife and children while heading Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, was intimately involved in the community. He served as chairman of the United Way of Wyoming Valley’s board and sat on several others including the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, Northeastern Pennsylvania Technology Institute, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Misericordia University and Volunteers In Medicine.