New leaders at Puyallup Tribe’s Emerald Queen Casino set to take brand to ‘new heights’
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians on Thursday announced a recent leadership overhaul for the tribe’s Emerald Queen Casino in Fife and Tacoma.
Yale Rowe took on the role of chief executive officer in November, and Peter Chu became the chief operating officer a short time later.
The two succeed Frank Wright and George Robinson, who saw the casino brand grow from a modest start in Fife to the current 310,000-square-foot casino in Tacoma that opened in 2020.
Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud said in a statement, “It’s going to be an exciting new time in the casino industry on the Puyallup Reservation. We’ve brought in two people to manage and move forward in this new age of gaming we’re in competition with. It’s an exciting era for the Tribe.”
Sterud also praised Wright’s and Robinson’s contributions over the years.
“We started with nothing and we brought in a riverboat out on the waterfront,” he said. “It worked out well. With the size constraints we had to move over here with tents, but that’s totally making another casino. That’s two casinos they were a part of. The third had to start from scratch during COVID. They did an outstanding job.”
Rowe’s background includes management of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas before becoming president of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe. Chu began with Hyatt International Hotels in Asia. From there, he worked for different U.S. hotel corporations and became involved in the gaming side with Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. In that work, Chu was part of the development and opening team for the first integrated casino resort in Vietnam.
Chu also worked for Boyd Gaming Corp. before joining EQC.
“What this tribe has accomplished with the casinos over the last 30 years is special, and I look forward to guiding the operations to new heights.,” Rowe said in a statement.
“We have all the components for success at Emerald Queen Casino, great and passionate team members, premium products and a supportive Tribal Council,” Chu added.
The news comes on the heels of the Tribe’s announcement this week of a new partnership with the Northwest Seaport Alliance. In a signed memorandum of understanding, the Tribe and NWSA are joining forces to create a new pier at the Port of Tacoma.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 12:19 PM.
