Jeff, a member of the Mohegan Tribe, has over two decades of experience at Mohegan Sun. The alumnus of Seton Hall University and University of New Haven carries both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Prior to his current position, he worked as the Assistant General Manager and in key management roles within the Advertising and Human Resource departments. As President and General Manager, Hamilton is responsible for achieving overall business objectives, driving strategic planning, and ensuring operational success while also overseeing project development, marketing and fiscal planning, technology, and visitor experience.
Chamber staff surprised Hamilton during a Tribal Council Meeting on February 11 at the Mohegan Community and Government Center with the distinction.
“It is with great honor that we (the Chamber) present Jeff with our 74 Annual Citizen of the Year award. His unwavering commitment to both the success of the Mohegan Sun and Tribe and the betterment of our community reflects the true spirit of what it means to be a leader. Today, we celebrate not only the incredible achievements of his career but also the continuous impact he will have on our region and beyond,” states Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT President, Tony Sheridan.
Citizen of the Year is an annual award given to an extraordinary individual for their outstanding contributions to the civic and business communities of the region. The full list of past Citizens can be found here. Most recent honorees include Mike Buscetto (Filomena’s; Cactus Jack Foundation), Chief Lynn Malerba (Mohegan Tribe; Former U.S. Treasurer), and Dr. John Burkhardt (Pfizer, Retired).
Hamilton was chosen not only for his longstanding leadership at Mohegan, but for also proudly serving on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut – where he was awarded the Chairman’s Award of Excellence for increasing Mohegan Sun employees’ participation by 23% in the 2019-20 United Way Campaign efforts. Additionally, he is an active board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (CT Chapter), a member of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) State of CT Advisory Council, and member of the State of CT Tourism Council.
Jeff notably has also spearheaded the Tribe and Sun’s mutual efforts in supporting The Governor’s Prevention Partnership, a pivotal public-private initiative established in 1989, which combats substance and alcohol abuse among state youth through generous Casino/Tribe donations and program mentorship.
“I am truly honored to be recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Eastern CT as Citizen of the Year,” said Jeff Hamilton, President and General Manager of Mohegan Sun.
“I have been blessed to work alongside so many great people over the last 20 years that have assisted and guided me not only in my career journey at Mohegan Sun, but with work that I have been able to enjoy with many great philanthropic organizations in our community as well. I look forward to celebrating with many of those special people in May.”
A formal celebration is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Mohegan Sun’s Earth Ballroom, where Jeff will be honored in the company of the local business community, Council leaders, Tribal Elders, and family. Additional details to follow.
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About the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut:
We are the region’s largest network of professionals, representing over a thousand organizations spanning eastern Connecticut and beyond. Our mission is to create and maintain a positive business climate that meets the needs of our members by supporting economic development and growth in the region. For more information, visit ChamberECT.com.
Mohegan Sun was recently recognized as “Industry Innovator” by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual awards, also known as the “ECTys,” aiming to recognize excellence in both business and the community. The “Industry Innovator” award showcases businesses of any size that have shown strong ability to adapt to the marketplace by introducing or embracing new concepts or technologies to better serve customers. This award also takes into account businesses that provide unique opportunities for its workforce development.
“Being recognized with this particular ECTy Award is truly an honor for Mohegan Sun,” said Jeff Hamilton, President & General Manager of Mohegan Sun. “Our goal is to always adapt and evolve to any business environment, stay on the cutting edge of customer service and develop rising stars within our company. Two key areas where this has been a major success is through key upgrades at our hotel and through our Disability Vocational Program.”
With casino & resort competition on the increase in recent years, Mohegan Sun made a major design upgrade to its iconic 36-level Sky Tower hotel. A full VIP treatment was rolled out through a “hotel-in-a-hotel” known as Aspire. Located on the highest levels of Sky Tower, Aspire guests receive their own private valet and check-in, as well as a unique arrival gift that joins sweeping views of the New England countryside and five-star accommodations. Aspire guests also can take advantage of their very own butler and access to the exclusive luxury food and beverage experience on the 33rd floor, aptly titled, Thirty Three.
Mohegan Sun hotel rooms now also feature an advanced and fully automated minibar by Bartech, which allows guests to purchase food and other items with ease, while allowing Mohegan Sun’s hotel front office to easily track sales.
When it comes to workforce development, Mohegan Sun has been an industry leader. Mohegan Sun’s Student Vocational Inclusion Program, which gains improvements and new talent every year, provides internships across various focuses for young people with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities. Local schools in Montville, Norwich, Waterford and more, are partners in the program that has now been running strong for nearly 10 years. Mohegan Sun’s Wardrobe department, Culinary team, Environmental Services (EVS), among other areas, have all had positive impacts from the program. As a testament to that success, many internships result in permanent and meaningful roles at Mohegan Sun.
While Mohegan Sun’s showrooms have not been open to the public during the global pandemic, earlier in 2020, an innovative food app ordering system (Noble) was implemented in Mohegan Sun Arena where guests can order concessions directly from their seat. This service will return in the future, when entertainment programming on a wider level is able to safety return.
Mohegan Sun, like so many businesses and destinations, also had to evolve and adapt quickly over the course of the global pandemic and become smart, creative and most importantly, safe. After a temporary closure that occurred in the spring, Mohegan Sun re-opened with well over $1 million spent on a health & safety plan that involved non-invasive thermal temperature scans, UV light technology throughout air handler systems, plexiglass dividers at transactional locations, rigorous cleaning protocols, mask requirements and much more. The Mohegan Tribal Health Department also operates on-site and proved vital in all phases of Mohegan Sun’s health & safety measures. They also played a key role in Mohegan Sun Arena becoming home to multiple bubble-site residencies for major sporting events in recent months, such as College Basketball’s “Bubbleville,” that featured 26 games, many of which were nationally televised, across 10 days in late November and early December.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN:
Owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to two unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two world-class spas, a golf course, over 80 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mohegansun, view us on YouTube and find us on Snapchat at username MoheganSun.
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Cody Chapman
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of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s