Each year, Caesars Entertainment, the managing partner of Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos, awards six standout employees its highest award, the Caesars Award of Excellence. The categories, which highlight the core company values, are: Inspiring Our Best, Superior Guest Service, Superior Internal Service, Innovation, Community Service, Suggest and Innovation. David Ott, from Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River’s Grounds Team was the winner of the 2018 award for Innovation.
“David is a leader in his field for his CodeGreen, initiatives,” said Jo Ray, regional vice president of community relations and employee wellness. “He strives to incorporate environmentally friendly habits in everything he does. Saving the planet and contributing to a healthier environment is what we all should do. Often, such initiatives can be quite expensive; however, David’s accomplishments actually saved the company money. He brought innovation and CodeGreen to a whole new level.”
AWARD: Harrah’s Cherokee General Manager Lumpy Lambert (left) is shown with David Ott, Valley River Grounds Team, who won the 2018 Caesars Award of Excellence for Innovation. (Harrah’s Cherokee photo)
Ott orchestrated a litany of projects in 2017 that benefited the casino, its guests and the environment.
- Numerous environmentally-friendly, resource conservation projects, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in environmental impacts and materials cost savings
- Designated areas as wildflower pollinator zones of the grounds as an alternative to maintained areas
- Came up with numerous cost-effective landscaping solutions for the transition into construction phases of the property’s expansion
In addition to these initiatives at the casino, David also volunteers his time frequently at local VFW posts to upgrade and maintain their landscaping.
Along with the award, David received a $2,500 cash prize, 100,000 credits for the employee rewards catalog, and a VIP trip to Las Vegas culminating in an awards banquet.
General Manager Lumpy Lambert was extremely happy about Ott’s national recognition. “David does an outstanding job leading the Grounds Team and is a terrific team player who is always seeking effective methods to improve the property. We, at Valley River, are all excited to have one of our own win this award. I look forward to seeing what new, incredible projects David and the rest of the Grounds Team complete as we start a new chapter for our property with the completion of our Ultrastar expansion.”
- Harrah’s Cherokee
