Jeff Harris, a veteran casino and hospitality executive, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and President of The Commerce Casino & Hotel. Harris, who brings more than three decades of casino gaming and operations experience, succeeds Haig Papaian, who retired last year.
Jeff Harris is a native Angeleno who was born and raised in Pomona Valley and worked at Commerce for 30 years, starting as a chip runner. Before joining the Commerce Casino, he attended college and played football at North Carolina State. Jeff joined the Army, like his father who had served and gave the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. While in the military, Jeff was an intelligence analyst and worked as a Soviet Specialist.
“We are excited to have Jeff take this important leadership role. Jeff’s multifaceted operations background and employee engagement success are ideally suited for our operations. Over the years, he has not only excelled in every major casino position, but he has also been innovative in the California gaming industry. Jeff has a strong familiarity with the gaming industry and the issues it faces. The Board is confident that Jeff and the outstanding staff he inherits will successfully build upon the casino’s tremendous accomplishments,” Michael Tumanjan, Chairman of the Board of the Commerce Casino, said.
“It’s an honor to be joining this incredibly talented team as CEO/President. The Commerce Casino is a world-class destination and is recognized as a place that always a seat at the table for players of all levels, with the widest variety of table and casino card games around. I’ve seen firsthand the positive economic impact the casino has had on the City of Commerce,” Harris said.
