What if leadership wasn’t about being first—but about lifting others as you rise?
For Laura Penney, that’s more than a philosophy—it’s a legacy in motion.
Raised on the Coeur d’Alene reservation, her father who served as a lifelong tribal leader, Laura was told from a young age that she was destined to lead.
But destiny doesn’t guarantee a straight path.
It took four tries, an MBA, and an unwavering confidence team to become the CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe Casino & Resort.
Today, she’s not just a business leader—she’s a champion for her community, a mentor to the next generation of tribal professionals, and
00:00 The Journey to Becoming CEO
00:39 A Legacy in Motion
01:19 Cultural Roots and Resilience
03:00 Challenges of Leadership
05:36 Growing Up on the Reservation
11:30 The Beginnings of Tribal Gaming
23:20 The Struggle for the CEO Position
28:53 Facing Rejection and Perseverance
29:36 The CEO Position Opens Again
30:26 Determination to Become CEO
39:43 Mentorship and Leadership
53:20 Navigating COVID-19 Challenges
59:15 Final Thoughts
Laura Penney is the chief executive officer of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, which employs 900 people across its hotel, casino, spa, event center, six restaurants and world-renowned golf course. Stensgar started her career in gaming as an economic development planner and later as a planning director. She was part of the planning and development team investigating possibilities of Indian gaming on the Coeur d’Alene reservation and has been with the business since it opened 26 years ago. During that time, she has served in a number of leadership roles, including director of marketing, cultural tourism, and public relations. As marketing director she created and developed the promotional strategies and marketing techniques that helped launch the casino towards profitability. As cultural tourism director, Penney helped implement numerous Native American cultural activities at the resort to enable people to immerse themselves in a variety of experiences that pay homage to tribal tradition and history. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and an MBA from the University of Idaho