Agua Caliente Band Of Cahuilla Indians Assist Eight Team Members Receive G.E.D. Certificates
Palm Springs, CA (June, 2005) – Eight Team Members of The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians were honored at a special reception to celebrate the completion of their G.E.D. (General Education Degree), equivalent of a high school diploma, on Friday, June 17 at ACBCI the Human Resources Training Conference Room.
Attended by four of the eight recent graduates, their fellow Team Members and executive staff, the morning reception featured a special certificate they were awarded on behalf of the Tribe. “We are enormously proud of these Team Members for their admirable dedication and commitment. They are truly role models for accomplishing their goal of completing a high school education while working full-time jobs and raising families,” said Bob Hester, executive director of Human Resources. Among the graduates were:
Juan Ramirez – Agua Caliente Casino Culinary Dept.
Lioubov Boutenko – Spa Resort Casino Beverage Dept.
DeAnna Fritsche – Tahquitz Visitor’s Center
Terence Ryan – Spa Resort Casino Engineering Dept.
Francisco Gutierrez – Spa Resort Casino Buffet Dept.
Rosa Gonzalez – Spa Hotel
Emma Vasquez – Spa Resort Casino Environmental Svcs. Dept.
Hotrencia Tejeda – Agua Caliente Casiono Culinary Dept.
These eight Team Members participated in a graduation ceremony at the Palm Springs High School Auditorium on June 7th with other graduates from the Palm Springs Adult School. At the special reception given in their honor, they received a certificate of achievement from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuillas and enjoyed cake and refreshments. “This is so wonderful because it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and the Tribe gave me the opportunity,” said DeAnna Fritsche.
Through ACBCI’s comprehensive employee benefits and Human Resources training program, the Tribe assists every Team Member who would like to complete their G.E.D. certificate. Palm Springs Unified School District is contracted to educate and certify ACBCI Team Members. Team Members are assisted in a variety of ways including paid time off to attend on-site classes, preparation for either English or Spanish G.E.D. certification, and costs associated with taking the exam and graduation, i.e. caps and gowns.
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, whose reservation comprises portions of the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage as well as unincorporated sections of Riverside County, has inhabited the Coachella Valley for thousands of years.
In 1995, the Agua Caliente Tribe converted its Spa Hotel ballroom into the first casino in Palm Springs. In 2001, working with a talented team of architects and designers in Las Vegas — Bergman & Associates and Yates & Silverman, respectively — it opened a second casino, Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. Subsequently in 2003, the Tribe opened its dazzling new $90 million Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs. Working with world-class architects Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, and designers Dougall Design, to create an elegant gaming/dining/entertainment destination venue, the 119,000-square-foot Spa Resort Casino has helped revitalize tourism to the downtown sector.
Today, the Tribe’s enterprises include gaming, entertainment, dining, golf, as well as a spa and fitness center. In addition, the Tribe owns a major interest in a locally owned financial institution, Canyon National Bank. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, known as passionate environmental stewards, diligently preserves its Indian Canyons as sacred natural resources. Among the three canyons comprised in Indian Canyons, Palm Canyon is the world’s largest natural California Fan Palm oasis. Both Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
