MAY 6, 2008. The Choctaw Resort Development Enterprise (CRDE), a business enterprise of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, today announced the appointment of financial veteran Lawrence Kovach as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of its resort portfolio, Pearl River Resort. Kovach will account for the overall financial operations of all the properties in the CRDE portfolio, including the Silver Star Hotel & Casino, Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, Geyser Falls Water Park and Dancing Rabbit Golf Club.

“We couldn’t be happier that Larry decided to join our team,” said General Paul Harvey, president and chief executive officer for Pearl River Resort. “Larry’s financial leadership will ensure Pearl River Resort remains an upstanding corporate citizen, as well as an anchor of the gaming industry in the Southeast.”

With more than 40 years of experience, the last seven of which with a Tribal gaming organization, Kovach is a seasoned veteran of the financial and gaming industries. He started his career at Price Waterhouse where he rose to become the national director of financial services. From there, Lawrence went on to be the chief operating officer at law firms in Dallas, TX, Columbus, OH and El Paso, TX.

For the past seven years, Kovach has been the primary financial executive for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. In that role he directed the Tribal government’s accounting practices and financial planning. At the same time, Kovach was interim CFO for Spirit Mountain Casino as well as CFO for the Grand Ronde Food and Fuel Company, Spirit Mountain Management Consulting, Inc., and Spirit Mountain Development Corporation.

“While I enjoyed my time working in professional services, I treasure my work with Native American Tribes,” remarked Kovach. “In some respects, I am in the legacy part of my career and to be able to see the impact on the quality of life for Tribal members - education, housing, healthcare - is an unbelievable gift.”