Yonkers native and current Peekskill resident Karen Delgado selected for the prestigious recognition as a result of her leadership and growth in the traditionally male-dominated surveillance industry
Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts (“Empire City Casino”)is celebrating its Director of Surveillance, Karen Delgado, who was named a 40 Under 40 Rising Star by the Business Council of Westchester (“BCW”), the county’s largest business membership organization. Delgado will be honored amongst a notable group of honoreesat a reception scheduled for September 20, 2022, to be held at Million Air White Plains.
Delgado oversees surveillance operations at one of the country’s largest casino gaming floors. Upon being acquired by MGM Resorts in January 2019, Empire City Casino immediately became the largest casino floor in the MGM Resorts fleet and the sixth largest in the country. The highly regulated industry requires that Delgado ensure adherence to extensive policies and procedures and enforce compliance with all company, state and federal regulations.
In her position, Delgado leads a high-performing team responsible for operating a state-of-the-art surveillance system and monitoring billions of dollars of gaming activity by an estimated nine million annual visitors, as well as the largest private workforce in New York’s third largest city. Estimates indicate less than 20 percent of security and surveillance industry positions are held by women, and only a small fraction of those hold leadership roles, making Delgado’s rise to the top spot even more notable.
“It’s truly humbling and an honor to be recognized by the business community,” said Delgado. “In a field traditionally dominated by men, this recognition helps highlight that gender no longer limits career path opportunities. I hope this distinction inspires others to not only pursue careers in security and surveillance but also consider careers at Empire City, which has really provided a remarkable platform for me to grow and advance my career. I thank BCW for this honor.”
Delgado began her career at Empire City as a surveillance operator. She was quickly recognized as a stand-out team member and inspired the creation of the new position for a designated Report Writer, which allowed Delgado to expand her responsibilities and further develop her role. Delgado advanced to Surveillance Supervisor, followed by Surveillance Manager, before assuming the top departmental position of Director of Surveillance.
“It’s such a privilege to see our loyal and dedicated team members advance into senior leadership roles within the MGM Resorts’ family,” said Ed Domingo, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Empire City Casino. “Not only is Karen an asset to Empire City Casino, but she represents the very best of our business community. I congratulate Karen for the well-deserved recognition. We are fortunate to have her as a member of our leadership team.”
Delgado attributes her career trajectory and growth, in part, to her continuous efforts towards personal and professional development, taking the initiative to ensure she remains knowledgeable of the constantly evolving technologies in her field. She regularly seeks out learning opportunities, attends industry conferences, and has built a network of industry contacts to support her professional development. When Delgado isn’t protecting the assets of Empire City, she enjoys traveling as well as volunteering at various local schools, a passion well-aligned with MGM Resorts’ commitment to public education as a core pillar of its corporate social responsibility programming.
“This year’s nominees represent the very best and brightest of Westchester County’s up and coming young professionals across organizations and industries from healthcare to finance to technology to law and banking. We’re delighted to honor such an elite group,” said Joseph McCoy, Rising Stars Chairman & Divisional Head Commercial Loans-Hudson Valley, Valley National Bank.
The BCW nominee selection committee noted that while her impressive resume secures Delgado’s position as an industry powerhouse, it is her commitment to supporting and empowering the team she supervises that truly sets her apart and makes her an exemplary nominee for this year’s Rising Stars award. The BCW Rising Stars program is modeled after the national business recognition program “40 under 40.” For more information on Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, please visit www.empirecitycasino.com.
