Steven Pawlyshyn is the kind of HR leader every employee wishes to have in their organization. He combines strategic thinking and innovative thought processes with genuine compassion and a passion for helping people advance their careers. “I enjoy helping people, watching them develop their careers, and achieve their personal and professional goals,” he shares. Steven has built a reputation as an HR leader who puts people first. He is a servant leader through and through.
Currently, Steven serves as the CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, where he oversees HR operations across multiple enterprises, including the renowned resort, Casino Apache Travel Center, and Ski Apache. Steven is inspired by the quote: “Dream big, dare to fail.”
What Is Success?
Steven believes that success can be defined in different ways. From his perspective, it means effectively executing projects, especially large projects in one’s domain, that bring value to the organization. According to Steven, success is also the ability to implement creative projects quickly, in addition to surrounding oneself with the right people.
“From a personal standpoint, success can be something that you feel proud of internally,” Steven says, “that you take great joy in, and that involves helping other people meet their goals.” One of his favorite quotes on success is: “Success is a sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”
The Path Leading to HR
Steven didn’t begin his career in the HR industry. For some time, he worked in the manufacturing sector – both chemical and automotive. After receiving his Juris Doctorate in law in 2012, Steven chose to pursue a career in human resources. “Even though I was very passionate about intellectual property, where I spent a fair amount of my time, I enjoyed the area of human resources,” he says.
Steven views HR as a form of law, as it involves dealing with corporate law, immigration law, payroll, and unemployment law. “Once I started learning more about that and seeing that it was a really good fit, I became interested in pursuing it,” he says. His first position was at Seminole Hotel & Casino in Immokalee, Florida. That is where he got his first real HR job, though he had previously done HR work on the side at General Electric and a few other companies.
Dealing with Challenges
Like many other professions, HR comes with its own set of challenges. Steven highlights the difficulty of staying up to date with the constantly changing regulations and statutes at federal, state, local, and even international levels. “Trying to stay apprised of everything that’s happening and all the changes is challenging,” he says.
However, Steven believes his most significant challenge came early in his career when he truly stepped into the role of an HR professional. He recalls he had to fire someone for the first time, and personally, he was struggling to make that decision. As a compassionate leader, he was concerned that the individual might lose not just his job but also future career opportunities. To Steven’s surprise, however, the employee knew his mistake and wanted the process to be over. “I was more worried about the situation than he was,” he says.
There are challenges from a cultural standpoint as well, as Steven is involved with a native Indian organization. He does not allow these challenges to snowball into major issues at work. It is because he learns as much as possible about the culture, in addition to appreciating and respecting the tribal culture. Steven also tries to learn about the cultures of other minority groups, including Asian and Black communities, by spending time with them and getting to know them.
“To be quite honest, that’s what has really helped me be successful, being compassionate and wanting to learn about the different cultures,” he says.
About Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino
The Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, located on the Mescalero Apache reservation in Mescalero, combines the comforts of an upscale golf and spa resort with the excitement of one of New Mexico’s top casinos. In 2025, the resort will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of events, Steven informs. He plans to incorporate cultural elements into the anniversary celebration, highlighting the resort’s rich history and its significant milestones.
As CHRO, he oversees three different businesses. In addition to Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, Steven also handles Casino Apache Travel Center and Ski Apache. According to him, Casino Apache is a small casino that includes a gas station and a retail store, which is highly popular among the local community. In 2025, two new businesses joined the lineup: Rocket City Family Fun Center—featuring a bowling alley, arcades, laser tag, and a restaurant—and a Tribal General Store.
Disruption Caused by Fire and Floods
In June 2024, the entire town of Ruidoso – home to 7,000 to 8,000 people – had to be evacuated because of the devastating fires and floods that impacted the Ruidoso and Mescalero areas. Steven reveals that Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino served as an evacuation center for months. During that time, the resort lost all its sources of revenue.
However, thanks to the eagerness of the guests to return to the area and keep it going, the resort’s operation has nearly recovered its losses as of 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, the team is optimistic and excited about the future, according to Steven.
He does not take full credit for the turnaround. He calls it a collective effort. The entire executive team worked in tandem, focusing on one goal: to get the operation up and running after the fires and floods. Steven also points out that as around 1000 residents were displaced, it limited the hiring pool. Under Steven’s leadership, the team became more creative about the hiring process and operations.
“We all got on the same page, became focused, and did everything possible to reopen all the enterprises, and create jobs for people in the area,” Steven says.
Major Achievements: Apache App and HRIS
Steven has several achievements to his name. One of them is creating cost-saving programs for General Electric. According to Steven, they helped reduce waste in the procurement of commodity chemicals for the company’s water division. At his current company, he considers Apache App and Human Resources Information System (HRIS) his two major achievements. He helped create Apache App soon after joining the organization. Today, this multi-use app has become a critical communication tool for employees at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino.
When Steven first arrived at the organization, conventional methods like posters, flyers, shift meetings, and word of mouth were used to spread information or communicate a message. He also noted that not every employee had access to email — only about 300 of the 1,000 of employees have email access. Steven points out that Apache App has been developed as an answer to the question, “How do we communicate with team members who do not use emails?”
With Apache app, employees can instantly communicate about events through their mobile phones. Steven explains that his team can share updates such as Thanksgiving dinner details instantly, complete with menus and photos. This app also allows team members to interact with each other in real time. “This helps improve team engagement and builds ‘one-team’ philosophy,” Steven says. Apache App also facilitates surveys, polls, and prize giveaways.
“I’d say that the employee communication tool is one of the biggest things I’ve done at the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino,” Steven says.
HRIS is another major achievement he talks proudly about. He oversaw the implementation of this system to improve recruitment strategies and onboarding processes. Earlier, they didn’t have a robust system when it came to onboarding, and they used a lot of paper. “We had a huge file room, containing 20 years’ worth of paper files,” he adds. “During the audit or verification process, it would become cumbersome to find right documents and piece everything together.” They needed a system that could solve this problem.
Steven was also keen on developing HRIS because of AI. He felt that if they were going to adopt AI, they needed an an HR system. They could tap in it for reliable data to make proactive changes at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino.
After implementation of HRIS, the organization’s response time to requests and auditing has improved. Steven also points out that this system has made it easy to search for any information, whether it is a 401k or an employee relations issue. It took them a year and a half to scan all the paper documents and digitize them. But it was worth the effort, as it has enabled them to synchronize their paper HR system with accounting, streamline processes, and reduce HR labor cost.
A Day of an HR Leader
The HR professionals do not have a regular day, says Steven. He explains that one day, he might be handing out candy canes and paychecks, and the next day, he could be seen disciplining a team for not doing something right. Additionally, a 9-to-5 job is not typical in the casino industry – it is always around the clock. So, for Steven, no two days are the same.
He shares that his day varies depending on the task at hand. “One day, I might be negotiating a benefits contract,” he says. “On another, I could be at a job fair, recruiting new talent. Some days, I might be involved in PR work, attending seminars, or even serving as a keynote speaker. Other times, I’m simply walking the floor, connecting with people, and getting to know them better.”
With such an unpredictable, non-regular work schedule, is he able to strike a balance between personal and professional life? Steven says, “It’s tough to maintain a balance.” But he believes that it is important to turn off the phone, take a step back, and just relax. “If you don’t, the job can easily consume you, as HR isn’t a field where tasks are completed once and for all.” For HR professionals, the work is continuously going on, and one is looking at a variety of issues. They have to be wired for both good and bad, Steven points out.
Steven does not need motivation to do his job because he truly enjoys working in the HR field. “If I didn’t enjoy what I do, then I would be in the wrong profession,” he says.
The Work Culture
At Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, Steven, and others in leadership roles lead by example. He points out that all of them have their shortcomings, but they are keen on learning. Steven tries to spend more time with employees, so that he can get to know them.
“We’re not in ivory offices or anything like that,” Steven says. “We expect the entire executive team to get out there and work side by side with the people.” For example, he shares, that on Thanksgiving Day, he spent time with employees who were working and served them Thanksgiving dinners. “I enjoy doing things like that and am always looking for opportunities to get out there and be with employees,” Steven says.
Plans for the Future
For his department, Steven is focused on determining how to integrate AI and HRIS effectively. According to him, this cannot be a three-to-five-year plan or process. “We’ve got to figure this out now and get this implemented immediately because it’s going to impact all the departments,” Steven says. “There isn’t a single department that won’t be impacted by AI.”
He is working with the executive team to explore ways to integrate AI into HR, focusing on using it for applicant screening, retention, and performance management. Steven stresses the need to embrace this technology, organize in-house training, and, where necessary, bring in experts – not only from the industry but also from others – to provide valuable insights on how they can accelerate implementation.
“I’m looking forward to developing more AI-based training,” he says. “Within the next four months, I plan to launch a leadership training class, AI-driven Leadership, and bring in key speakers for the executive team and, eventually middle management.” Steven believes that the adoption of this new technology is critical for their growth.
Message to Aspiring HR Leaders
Steven advises aspiring HR leaders to embrace flexibility in their careers. He notes that the HR field is constantly evolving, with new developments emerging weekly, monthly, and annually. So, while it is not necessary to adopt every change, aspiring leaders must be able to analyze these developments, determine their relevance to HR, and adapt as needed, according to Steven.
He also encourages them to spend 3 to 6 months in entry-level positions and do grinding tasks, which are often considered administrative. Additionally, Steven highlights the importance of executing payroll and benefits with 100% accuracy. He adds that one mistake can significantly impact an employee and his family.
Dreams Fulfilled!
Steven, a driven and confident leader, believes that he has achieved everything he had dreamed of. “I have no regrets,” he says.
