Slow and steady wins the race. That’s been the saga of Minnesota-based Lakes Entertainment CFO Timothy J. Cope. His patient progress up the ladder of the casino industry and his long-term focus are qualities that make him IGML’s Executive of the Year for 2011. Born “a long time ago” in Hudson, Wis., Cope has taken a long route back to the Midwest. “I basically grew up in Las Vegas,” says the casino veteran, whose father relocated the Copes when Timothy was 10. His first summer job was as a dishwasher at the El Cortez. After earning a degree in business administration at the University of Nevada-Reno, Cope cut his teeth at a couple of Washoe County casinos.
