Brown resigns as chair of Tribal Council

Mohegan — Kevin Brown is stepping down as chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, according to people who confirmed Saturday that the tribe informed them of the move Friday.

Neither Brown nor other tribal officials immediately responded to inquiries.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, said Saturday the tribe informed her of Brown’s resignation as chairman in an email that indicated he was stepping down due to “personal reasons.” There was no elaboration, Osten said.

Brown will remain on the nine-member council, Osten said the tribe indicated. It was not immediately clear who will succeed him as chairman. James Gessner Jr. is the council vice chairman.

The council oversees Mohegan tribal government and serves as the Management Board of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, which operates the tribe's gaming enterprises, including Mohegan Sun, its flagship tribal casino. In a partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, the Mohegans are pursuing Connecticut's first commercial casino project in East Windsor.

MGE also owns and operates Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., manages casinos in Louisiana, New Jersey and Washington state, and is developing a resort in South Korea.

Brown spoke briefly Thursday during a conference call with investors and gaming-industry analysts, making no mention of his resignation as chairman.

A retired Army colonel, Brown, who graduated from Montville High School and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., was elected to the Tribal Council in 2013 and thereafter was elected chairman in a vote of the council. He was elected to a second four-year term in 2017.