Our Team

Michael Contreras

Michael Contreras

President/CEO

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Michael Contreras was passionate about participating in any venture that would build a secure future for the members of the San Pasqual Tribe, and began his career at Hewlett Packard as a Journeyman Machinist. Michael held various positions at Hewlett Packard and completed his twenty-eight-year career there as a Project Manager.

In 1999 and working closely with the Chairman, Michael was instrumental in establishing financing, design, construction, hiring of staff and vendors and building a wastewater treatment facility for the widely known Valley View Casino.

In 2007, Michael was elected as President and CEO of the San Pasqual Economic Development Agency (EDA). He and his fellow committee members established procurement processes, policies, and procedures, built a tribal hall, purchased 535 acres of land that they were successful in converting to “land into trust,” purchased Native Oaks Golf Club, purchased Indian Hill Ranch, several rental properties and an additional 400 acres of land.

Michael left the EDA in 2014 and retired until early 2023 when he was elected to several tribal committees including the Housing Committee, Elder’s Committee and the Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) Committee. Michael also entered a new position in 2023 as the new President and CEO of the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation.

Matthew Quis Quis

Vice President

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Matt Quis Quis joined the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation in 2013 as Director. The following year, Matt was asked to serve as treasurer of the board, a position he held for five years. Matt has been in his current role as Vice President for the SPEDC since 2018. As Vice President, Matt assists on all projects when the President is unavailable, to ensure efficiency and continued successful outcomes in the SPEDC’s business endeavors.

Matt is the main point of contact for Native Oaks Golf Club. His responsibilities include working closely with the general managers and board, adhering to budgets and assisting on all operations. Matt is an avid golfer with industry knowledge and general knowledge of the sport that assists him in his work at Native Oaks Golf Club.

In 2015, Matt was asked to be on the advisory board for Native Nation Events, or NNE. He served on the board for five years, until August of 2020. During his time on the Native Nation Event advisory board, Matt spoke on panels and attended conferences. He assisted with the production of events all over North America, traveling to Canada, Washington DC, Washington State, Las Vegas, Anaheim and Southern California tribal casinos. This was significant for Matt in creating and nurturing networking relationships, which proved invaluable for bringing business opportunities to the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation over the years.

William “Bill” H. Kroplin III

Secretary/Treasurer

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Bill Kroplin graduated from Napa High School in 1965 and began his career as an Apprentice Shipfitter at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Bill completed his four-year program at Mare Island in 1970, graduating in the 86th percentile of his class, then went on to become a boilermaker fitter, responsible for the fit and assembly of fabricated components.

In 1977, Bill became an AWS Certified (QC-1) Quality Control Inspector responsible for major fabrication projects including magnetic particle, ultrasonic, film interpretation and liquid penetrant testing. During his time as Quality Control Inspector, Bill gained extensive experience working on Department of Defense contracts.

He then went on to accept a role with the Kaiser Steel Corporation as Project Planner. In that position, Bill instructed both the Production and Inspection departments as to what was required and was responsible for all aspects of the job until the finished project was accepted by the customer. Some notable projects include Peacekeeper Missile Tubes and Cone Sections, Electromagnetic Launch Drive System and Railcar Restraint Systems.

In 1987, using the industry knowledge gained from two successful decades in the steel industry, Bill launched Trans Bay Steel Corporation with a partner. He serves as Vice President and Quality Assurance Manager to present day. The company principally manufactures piling and huge caissons for Bay Area bridges. Some of their notable projects have been the San Francisco Bay Bridge Piles and Expansion Joints, and retrofitting Richmond-San Rafael Bridge as well as the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bill started Albany Steel Corporation in 1991, serving as Vice President of Purchasing and Quality Assurance Manager. Albany Steel supplies steel, stainless steel, aluminum and copper-nickel. Bill retired from Trans Bay Steel and Albany Steel in 2012.

Hellyaachwehay Quisquis

Board Director

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Hellyaachwehay Quisquis is a tribal member of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians. He has served his community as the former President/CEO of the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation. Now, he remains as an active Board Director for the corporation, where his main focus has been to build a future of economic prosperity for the people of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians.

He attended the Harvard Business School on Executive Leadership and has successfully completed a course on Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities. He is able to put his unique skillset to use for economic prosperity and self-economics through consulting services. In addition, he is very involved within the surrounding communities, as he serves on the Board of Directors of the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and the economic task force for North County San Diego.

Darlyn Deluca

Darlyn Deluca

Board Director

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As a proud member of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians and a true California native, Darlyn Deluca brings a deep understanding of the San Pasqual tribal heritage and a commitment to the tribal community.  Born and raised in the picturesque town of Napa, she also has had the privilege of calling various places home, including San Diego, Connecticut, Hawaii, Sacramento, Orange, Fullerton, and the San Pasqual Reservation.

During her spare time, Darlyn finds joy in nurturing nature by cultivating a diverse range of plants and crafting captivating landscapes. This passion for the environment fuels her desire to explore financial opportunities that will contribute to the economic growth of the SPEDC Tribe. Darlyn’s goal is to ensure that the plan aligns with current trends, enabling SPEDC to achieve success while instilling pride in every Tribal Member.

She believes maintaining a professional image within the local community is paramount.  By collaborating closely with the SPEDC Board and all San Pasqual organizations, Darlyn is determined to foster unity and empower our Tribe to forge ahead as a strong and cohesive group.

As a proud member of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians and a true California native, Darlyn Deluca brings a deep understanding of the San Pasqual tribal heritage and a commitment to the tribal community. Born and raised in the picturesque town of Napa, she also has had the privilege and opportunity to work and live in various areas across the U.S. such as San Francisco, San Diego, Connecticut, Hawaii, Sacramento, Orange, Fullerton and San Pasqual.

Darlyn started her career by working in finance for the head office of Wells Fargo in San Francisco. From there, she moved on to Oahu, Hawaii where she worked air freight coordination for U.S. Air Force, Hickam Field and again at McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento. After this, she moved to Southern California and worked for Rockwell International Defense Contractor as manager of classified programs requiring top-secret credentials. Darlyn then took an early retirement and joined the family-owned corporation, Mailers Engineering Inc., serving as Corporate Secretary and Office Manager.

In her spare time, Darlyn finds joy in nurturing nature by cultivating a diverse range of plants and crafting captivating landscapes. Her passion for the environment along with her business management experience fuels her desire to explore financial opportunities that will contribute to the economic growth of the SPEDC Tribe. Darlyn’s goal is to ensure that our plans align with current trends, enabling SPEDC to achieve success while instilling pride in every Tribal member.

She believes maintaining a professional image within the local community is paramount. By collaborating closely with the SPEDC Board and all San Pasqual organizations, Darlyn is determined to foster unity and empower the San Pasqual Tribe to forge ahead as a strong and cohesive group.

Kristene Hall

Board Director

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Kristene Hall started her career in the late 1960’s with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). She overcame the barrier of becoming the first female Director of Hotel and Membership within the national organization and was privileged to temporarily work in India serving as their organizer/coordinator within the hotel and membership administration.

Following her time with the YMCA, Kristene’s next career move was to the airline industry.  She served in various management positions for the next 25 years. Her various management roles included training for entry level and supervisory positions, recruiting and hiring to maintain staffing for 1,500 positions, and budgeting and operation of call distribution in coordination with other regional offices.  Kristene accepted a position at the airline’s headquarters as project manager for a $28 million renovation in Los Angeles, as well as coordination manager for reservations involving merger and acquisitions as it related to reservation personnel and systems. She also worked to develop and implement employee productivity incentive programs.

Kristene’s final move was to the airline’s finance division, where she was responsible for accounting for worldwide ticket sales ($300 million), as well as Interface with the Treasury regarding taxes, fees, surcharges, etc. to government entities, and conducting random audits of ticketing accuracy. Among Kristene’s many roles within the airline industry, she served as airline representative on the Airline Reporting Corporation Board (ARC) and the International Air Transport Association Board (IATA).

Joe Navarro

Board Director

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Joe Navarro is a retired law enforcement professional of over 25 years, starting his career at the age of 18, and has been in the gaming industry since 2003. During his tenure with the San Diego Police Department, Joe served in all capacities within the organization including enforcement, investigation and administration. Joe gained national recognition in the field of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving serving as a nationwide training consultant and speaker for the Washington DC-based Police Executive Research Forum, in the field of alternative and comprehensive policing strategies aligning law enforcement agencies, businesses and communities.

Upon entering the gaming industry in October 2003, Joe led the effort to establish the San Pasqual Casino Development Group Inc. (SPCDGI), which was formed just one year later in November 2004. SPCDGI is a tribally-chartered corporation formed under the laws of the tribe. SPCDGI is a unique entity in Indian country. The SPCDGI board structure is comprised of both tribal members as well as casino and finance industry professionals. It was formed to manage all aspects of the tribe’s gaming operations, popularly known as Valley View Casino & Hotel, San Diego’s Favorite®. Joe has served as President of the SPCDGI board since its inception.