MGM National Harbor Appoints Chris Gumiela as President and COO Following Melonie Johnson’s Retirement

MGM National Harbor announced on 9 November 2026 that Chris Gumiela has been appointed President & Chief Operating Officer. The move follows the retirement of President & COO Melonie Johnson, and places day-to-day control of one of MGM’s most prominent regional resorts in the hands of an executive who joined shortly after the resort’s opening. Gumiela will oversee operations with a renewed focus on employee engagement and community relations.

Chris Gumiela’s homecoming to MGM National Harbor

Gumiela’s appointment marks a return to a resort he helped build. He joined the leadership team shortly after MGM National Harbor opened, played a pivotal role in establishing the resort’s brand identity, and contributed to nearly $1 billion in property-wide revenue. He later served as Vice President of Marketing & Advertising for the Regional Portfolio, overseeing both MGM National Harbor and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

Speaking on his appointment, Gumiela made clear what the return means to him:

“I’m thrilled to be back in the DMV and look forward to expanding the ways MGM National Harbor serves as an entertainment capital for our region and a pillar in community engagement for Prince George’s County.”

What Chris Gumiela brings to the President & COO role

Gumiela’s remit covers day-to-day operations, strategic direction, employee engagement and community relations, and he brings more than 20 years spanning physical and digital gaming. He was Vice President of Marketing at MGM National Harbor from August 2017 through July 2020, and since 2021 has served as Senior Vice President of Interactive Operations at MGM Resorts. In that role he directed omnichannel alignment between the digital BetMGM business and MGM’s land-based resorts, served on the five-member Steering Committee for LeoVegas, and was appointed to the MGM Resorts Capital Committee in 2026.

His history with the company runs deep. Gumiela first joined MGM Resorts in 2006 through the Management Associate Program at Mandalay Bay, then rose through roles including Casino Marketing Manager, Director of Operations for Corporate Marketing, and Vice President of Brand Strategy for Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, now Park MGM.

What the MGM National Harbor appointment signals for operators

Here’s the part operators care about. MGM has handed a land-based flagship to someone whose most recent work was deep in the digital side of the business, aligning BetMGM with the physical estate. That is a reasonable signal that MGM continues to value leaders who understand both sides of the gaming floor, online and in person. For a regional property with a strong local base and a growing digital neighbour, that blend reads as a logical fit.

MGM National Harbor at a glance

MGM National Harbor is a $1.4 billion LEED Gold Certified resort overlooking the Potomac River in Maryland, a short distance from Washington, D.C. The 24-storey, 308-room property features a two-level casino with more than 160,000 square feet of slots, table games and poker, a spa and salon, a theatre seating up to 3,000, high-end retail, 50,000 square feet of meeting space, and restaurants from local, national and international chefs. It is owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM).

The road ahead for MGM National Harbor

Gumiela steps in with a clear brief around operations, employee engagement and community relations in the DMV region. Given his history at the property and his omnichannel background, the areas worth watching are how closely the resort’s local offer sits alongside its digital products, and how the renewed community focus shows up in Prince George’s County. This is a move where the person and the property already share history, which tends to shorten the
runway for getting things moving.

Source: MGM National Harbor