Hospitality | Tourism 2025: EVANGELISTA, ALLIE

A native of Brazil, Evangelista arrived in Bristol in 2022 with more than 20 years of experience in hospitality and gaming. She previously worked for Penn National Gaming and joined Hard Rock to lead the state’s first casino, which opened three years ago in a temporary home.

Since then, the $515 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol hosted its grand opening in November 2024 as the state’s second permanent casino, out of five approved by the General Assembly.

With about 1,400 permanent employees, the resort has nearly 1,500 slots, 50 table games, a 303-room hotel, an up-to-2,000-seat indoor entertainment venue, a sportsbook and multiple dining options.

At the start of the year, local investor The United Co. bought out Par Ventures’ ownership interest in the casino, which made $182.4 million in 2024, up from $157 million the previous year.

Evangelista has master’s degrees in business administration and human resources management. She serves on the executive committee of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce’s board.

INTERESTING PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: I recently returned from a trip to the Maldives; that is a beautiful part of the world, and it cannot be described in words.

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