Mohegan — Mitchell Etess, long the Mohegan Tribe’s top gaming executive, will assume a post-retirement role as senior adviser to the Mohegan Tribal Council, Kevin Brown, the council chairman, said this week.

“We’re talking about a guy who has enormous value,” Brown said in a phone interview. “In the world of maximizing human capital, why wouldn’t we want to keep him around?”

Brown said Etess, whose retirement as the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority's chief executive officer became effective Wednesday, will remain “a salaried employee of the tribe,” reporting to the council on matters related to the tribe’s gaming and nongaming business ventures.

“He’ll give us another voice in the room as we manage the strategic operations of all our enterprises,” Brown said.

Etess also will continue to oversee the tribe’s professional sports franchises, the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA and the New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League.

In an interview Wednesday, Etess said he was “excited” about his new role.

“I used to come to the council and say, ‘We have this opportunity, would you like us to proceed?’ Now, I’ll be providing my thoughts as opposed to doing the research. … I won’t be involved on a day-to-day basis in the decision-making, or negotiations, or contracts."

Etess, 57, said he expects to devote more time to the sports teams, with which he has “an emotional attachment,” and will continue to represent the Connecticut Sun on the WNBA Board of Governors, which acts on such matters as league policies, rules changes, collective bargaining agreements and ownership.

Etess announced late last year that he would transition toward retirement in 2015. He joined Mohegan Sun some 20 years ago, prior to its opening. In 2004, he was named the casino’s president and chief executive officer. Two years later, he added the titles of president and CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which now operates Mohegan Sun and Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and manages Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

He became CEO of the basketball team in 2003, and relinquished his role as president and CEO of Mohegan Sun in 2011.

Bobby Soper, named president of the authority in March, will now become authority CEO as well.

Earlier this year, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut honored Etess with its Citizen of the Year Award.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck