Decision Makers
| Name (plus bio) |
Position |
| Gordon R. Kanofsky |
Chief Executive Officer |
| Larry A. Hodges |
President and Chief Operating Officer |
| Peter C. Walsh |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer |
| Thomas M. Steinbauer |
Senior Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer |
| Ursula Conway |
CIO |
| Alan R. Rose |
Senior Vice President, Construction |
| Michelle Shriver |
Senior Vice President, Operations |
| Richard L. deFlon |
Senior Vice President, Design |
| Karen J. Lynn |
Vice President, Comm |
| Matthew A. Miele |
Vice President, Procurement |
| Paul Eagleton |
Vice President, Marketing |
| Robert Sobczyk |
Vice President of Slot Operations |
| Craig Neilsen |
Founder |
| Kim Carpenter |
Director, Sales, Hotel & Catering |
Board of Directors
Gordy Kanofsky was named Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ameristar in May 2008. He joined Ameristar in September 1999 and was Executive Vice President from March 2002 to May 2008, after initially serving as Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs. He was elected Co-Chairman of the Board in November 2006.
Prior to joining Ameristar, he was in private law practice in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California, primarily focused on corporate and securities matters, and represented Ameristar beginning in 1993.
Gordy is a Co-Trustee and a member of the Board of Directors of The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of the American Gaming Association and the Association's Task Force on Diversity. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Gordy is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law with honors and holds an undergraduate degree in History, magna cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis. He was a member of the Duke Law Journal.
Larry Hodges was named President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company in May 2008. He is responsible for gaming, hotel, food and beverage, marketing, design and construction and information technology. He has also been on the Board of Directors of Ameristar since March 1994.
Prior to assuming his executive positions with Ameristar, Larry was a Managing Director of CRG Partners Group LLC, a privately held business management firm. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Mrs. Fields Original Cookies, Inc. from April 1994 to May 2003, after serving as President of Food Barn Stores, Inc. from July 1991 to March 1994.
From February 1990 to October 1991, Larry served as president of his own company, Branshan Inc., which engaged in the business of providing management consulting services to food makers and retailers. Earlier, he was with American Stores Company for 25 years, where he rose to the position of President of two substantial subsidiary corporations. Larry's first management position was Vice President of Marketing for Alpha Beta Co., a major operator of grocery stores in the West.
Larry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, San Bernardino and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Ameristar Cares Foundation, Inc. |
Senior Vice President and General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer |
Current |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Administrative Officer |
Current |
| Ameristar Cares Foundation, Inc. |
General Counsel |
Current |
| Sklar-Law |
|
Current |
| Ameristar Cares Foundation, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| MGM Mirage, Inc. |
Vice President |
Former |
| Mirage Resorts Incorporated |
Vice President |
Former |
| MGM Mirage, Inc. |
Assistant General Counsel |
Former |
| Mirage Resorts Incorporated |
Assistant General Counsel |
Former |
| Ucla Law Review |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Loyola Marymount University |
Undergraduate Degree |
Former |
| University of California, Los Angeles School of Law |
|
Former |
| Ucla Law Review |
Member |
Former |
| University of California, Los Angeles |
Member |
Former |
Tom Steinbauer joined Ameristar in 1991 as the Company was transitioning from a privately held entity into a public corporation. As Chief Financial Officer, he oversees corporate accounting functions and financial relations, as well as financial executives at each property. He has also served on the Company's Board of Directors since its inception in 1993.
Prior to joining Ameristar, Tom was Vice President of Finance for the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas where he led the Human Resources and Management Information Services departments and worked closely with Security and Surveillance. His 30-year career in the gaming industry also includes executive posts with Bally's Reno and the Flamingo Hilton.
Educated at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Tom holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration and Accounting.
Craig Neilsen founded Ameristar Casinos, Inc. and served as the Company's principal officer from its public inception in 1993 until his death in November 2006. Prior to that time, Craig led the privately held casino hotel organization, consisting of Cactus Petes Resort Casino and the Horseshu. These two original properties, with a nearly 50-year history, created the foundation for the current Ameristar business.
Under Craig's guidance, the Company grew to seven properties in Nevada, Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri and Colorado, and became recognized for its high quality products and diverse range of gaming, dining and entertainment options that provide a total entertainment experience.
Craig was an executive in gaming, real estate development and construction for more than 25 years. In 2002, he was honored as "Best Performing CEO" by the American Gaming Association, and in 2005, he was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was named Outstanding Business Leader by the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. Craig served on the Board of the American Gaming Association.
His desire to help others living with a spinal cord injury led to his establishing The Craig H. Neilsen Foundationin 2003. The foundation continues today as his philanthropic legacy.
Ray Neilsen was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ameristar in May 2008. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Board. He has held various management positions with Ameristar and its subsidiaries since 1991.
Neilsen was Vice President of Operations and Special Projects for Ameristar from February 2006 to January 2007. Prior to that post, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg from June 2000 to February 2006, and Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs from October 1997 to January 2000.
Neilsen is involved in Companywide operations and design and has an active leadership role in the overall strategic direction of the Company. He plays an integral part in shaping the Company's culture and the evolving legacy of Ameristar Casinos. Ray Neilsen is the son of Ameristar's late founder, Craig H. Neilsen, and is the third generation in the family's gaming tradition.
Neilsen serves as Co-Trustee and a member of the Board of Directors of The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, which is primarily dedicated to spinal cord injury research and treatment. He has been actively involved as an Advisory Board Member of the Foundation since its inception.
Neilsen's primary residence is in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Readers of The Vicksburg Post, the Vicksburg community's daily newspaper, voted Neilsen “Man of the Year” in 2004. He is actively committed to public service and promoting the Vicksburg community. Neilsen has served on a variety of civic and philanthropic boards, including the United Way of West Central Mississippi, the Riverfest Committee and the Alliance of Vicksburg-Warren County. Neilsen is also a personal advocate of the city's Riverfront Mural Project, donating both time and money to the effort.
Neilsen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History from the Albertson College of Idaho and a Master in Business Administration degree from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Edwards, Mississippi. They have four children and four grandchildren.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Co-Chairman, Senior Vice President-Operations & Special Projects |
Former |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
General Manager, Vicksburg |
Former |
| Monterey Institute of International Studies |
MBA |
Former |
| Albertson College of Idaho |
Bachelor of Science Degree In History |
Former |
Carl Brooks was elected to Ameristar's Board of Directors in October 2006. He is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Audit Committee of the Board. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Executive Leadership Council and The Executive Leadership Foundation in Washington, D.C., the nation's premier leadership organization of African-American senior executives in Fortune 500 companies. During a distinguished career of 25 years in the utility industry, Carl served as Vice President, Human & Technical Resources of GPU Energy in Reading, Pennsylvania, one of the nation's largest publicly traded electric utilities, and as Chief Financial Officer of GENCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of GPU Energy. Carl is a cum laude graduate of Hampton Institute and holds a Master in Business Administration degree from Southern Illinois University, with honors. He is a graduate of the Tuck Executive Program (President Program) at Dartmouth College.
Carl serves on the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Financial Services Diversity Council. He is Vice Chair of both the board of directors of Howard University's School of Business and Hampton Institute's board of advisers. He previously served on the GPU Energy/GENCO board of directors. In addition, he was Chairman of the GPU Diversity Action Council, winning the Edison Electric Institute Award for Diversity. Carl is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the National Black MBA Association and the National Urban League's Best Diversity Practices Study Advisory Council. He also served as the Honorary Chair of the 35th Anniversary of the School of Business at Howard University and was a 2004 recipient of the EEOC's Spirit of Partnership Award.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
Chief Financial Officer |
Current |
| Ameristar Cares Foundation, Inc. |
Director and Chair of The Audit Committee |
Current |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
Vice President |
Former |
| Stormont and Company, Inc. |
vice president |
Former |
| Stormont and Company, Inc. |
partner |
Former |
| Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
Corporate Controller |
Former |
| Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
Vice Chairman |
Former |
| University of Kentucky |
Bachelor of Arts Degree In Business, Finance |
Former |
| University of Kentucky |
degree in business, finance |
Former |
Leslie Nathanson Juris was elected as a Director in May 2003. She is Chair of the Compensation Committee of the Board. As President of Nathanson/Juris Consulting, she advises executives of publicly and privately held companies in a broad range of industries on issues of strategy, structure, succession, culture and practices to improve organizational performance. From 1994 to 1999, Leslie was Managing Partner of Roberts, Nathanson & Wolfson Consulting, Inc. (now known as RNW Consulting), a management consulting firm. She has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of strategy implementation and the management of complex organizational change. She has also been a lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago for more than 20 years. Leslie holds a Bachelor's degree from Tufts University, as well as a Master's degree with emphasis in management and education and a Doctorate degree specializing in organizational behavior, both from Northwestern University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University |
Lecturer |
Current |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Ameristar Cares Foundation, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Northwestern University |
Doctorate Degree |
Former |
| Northwestern University |
Master's Degree |
Former |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's Degree |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Be&K Building Group |
Chairman |
Current |
| Ameristar Casinos, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Be&K Building Group |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Bovis Lend Lease, Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| The University of North Carolina |
Juris Doctorate degree |
Former |
Executive News
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Betting on Death
Motley Fool - 8/10/09 - View Story
-
While Ameristar Casinos Strengthened its Balance Sheet, Profits Still Fall 16 Percent
Hotel Online - 8/07/09 - View Story
-
Ameristar profits fall 16 percent (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Hotel Online - 8/07/09 - View Story