Casino Enterprise Management Honors 2011 Great Women of Gaming Award Winners

11 Female Gaming Industry Executives Honored for Outstanding Professionalism, Perseverance, Drive, Commitment and Mentorship


FARGO, ND--(Marketwire - May 18, 2012) - Casino Enterprise Management magazine, the leading gaming industry trade publication, training event producer, and the "Official Publication" of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), is pleased to announce the winners of its 2011 Great Women of Gaming Awards, now in its seventh year.

For another year, the judging panel was unable to break a tie in one of the categories. Due to a deadlock decision, there are 11 winners rather than 10. The awards are broken down into two categories: Proven Leaders and Rising Stars, with six Proven Leaders and five Rising Stars.

To qualify as a Proven Leader, candidates must have worked in the gaming industry for a minimum of 10 years and have been in their current position for at least one year. They must also work for a gaming industry company and hold a position of director or higher, having demonstrated exceptional achievement in at least three of the following areas: 1) ability to go above and beyond job responsibilities; 2) commitment to company and co-workers; 3) contributions to the industry as a whole; 4) commitment to mentoring; and 5) strong overall life balance.

The 2011 Great Women of Gaming Proven Leader Award Winners are:

  • Marge Anderson, Chief Executive, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Brandi Ellis, Senior Vice President of VIP Marketing, Caesars Entertainment Corp.
  • Stephanie Maddocks, President, Power Strategies and Fast Dash
  • Lauralyn McCarthy, President and Member, New Mexico Gaming, LLC, and Managing Member, Gaming Solutions, LLC
  • Melissa Price, VP of Gaming Shared Services, Caesars Entertainment Corp.
  • Valerie Spicer, Executive Director, Arizona Indian Gaming Association

To qualify as a Rising Star, candidates must have worked in the gaming industry for a minimum of three years and have been in their current position for at least one year. They must also work for a gaming industry company and hold a position of manager or higher, having demonstrated exceptional achievement in at least three of the following areas: 1) ability to go above and beyond job responsibilities; 2) commitment to company and co-workers; 3) contributions to the industry as a whole; 4) commitment to mentoring; and 5) strong overall life balance.

The 2011 Great Women of Gaming Rising Star Award Winners are:

  • Kimberly Arnold, COO, The Innovation Group
  • Jennifer Bryant, CFO and VP of Finance, Valley View Casino & Hotel
  • Kimberly Cohn, Director of Game Development, Bally Technologies Inc.
  • Pamela Gallegos, Interim CEO, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque
  • Colleen Stanton Kakavetsis, Director Customer Communication and Interactive, WMS Gaming

The judging committee was made up of former Great Women of Gaming award winners and other industry leaders. They included: Diana Bennett, CEO, Paragon Gaming; Dona Cassese, Vice President Advertising & Communications, Aristocrat Technologies; Christie Eickelman, Senior Director of Worldwide Marketing, Gaming Laboratories International; Jan Jones, Executive VP Government and Corporate Communications, Caesars Entertainment Corp.; Candace Lucas, Executive Director, Marketing Operations, WMS Gaming; Courtney Muller, Senior Vice President, Global Gaming Expo, Reed Exhibitions; Debra Nutton, Senior Vice President of Casino Operations and Marketing, MGM Grand Las Vegas; Valerie Red-Horse, President, Red-Horse Financial Group; Lynn "Nay" Valbuena, Former Vice Chairwoman, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Jean Venneman, Vice President of Product Management, Bally Technologies.

"This year, we truly had an outstanding group of extremely talented and accomplished women," said Peter Mead, publisher of Casino Enterprise Management magazine. "I know that our judges must have struggled choosing which of them would receive the coveted spots as award winners, but I think they did an excellent job. We are excited for each of them and honored to help give them the recognition they deserve. It's been a pleasure of ours to continue to honor these women as they continue to strive for personal and professional excellence."

An in-depth article featuring profiles of this year's 11 award winners will be featured in the July 2012 issue of Casino Enterprise Management. The winners will also receive a prestigious crystal Great Women of Gaming Award and the chance to be featured in a CEM Audio Edge talk radio show. For more information about the Great Women of Gaming Awards, visit www.greatwomenofgaming.com.

About Casino Enterprise Management (CEM)
Casino Enterprise Management magazine delivers the most comprehensive need-to-know information in the world of casino management. All operational facets of the casino business are thoroughly covered in each issue. Readers enjoy first-hand reporting from the brightest thought leaders in the worldwide casino gaming industry. CEM puts on several prestigious awards for the gaming industry including Great Women of Gaming, Slot Floor Technology Awards, and the Hospitality Operations Technology Awards. The website, www.aceme.org, is the gaming industry's most complete digital doorway into the world of casino management and includes audio articles, videos, web exclusives, case studies, white papers, an up-to-the-minute newswire, and much more. The newly launched www.CEMAudioEdge.com includes live Internet talk radio shows and archived podcasts from industry leaders.

Photos available upon request.

Contact Information:

CONTACT:
Amanda Huggett
Managing Editor
Casino Enterprise Management
(701) 293-7775