MGM National Harbor is a luxury resort, retail, dining, entertainment and casino just minutes from Washington D.C on the banks of the Potomac River. MGM owns Las Vegas properties including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, ARIA and The Mirage. Near the Maryland region, the firm has a stake in an Atlantic City casino. Beau Rivage is a dog friendly hotel in Biloxi, MS, MGM Grand Detroit is a dog friendly hotel in Detroit, MI and MGM Springfield is a dog friendly hotel in Springfield, MA. Service animals are welcome at all MGM Resort destinations, please contact Central Reservations at 855.788.6775 to let us know you will have a service animal.
MGM NATIONAL HARBOR APPOINTS TEAM TO LEAD CASINO OPERATIONS
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD – AUGUST 8, 2016 – MGM National Harbor, the world-class casino resort set to open later this year in Prince George’s County, Maryland, announces the team to lead its casino operations including overseeing slots and table games divisions, marketing, and player development.
“Casino operations is a critical part of our workforce. More than a third of our staff will be dedicated to this department,” said Bill Boasberg, MGM National Harbor General Manager. “We’ve brought together a dynamic and talented team of casino professionals to oversee these efforts, many of whom have been part of the MGM Resorts family for years. We are dedicated to bringing the same high-caliber gaming experience to National Harbor as we have in Las Vegas.”
The casino operations team will be led by:
Alex Alvarado – Vice President, Slot Operations
As Vice President of Slot Operations, Alex Alvarado is responsible for the development, merchandising and layout of the slot strategy during the construction phase, as well as the hiring of gaming staff. Once the resort opens, Alvarado will oversee slot service, M life desk, technical operations and slot performance strategies. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Alvarado served as director of slot operations at Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. and director of slot operations at Hollywood Casino in West Virginia. Alvarado also spent time managing slot operations at both MGM Grand and The Mirage in Las Vegas.
Jeffrey Elmore – Vice President, Table Games
As Vice President of Table Games at MGM National Harbor, Jeffrey Elmore is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the casino floor. The 30-year veteran is also overseeing the hiring of 700 table game dealers. Throughout his tenure at MGM Resorts, Elmore has served as Vice President of Casino Operations at New York-New York Hotel & Casino and Vice President of Casino Operations at The Mirage in Las Vegas. He also served as a pit and casino shift manager at New York-New York where he was responsible for the daily operations of the casino including game protection, guest service, credit authorizations, 6A regulations, daily schedule review and daily functions of the casino operations/table games department.
Johnny Grooms – Director, Poker
Reporting to Jeff, Johnny Grooms will be the Director of Poker for MGM National Harbor. Grooms will oversee the planning and execution of poker tournament events, including regional and national poker series events, special event poker tournaments, and charity events. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Grooms managed the Poker Room at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he handled the Gulf Coast Poker Championship and Southern Poker Championship, and served as Tournament Director for the Poker department at Gold Strike in Tunica where he hosted the World Poker Open. . Grooms was also a Dealer and Tournament Director for Harrah’s Entertainment where he hosted the 2005 World Series of Poker. He serves as a board member of the Poker Tournament Directors Association.
William Zeralsky – Vice President, National Marketing
Mr. Zeralsky has been named Vice President of National Marketing for MGM National Harbor. In his role, he is responsible for leading the casino marketing team and developing the overarching casino marketing strategy, including, database marketing, special events, promotions, and VIP relationship marketing. He collaborates across the property’s verticals, as well as with corporate marketing, to ensure that M life Rewards and MGM National Harbor reach full potential. Most recently, Zeralsky served as Vice President of Casino Marketing for Regional Operations where he led and executed marketing strategies for development properties, while also supporting existing regional properties. Zeralsky brings more than 17 years of casino resort experience to this role. He joined MGM Resorts International in 2007 and has served in strategy, finance, and marketing roles. He earned his Master’s in Business Administration from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.
Cynthia So – Vice President, Asian Marketing
Cynthia So will serve as Vice President of Asian Marketing for MGM National Harbor, the first-of-its-kind in a regional capacity. In this role, she is responsible for driving local and international business to MGM National Harbor. She will oversee initiatives that cater to Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, European and Latin markets. So began her career with MGM Resorts International more than 16 years ago as a Guest Services Representative at The Mirage in Las Vegas. She quickly advanced through property ranks, serving as a member of the VIP Services Management team within four years and officially joined International Marketing as an Executive Host in 2003. Mrs. So served as executive director of Far East Marketing during the opening of ARIA in 2009 and also served as assistant vice president for Far East Marketing prior to assuming her new role at MGM National Harbor.
Dominic Marci – Vice President, Customer Development
Marci is Vice President of Customer Development for MGM National Harbor. In this role, he is responsible for directing, hiring and training the customer development team at MGM National Harbor. Responsibilities include driving customer development strategy and team-focused relationship VIP marketing development. Prior to joining MGM National Harbor, Marci served as Vice President of National Marketing for Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., where he began his 20-year career. Additionally, Marci assisted in the opening of the Grand Pequot Towers Hotel & Casino, MGM Grand Resort Casino at Foxwoods, Lake of Isle Golf Courses, and the Tanger Outlets.
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About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor’s unrivaled setting offers stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.3 billion resort sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort will feature premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 27,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company is in the process of developing MGM National Harbor in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. MGM Resorts controls, and holds a 73 percent economic interest in the operating partnership of MGM Growth Properties LLC (NYSE: MGP), a premier triple-net lease real estate investment trust engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of large-scale destination entertainment and leisure resorts. The Company also owns 51 percent of MGM China Holdings Limited (HK: 2282), which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50 percent of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort & Casino. MGM Resorts is named among FORTUNE® Magazine’s 2016 list of World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s website at www.mgmresorts.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. MGM National Harbor has based these statements on management’s current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. Examples of these statements include statements regarding the contemplated design of the guest rooms and amenities at MGM National Harbor and the expected opening date of the casino resort. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including effects of economic and market conditions, competition with other destination travel locations throughout the United States and the world, and the design, timing and costs of the projects and risks relating to permits, licenses, financings, approvals and other contingencies and additional risks and uncertainties described in the MGM Resorts International Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports (including all amendments to those reports) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In providing forward-looking statements, MGM National Harbor is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Media Contacts:
Dasha Ross Smith
Phone: (301) 971-5727
mediarelations@mgmnationalharbor.com
Alicia Malone
Phone: (202) 414-6177
Alicia.malone@rr-resourcesplus.com