It has been reported that Don Marrandino has stepped down as chairman of the Atlantic City Alliance. This occurred when he left Caesars Entertainment Corp. The Alliance is said to be temporarily without a chairman but plans to name a new one on 22 January when the seven-member board meets again. The board is composed exclusively of casino executives, and the board is tasked with a variety of high-profile jobs that focus on promoting Atlantic City and the casinos and resorts that are in the city. It is also tasked with providing public information on occasion.
As Marrandino departed, the four Caesars Entertainment casinos that are located in Atlantic City are reported to be represented by John Smith who is Harrah Resort general manager. According to the president of the alliance, Liza Cartmell, the chairman is responsible for overseeing board meetings and also is tasked with acting as spokesman for the Alliance. However, the chairman does not have any more power than other board members.
Cartmell went on to say that even with Marrandino leaving she is confident that the board will be capable of meeting its 2013 mission statement goals. As of this writing, Marrandino’s replacement is not known but, as mentioned above, it has been suggested that the board will begin finding a new chair at is upcoming meeting. No further details were given as to who might be the forerunner.
It was reported, however, that two of the board members, Bob Griffin and Tony Rodio, are busy with other duties associated with the casino sector and are not expected to take on the ACA chairmanship. While the chairmanship does not require full time attention, it is a position that can take up a lot of time of the person holding the chair.
Tony Rodio is Tropicana Casino and Resort chief executive officer. He serves as well as the president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, which is a notable industry trade group. Bob Griffin is the CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts. He also acts as one of the gambling industry representatives that serve on the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority board.
Some $30 million a year is contributed by the various casinos to the Alliance. This is used for advertising, marketing, promotional events and a variety of other projects, all which are aimed at benefiting Atlantic City. As a private, nonprofit organization the alliance operates to promote tourism in Atlantic City. Cartmell gave Marrandino much praise saying that he had been a staunch supporter of the alliance and had made a major impact on its early-days success. He was known for recognizing the potential of the alliance in terms of promoting AC as well as helping to expand its growing visitor and customer base.
For three years, Marrandino served as the president for Showboat, Bally’s, Caesars, and Harrah’s Resort, all of which are owned by the Caesars Entertainment. It was reported that he departed in order to look into new opportunities. No other details were given.