John Hairston, chairman the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said he will leave the panel on January 31, although his term will not officially end until October. Recently named president and chief executive officer at Hancock Holding Company, Hairston said he offered to leave the commission early, noting Commissioner Nolen Canon’s term also will end in October. “Good governance practices for oversight bodies discourage a sudden entire majority change. I offered to the governor a year ago to resign then, to create more separation time between myself and Commissioner Canon’s exit,” Hairston said.
Governor Phil Bryant asked him to remain on the board a while longer but, Hairston said, “When we last visited on timing, the situation in Tunica was dire with a looming closure of a major casino. We reached a point of stability in the fourth quarter of 2014.”
Hairston said with the legislature now in session, Bryant can get confirmation of his appointee quickly. The governor is expected to name a successor to Hairston by January 31, he said. “The MGC is well run, the markets are stable or very close, we have no scandal or dark clouds on the horizon of any kind. So this is a great time to cure the MGC’s timing issues, the governor is in great position to make new appointments and I can use the two days per month for my personal and business use,” Hairston noted.
When asked what advice he would give the new appointees, Hairston said he’d give the same advice he received. “This assignment is about service, fairness, integrity and maintaining an honest industry. Never gamble, anywhere in the world, as long as you serve as a commissioner. Never drink a drop of alcohol in a casino. The assignment is to oversee an industry that funds our Mississippi roads and schools, so treat it with the utmost seriousness. Invite debate, welcome constructive criticism, and approach every vote with humility and due consideration,” he said.
Hairston was appointed to the gaming commission in 2005 and again in 2010. “I was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour immediately after Hurricane Katrina with instructions to quickly get gaming operators open and families reunited. I was reappointed by Governor Bryant with instruction to preserve gaming industry economic value during the Great Recession. It has been a busy 10 years, and a tremendously rewarding time,” he said.
