David Zornes has been named chief executive officer at Northern Star Casinos based in Sparks, Nevada, effective December 18. Zornes will oversee operations at Stockmen’s Casino & Ramada Hotel and Commercial Casino, both in Elko; Scoreboard Casino in Spring Creek; Model T Casino Hotel and RV Park in Winnemucca; and El Capitan Lodge and Casino in Hawthorne.
Zornes has held several management positions in the casino and hospitality industry in Nevada, the Caribbean and Colorado over the past 37 years. He served as chief executive officer at the Red Lion Hotel & Casino for 11 years and also worked at Holiday Inn Express, Thunderbird Motel, Gold Country Inn & Casino and High Desert Inn.
Zornes’ career began at the Red Lion Hotel chain in 1980, where he ultimately worked at three different times. As general manager in 1983, he launched an air junket program, and later started the Casino Express airline program that serviced 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
An Elko resident, Zornes stated he hopes to return Northern Stars Casinos properties to their “old glory.” He noted, “These properties are so important to the downtown area,” adding he can give Triple Crown Casinos, parent company of Northern Star Casinos, “more of a Nevada perspective.”
Zornes serves on the board of the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority and is past chairman of the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority.
Triple Crown Casinos Chief Executive Officer Larry Hill said, “We are delighted to welcome David Zornes as our new chief executive officer to guide our company to even greater success. David brings in-depth knowledge and an exceptional track record of strong leadership in the gaming industry and specifically in the Elko market. He is uniquely qualified to take our properties to the next level of hospitality excellence.”
Zornes said, “I’m really excited about this, for one because it does keep me in Elko, and I feel that Elko is my home. I’ve always enjoyed small towns, prefer small towns.”
