In the aftermath of its Gaming and Leisure Properties spinoff last November, Penn National has moved casino industry veteran Jay Snowden to the role of senior vice president and chief operating officer. Snowden was previously the Pennsylvania-based gaming company’s senior vice president of regional operations.
William J. “B.J.” Fair has been appointed senior vice president and chief development officer for Penn National, assuming a position formerly held by Steven Snyder. Snyder became senior vice president of corporate development at GLPI, a real estate investment trust formed last fall to take ownership of the real estate associated with most of Penn National’s casinos and reduce the firm’s tax burden.
Snowden and Fair will report to Tim Wilmott, who was named CEO of the company at the time of the spinoff.
“We are delighted to announce Jay’s promotion and the addition of B. J. to our team of proven operations, finance, marketing, project development and legal executives,” said Wilmott. “Since the spinoff, we have appointed experienced executives to senior management positions, including CFO, COO and chief development officer, positioning us to optimize the results of our growing regional gaming portfolio and deliver excellent entertainment experiences to our patrons while pursuing opportunities to further expand the scale and diversity of our operations, and build value for shareholders.”
Snowden joined Penn National in 2011 following more than 12 years at Caesars Entertainment in Nevada, California, Missouri, and New Jersey. Just before joining Penn National, he was senior VP and general manager of both Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.
Fair brings 30 years of real estate and resort operation experience to his new role, having worked for Universal Studios and Disney Development Company. Most recently, he was president and CEO of American Skiing, where he oversaw a financial turnaround of the company, which culminated in the successful sale of 10 resorts, the company reported.
At Penn National, Fair will be responsible for corporate growth and development initiatives as well as project development including design and construction.
