Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer James F. Allen recently announced David Hoenemeyer has been named chief operating officer at Seminole Gaming. In addition, Steve Bonner was named president at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa; Larry Buck was named president at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek in north Broward County; and Edward Aguilar was named general manager at Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood.
Of Hoenemeyer, Allen said, “I have known Dave for 30 years and believe he will bring strong leadership and deliver outstanding results for Seminole Gaming. I look forward to working with him as we continue to build one of the world’s most successful and profitable gaming operations.”
In his new position, Hoenemeyer will oversee day-to-day operations at Seminole Gaming’s seven Florida casinos. He joined Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas in 1998, where he held positions at three properties and ultimately served as regional president. Hoenemeyer’s gaming career began in 1984 with Hilton Hotels, and he also worked at several Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos. In Las Vegas, he has served on the boards of directors for United Way of Southern Nevada and the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas. Hoenemeyer holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania-Philadelphia.
Regarding the Florida casino promotions, Allen stated, “It’s gratifying to promote from within our organization, because of the extraordinary accomplishments of these three individuals. We want to acknowledge their hard work and the results they have achieved, as we support them in their new positions.”
A 30-year gaming industry veteran, Bonner replaces Joe Lupo, who recently was named property president at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Previously Bonner was president at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek since 2002, leading the property as it transformed from a small gambling facility to a major casino, dining and entertainment destination. Before joining Seminole Gaming, Bonner held positions at Black Hawk Gaming & Development Company in Black Hawk, Colorado and Hemmeter Enterprises in Denver. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Texas A&M University.
Previously Buck was general manager at Seminole Classic Casino since 2012, where he oversaw numerous major improvements. He also worked at Caesars Entertainment, Pinnacle Entertainment and Players International. His gaming industry career began in 1982 at Harrah’s Atlantic City, where he held several positions. With Buck in charge, Seminole Classic Casino’s annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk attracted more than 150 team members. He holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Syracuse University.
Aguilar joined Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee near Naples, in 2001. He held several positions there, culminating in assistant general manager/vice president. Aguilar is one of the highest ranking Seminole Gaming executives who is a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida; he participated in the Tribal Career Development Program in February 2013.
Aguilar also worked for several years at the Immokalee office of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc., the tribe’s non-gaming business development arm. He holds an associate degree in Culinary Arts from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
