As a result of major changes in Station Casinos’ management team, Jon Gray has been named assistant general manager at the Palms in Las Vegas. Former Palms General Manager Mike Jerlecki, who was appointed last October, has moved to Boulder Station; its former General Manager Don Richardson will move to Station Casinos’ corporate office.
Gray, 33, was senior vice president and general manager at the Palms hotel’s restaurants, nightclubs and pool events a decade ago, where he frequently hosted celebrities including Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Maroon 5 and Britney Spears and others performing at Pearl Concert Theater. During the opening of Ghostbar Day Club in 2011 he distinguished himself by wearing a replica of Jeff Daniels’ blue tuxedo from “Dumb & Dumber.”
In his new position, Gray will work under new Palms General Manager Anthony Faranca, who most recently managed Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Gray also will work with Assistant General Manager Cookie Dreschler, a 30-year Station Casinos employee who was general manager at Sunset Station and Fiesta Henderson. “It’s all about the experience. It’s about developing relationships, and that’s just in my DNA,” Gray said.
A Tonopah, Nevada native, Gray graduated from University of Las Vegas and began his career at Wynn Las Vegas as a front-desk clerk when it opened, then moved on to the Palms in 2005, four years after the hotel’s opening. He was promoted to assistant hotel manager under then-owner George Maloof, and became a key advisor to Maloof for projects including the Fantasy Suites. Gray was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of N9Ne Group, overseeing the hotel’s nightclubs, restaurants and pool events.
After Maloof sold the hotel, Gray moved on to open Linq promenade, then took a senior level position with Nike in Oregon, for whom he moved to Lake Oswego and traveled the world promoting the brand.
However, in mid-February, slightly more than four months after Station Casinos began operating the Palms, Station executive Rich Haskins invited Gray to fly to Las Vegas and meet with Station Casinos owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III. As a result, Gray recently moved back to Las Vegas to start his new position at the Palms.
Gray said, “We have to look at the Palms as a lifestyle property, a Strip property, with a lot of potential in nightlife and hospitality, in its suites and entertainment. What we want to do is really exciting and we’ve already got some great things under way. For example, the Twenty Four Seven café soon will have a new name, look and menu. Also, veteran nightlife operators Cy and Jesse Waits, formerly of XS and Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas, are said to be moving to the Palms to work with Gray on changing up the hotel’s nightlife offerings.
Regarding Pearl, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Gray said, “Pearl is a pillar to the strategy of the Palms. We need to think about how the Pearl can drive the overall experience. We want people to be partying pre- and post-show not just coming to the show and leaving. We need to look at how entertainment can bleed into other areas of the property.”
