Golden Entertainment

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Our highly experienced team delivers on the promise of creating world-class experiences at a world-class value.

DIRECTORS

BLAKE L. SARTINI

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Mr. Sartini joined Golden as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in July 2015 in connection with our acquisition of Sartini Gaming through the Merger.

Experience

Prior to the Merger, Mr. Sartini served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sartini Gaming from its formation in January 2012, and as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Gaming, LLC (“Golden Gaming”), which he established in 2001. Prior to Golden Gaming, Mr. Sartini served in various management and executive positions with Station Casinos, Inc. (“Station Casinos”) from 1985 to 2001, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer when the company first became public in 1993.

He also served as a director of Station Casinos from 1993 until 2001. In 1986, Mr. Sartini co-founded Southwest Services, Inc. (the predecessor to Golden Gaming) and served as its President starting in 1993. Before joining Station Casinos, he held key operational positions with the El Cortez Hotel and Casino, as well as the Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino.

Mr. Sartini is a member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation’s Board of Trustees and was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee in March 2014 by Governor Sandoval.

Education

Mr. Sartini received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

ANTHONY A. MARNELL, III

Mr. Marnell currently serves as the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Manager of Marnell Gaming, LLC, a company he founded in 2006, which owns and operates the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada.

Experience

Mr. Marnell previously developed M Resort Spa Casino, a locals-oriented casino property in Las Vegas, Nevada, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2006 to 2011, and (following the casino’s acquisition by Penn National Gaming, Inc.) as President of the casino property from 2011 to 2015. He also served as a strategy consultant to Penn National Gaming, Inc. from 2015 to 2016. Mr. Marnell served as Manager of MG Investors LLC, which operated the Saddle West Hotel Casino & RV Resort in Pahrump, Nevada, from 2005 to 2006, as Manager of Siren Gaming, LLC, a tribal gaming management company, from 2002 to 2005, as Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TRIRIGA, Inc., a technology company from 2000 to 2011, as Vice President, VIP Marketing at Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., a leading casino gaming company, from 1999 to 2000, and as Vice President, Corporate Marketing, at Rio Suite Hotel & Casino from 1996 to 1998.  He is also Chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and previously served as a Board member of the Nevada State Board of Equalization from 2009 to 2013. He currently serves as a Board member of the Tuscany Research Institute and Henderson Boys and Girls Club, and served as a Board member for the Henderson Special Budget Ad Hoc Committee from 2013 to 2014. 

Education

Mr. Marnell received a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. 

MARK A. LIPPARELLI

Mr. Lipparelli currently serves as the Managing Member and Chief Executive Officer of GVII, LLC, a Nevada gaming licensee that manages the Westgate Resort Las Vegas; the Managing Member of CAMS, LLC, a technology services company to the online gaming industry; and Chairman and Managing Member of SBOpco, LLC, a sportsbook company operating as SuperBook. Additionally, Mr. Lipparelli serves as an advisor to various operating and investment entities through his role as Managing Member of GVIII, LLC. Mr. Lipparelli also formerly represented State Senate District 6 in the Nevada Legislature, having been appointed to the post in December 2014, and served on a number of Senate committees.

Experience

Prior to joining Bally Technologies, Inc., Mr. Lipparelli served as Executive Vice President and then President of Shuffle Master, Inc., a publicly traded gaming supply company, from 2001 to 2003; as Chief Financial Officer of Camco, Inc., a retail chain holding company, from 2000 to 2001; as Senior Vice President of Entertainment Systems for Bally Gaming, Inc. (a subsidiary of publicly traded Alliance Gaming Corporation), from 1998 to 2000; and various management positions including Vice President of Finance for publicly traded Casino Data Systems from 1993 to 1998.

Mr. Lipparelli is a Board Trustee Emeritus of the University of Nevada Foundation, Board Member of the International Center for Responsible Gaming, member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors and a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. Mr. Lipparelli holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Among other qualifications, Mr. Lipparelli brings over 25 years of experience in the gaming industry, including his service as Chief Executive Officer of a strategic advisory and product development firm, various executive management positions at companies serving the gaming industry, his legislative experience with the State Senate and past roles with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Education

Mr. Lipparelli received a Bachelor’s degree in Finance (1987) and a Master’s degree in Economics (1993) from the University of Nevada, Reno.

ANN D. DOZIER

Ms. Dozier currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer for Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC, a wine and spirits distributor, a position she has held since July 2016, when Southern Wine and Spirits, LLC and Glazer's Beer and Beverage, LLC were merged.

Experience

Prior to the merger, Ms. Dozier served as the Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer of Southern Wine and Spirits, LLC since 2015. Ms. Dozier also has prior experience in both technical and commercial roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Inc., Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., Dean Foods and Colgate Palmolive. Mrs. Dozier has served on the board of iControl Holdings, LLC, a private technology company focused on delivering services and solutions that automate the retail value chain, since 2012. She also serves on several community boards and national councils including the Advisory Board of the University of Miami Business School's Management Science and Business Analytics program, the Advisory Board of A.T. Kearney's Women@Digital, the Consumer Goods Technology Executive Council, the Wall Street Journal CIO Council, and the Gartner Research Board.

Education

Mrs. Dozier received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Georgia and attended the Harvard Business School's Executive Management Program.

TERRENCE L. WRIGHT

Mr. Wright serves as Chairman of the Board and majority owner of Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, a company he founded in 1991 which is licensed to issue policies of title insurance throughout the United States.

Mr. Wright is currently on the board of Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE:SWX), is an emeritus member of and past Chairman of the University of Nevada Las Vegas Foundation Board, and is the past Chairman for the Nevada Development Authority, the Nevada Land Title Association and the Nevada Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Experience

He has also served as board member for the Las Vegas Monorail, Pioneer Citizens Bank, First Interstate Bank and the Boy Scouts of America.

Education

Mr. Wright received a degree in business administration and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University, Chicago, and is a member of the California and Illinois bar associations.

ANDY H. CHIEN

Mr. Chien most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of MGM Growth Properties (NYSE: MGP), a position he held from MGP’s initial public offering in April 2016 until its sale to VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI) in April 2022.

Experience

From 2009 to 2016, Mr. Chien held various roles at Greenhill & Co., a boutique investment banking firm, most recently serving as a Managing Director responsible for the firm’s REIT, gaming, lodging and leisure clients. Prior to that, Mr. Chien worked in the investment banking departments at UBS Investment Bank and Citigroup/Salomon Smith Barney. He has also held various positions at Commerce One and Intel Corporation.

Education

Mr. Chien received a master of business administration degree in finance and real estate from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, summa cum laude, from the University of Michigan.

OFFICERS

BLAKE L. SARTINI

BLAKE L. SARTINI

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Mr. Sartini joined Golden as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in July 2015 in connection with our acquisition of Sartini Gaming through the Merger.

Experience

Prior to the Merger, Mr. Sartini served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sartini Gaming from its formation in January 2012, and as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Gaming, LLC (“Golden Gaming”), which he established in 2001. Prior to Golden Gaming, Mr. Sartini served in various management and executive positions with Station Casinos, Inc. (“Station Casinos”) from 1985 to 2001, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer when the company first became public in 1993.

He also served as a director of Station Casinos from 1993 until 2001. In 1986, Mr. Sartini co-founded Southwest Services, Inc. (the predecessor to Golden Gaming) and served as its President starting in 1993. Before joining Station Casinos, he held key operational positions with the El Cortez Hotel and Casino, as well as the Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino.

Mr. Sartini is a member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation’s Board of Trustees and was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee in March 2014 by Governor Sandoval.

Education

Mr. Sartini received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

CHARLES H. PROTELL

CHARLES H. PROTELL

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Mr. Protell joined Golden Entertainment in November 2016 as President, Chief Strategy and Financial Officer.

Experience

Mr. Protell spent nearly 20 years in corporate advisory and investment banking, covering the gaming, lodging and leisure sectors. He has acted as advisor to Golden Entertainment's predecessor companies in various capacities since 2010. He acted as advisor to Lakes Entertainment in the merger transaction with Sartini Gaming, which created Golden Entertainment in July 2015.

In addition, Mr. Protell previously acted as advisor to Sartini Gaming on various initiatives, including its acquisition of distributed gaming operations and casino assets from Affinity Gaming.

Education

Mr. Protell is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce.

BLAKE L. SARTINI II

BLAKE L. SARTINI II

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Blake L. Sartini II joined Golden as Senior Vice President of Distributed Gaming in July 2015 in connection with the Sartini Gaming Merger, was promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations in June 2021 and became the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in March 2024. In his current role, Mr. Sartini II assumed additional responsibility for the oversight of all our operating casinos, including The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower in Las Vegas; Aquarius Casino Resort and Edgewater Casino Resort in Laughlin, Nevada.

Experience

In his former role, he was responsible for overseeing all distributed gaming operations in Nevada and Montana prior to their sales to J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC and its affiliates in Nevada and Montana, the Nevada tavern locations operating under the brand names PT’s, Sierra Gold, SG Bar, Sean Patrick’s and Lucky’s. Mr. Sartini II also oversaw five of our eight operating casinos, namely: both Arizona Charlie’s Casinos in Las Vegas; Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Casino, Gold Town Casino and Lakeside Casino & RV Park in Pahrump, Nevada.

From January 2010 until the Sartini Gaming Merger, Mr. Sartini II served in various roles with Sartini Gaming, including as Vice President of Operations for Golden Route Operations, LLC (“GRO”), a subsidiary of Sartini Gaming, from September 2014, as assistant director for GRO from January 2012 to September 2014, and as a marketing manager from January 2010 to January 2012. Prior to joining Sartini Gaming, Mr. Sartini II served as senior business associate with the Ultimate Fighting Championship for its international event operations and talent relations in the United Kingdom.

Education

Mr. Sartini II received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Chapman University in Orange, California

PHYLLIS GILLAND

PHYLLIS GILLAND

GENERAL COUNSEL & CORPORATE SECRETARY

Ms. Gilland currently serves as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Golden Entertainment, Inc.. Ms. Gilland has held previous positions with American Casino’s & Entertainment Properties, LLC (ACEP) that was acquired by Golden Entertainment in 2017, including SVP, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary.

Experience

Prior to joining ACEP, from 2000 to 2007 Gilland served as General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer for Taylor Construction Group Companies, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa with affiliates around the United States. Mrs. Gilland also has held the position of General Counsel with Principal International and as a Manager at KPMG.

Education

Ms. Gilland received a bachelors degree at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania and J.D. at Drake University, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Thomas E. Haas

Thomas E. Haas

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER

Mr. Haas joined Golden in October 2017 in connection with the acquisition of American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC (“American”), was appointed as Senior Vice President of Accounting in March 2018, and assumed his current position of Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer in March 2020. Mr. Haas had served as senior vice president of finance and principal accounting officer of American since August 2015, and continued to serve in that role following the American acquisition until his promotion to Senior Vice President of Accounting of Golden in 2018. Mr. Haas joined American in April 2004 as the director of compliance and was promoted to vice president finance in August 2006.

Experience

Prior to joining American, Mr. Haas held financial and accounting management positions with Mikohn Gaming, Inc. and GES Exposition Services. Mr. Haas started his career with Deloitte & Touche.

Education

Mr. Haas earned a bachelor of science in business administration, accounting and finance, degree from the University of Arizona.

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