Casino Enterprise Management Honors 2010 Great Women of Gaming Award Winners

FARGO, ND--(Marketwire - Jun 23, 2011) - Casino Enterprise Management magazine, the leading gaming industry trade publication and training event producer, and the "Official Publication" of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), is pleased to announce the winners of its 2010 Great Women of Gaming Awards, now in its sixth year.

For the second time in the awards' history, the judging panel was unable to break a tie in one of the categories. Due to a deadlock decision, this year there are 11 winners rather than 10. The awards are broken down into two categories: Proven Leaders and Rising Stars.

To qualify as a Proven Leader, candidates must have worked in the gaming industry for a minimum of 10 years and have been in their current position for at least one year. They must also work for a gaming industry company and hold a position of director or higher, having demonstrated exceptional achievement in at least three of the following areas: 1) ability to go above and beyond job responsibilities; 2) commitment to company and co-workers; 3) contributions to the industry as a whole; 4) commitment to mentoring; and 5) strong overall life balance.

The 2010 Great Women of Gaming Proven Leader Award Winners are:

• Patricia Becker, Executive Director, International Gaming Institute, UNLV, and Compliance Committee Chairwoman, Bally Technologies
• Janie Dillard, Executive Director of Gaming, Choctaw Casinos
• Cynthia Hays, Senior Director, Networked Gaming Technical Operations, WMS Gaming
• Sharon House, Attorney at Law, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
• Darlyne Sullivan, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

To qualify as a Rising Star, candidates must have worked in the gaming industry for a minimum of three years and have been in their current position for at least one year. They must also work for a gaming industry company and hold a position of manager or higher, having demonstrated exceptional achievement in at least three of the following areas: 1) ability to go above and beyond job responsibilities; 2) commitment to company and co-workers; 3) contributions to the industry as a whole; 4) commitment to mentoring; and 5) strong overall life balance.

The 2010 Great Women of Gaming Rising Star Award Winners are:

• Jennifer Bighorse, Marketing Director, Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino
• Colleen Birch, Director of Revenue Management & Distribution, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Audrey Damonte, Director of Government Relations & Legal Affairs, IGT
• Christine Gabaldon, Player Development Manager, Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino and Cities of Gold Casino
• Candace Lucas, Executive Director of Marketing Operations, WMS Gaming
• Georgia Noble, Chairwoman, Sac & Fox Business Enterprises Board

The judging committee was made up of former Great Women of Gaming award winners and other industry leaders. They included: Tracey Chernay, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing, TransAct Technologies; Linda Devine, Senior VP of Marketing, Barona Resort & Casino; Christie Eickelman, Senior Director of Worldwide Marketing, Gaming Laboratories International; Tina Kilmer, VP of Product Compliance, Bally Technologies; Debra Nutton, Senior VP of Casino Operations, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino; Mary Lynn Palenik, Director, Development, Research and Analysis, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Valerie Red-Horse, President, Red-Horse Financial Group; Linda J. Roe, VP of Business Development and Client Relations, Thalden • Boyd • Emery Architects; Lynn "Nay" Valbuena, Vice Chairwoman, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Claudia Winkler, Senior VP of Professional Services, NEWave.

"The fact that there was a tie among our judges' votes goes to show just how accomplished the group of nominees was," said Peter Mead, publisher of Casino Enterprise Management magazine. "All of these women have much to be proud of, and Casino Enterprise Management is extremely honored to award them this recognition and share their stories with our audience. Our judges had a difficult decision, and I believe they did an excellent job selecting the top 11. It's been a pleasure of ours to continue to honor these women as they continue to strive for personal and professional excellence."

An in-depth article featuring profiles of this year's 11 award winners will be featured in the August 2011 issue of Casino Enterprise Management. The winners will also receive a prestigious crystal Great Women of Gaming Award and the chance to be featured in a CEM Audio Edge podcast. For more information about the Great Women of Gaming Awards, visit www.greatwomenofgaming.com.

About Casino Enterprise Management(CEM)
Casino Enterprise Management magazine delivers the most comprehensive need-to-know information in the world of casino management. All operational facets of the casino business are thoroughly covered in each issue. Readers enjoy first-hand reporting from the brightest thought leaders in the worldwide casino gaming industry. CEM puts on several prestigious awards for the gaming industry including Great Women of Gaming, Slot Floor Technology Awards and the Hospitality Operations Technology Awards. The website, www.aceme.org, is the gaming industry's most complete digital doorway into the world of casino management, and includes videos, Internet talk radio shows, blog entries from industry leaders, and much more. CEM also invites industry leaders to connect on its social network, www.acemenetwork.org.

Photos available upon request.