ATLANTIC CITY — Trump executive Mark Juliano will continue as president of the Casino Association of New Jersey while the trade group transitions to new leadership.
The association’s board of directors met behind closed doors Wednesday, but did not select Juliano’s successor. Juliano expects the board to
“I’m going to be at Trump and at the casino association for the next 30 days, so between now and then we’ll make a decision,” he said. “This is the first time we have had a chance to talk about what kind of orderly transition to have in place.”
Juliano’s departure from the association stems from his ouster as chief executive officer of the Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. casinos. He is being replaced at Trump in a management shake-up by the company’s new owners. Robert Griffin, most recently the CEO of MTR Gaming Group Inc., will take over as Trump’s new chief executive later this month or in early November.
As president of the casino association, Juliano serves as the chief spokesman for the gaming industry. The association, which includes all 11 Atlantic City casino hotels, is the industry’s lobbying group. Traditionally, its president is also a senior casino executive, so Juliano’s ouster at Trump has triggered the search for a new president.
The pending change in leadership comes at a crucial time. Juliano has been acting as the industry’s point man in discussions with lawmakers and Gov. Chris Christie’s office on plans for a new state-run tourism district to oversee Atlantic City’s casino zones. The governor is pushing the proposal to help clean up city blight and revive the slumping casinos, now mired in a four-year revenue decline.
Juliano said the association’s switch to a new president should not delay or hinder talks with the Christie administration.
“The association has been comprised of the same members for some time and all of them have been part of the negotiations for some time, so it will be seamless,” he said. “There are a lot of people who can reach directly into the administration and vice versa.”
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