The New York Gaming Facility Location Board continues to experience turnover. Responsible for deciding where casinos in downstate New York will be located, each of the three licenses comes with a $500 million fee. Recently, Terryl Brown, vice president and general counsel at Pace University, was quietly approved as a new member by a unanimous vote from the New York State Gaming Commission.
Recent Changes
Brown’s appointment follows the abrupt resignation of Ponce Bank CEO Carlos Naudon on February 20. “The Gaming Facility Location Board’s work can be transformational for the State of New York,” said Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer. “Ms. Brown brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and public service to the team that will evaluate casino proposals.”
Brown previously served as the deputy commissioner of legal affairs for the New York City Fire Department. On the GFLB, Brown and her colleagues—Chair Vicki Been and Board Members Marion Phillips III, Stuart Rabinowitz, and Greg Reimers—will be responsible for deciding the allocation of the three casino licenses for New York’s downstate region.
Casino Board Changes
Naudon did not publicly provide a reason for his departure from the GFLB. In his resignation letter to the GFLB and State Gaming Commission, he wrote, “Please accept this letter as my formal resignation … effective immediately. It was a pleasure assisting in the work of the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board.”
Neither the GFLB nor the Gaming Commission issued statements on Naudon’s exit. This was also the case when Quenia Abreu, president of the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, resigned from the GFLB in November. In her short resignation letter, Abreu wrote, “I am writing to inform you that effective today, November 4, 2024, I am resigning my position as a Board Member of the Gaming Facility Location Board. It has been an honor to work alongside such dedicated colleagues on a project of great importance for the State of New York.”
Abreu was quickly replaced by Marion Phillips III, an executive at U.S. News & World Report. Phillips was appointed along with Greg Reimers, a former executive at JPMorgan Chase, who filled a seat that had remained vacant since 2023.
Rotating Boardroom
The five members initially appointed to the New York Gaming Facility Location Board were to serve on the state agency through its awarding of the three gaming concessions. However, since its first meeting in 2014, the GFLB has seen considerable turnover.
Previous GFLB members include Paul Francis, a former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, attorney and Long Island Association President Dennis Glazier, Stony Brook University Council Chairman Kevin Law, and former New York Comptroller William Thompson.
GFLB members must be New York residents and have at least 10 years of experience in accounting, finance, economics, commercial real estate, or an executive capacity of a “large organization.” Board members cannot have close relationships with anyone in the gaming industry nor have a financial interest in gaming companies or their affiliates.
The GFLB is expected to soon begin fielding applications for the three concessions, with a decision likely before December 1, 2025.
