Casino Enterprise Management Honors 2012 Great Women of Gaming Award Winners

10 Female Gaming Industry Executives Honored for Outstanding Professionalism, Perseverance, Drive, Commitment and Mentorship.

Casino Enterprise Management magazine, the leading gaming industry trade publication, training event producer and the "Official Publication" of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), is pleased to announce the winners of its 2012 Great Women of Gaming Awards, now in its eighth year.

The awards are broken down into two categories: Proven Leaders and Rising Stars, with five Proven Leaders and five 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, hold a position of director or higher and have 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 2012 Great Women of Gaming Proven Leader Award Winners are:

•     Tammy Farley, President and Co-Founder, The Rainmaker Group

•     Kelly Shaw, Vice President of System Sales and Marketing, Aristocrat

•     Randi Ingram, Vice President of Sales, Multimedia Games

•     Laura Olson Reyes, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing, Bally Technologies

•     Suzanne Trout, Chief Marketing Officer, Rush Street Gaming

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 2012 Great Women of Gaming Rising Star Award Winners are:

•     Kari McCormick, Business Development Manager, Kitchell

•     Krista Clar, Director of Internal Communications, MGM Resorts International

•     Jennifer Cross, Marketing Manager for the Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce, Newcastle Casino

•     Christy Joiner Congleton, Chief Executive Officer and President, Stics

•     Cathryn Lai, Director of Product Management Platform, WMS

The judging committee was made up of former Great Women of Gaming award winners and other industry leaders. They included: Staci Alonso, Chief Marketing Officer, IGT; Diana Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Paragon Gaming; Dona Cassese, Vice President of Advertising and Communications, Aristocrat Americas; Tracy Cohen, Director of Europe, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers and Marketing Manager, TCSJOHNHUXLEY; Sheila Morago, Executive Director, Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association; Courtney Muller, Senior Vice President, Reed Exhibitions; Debi Nutton, Senior Vice President of Casino Operations, Bellagio Resort and Casino; and Judy Patterson, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, American Gaming Association.

"It's a pleasure to present our Great Women of Gaming Awards to the industry," said Peter Mead, publisher of Casino Enterprise Management magazine. "Each of the women nominated truly deserve the recognition, and our judges must have struggled choosing which of them would receive the coveted spots as award winners. As always, they did an excellent job and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. Congratulations to all winners, as they continue to strive for personal and professional excellence."

An in-depth article featuring profiles of this year's 10 award winners will be featured in the May 2013 issue of Casino Enterprise Management. The winners will also receive a prestigious crystal Great Women of Gaming Award and the chance to be featured on a CEM Audio Edge talk radio show. For more information about the Great Women of Gaming Awards, visit www.greatwomenofgaming.com.