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Mount Airy Resort Management Team Named

PARADISE TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Mount Airy Resort & Casino today announced the selection of a nationally recognized gaming management team that will spearhead the development of gaming in the Poconos.

The new team is led by Paul Henderson, the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Caesars Atlantic City, the Atlantic City Hilton, and Trump Marina Hotel and Casino. Henderson's team of 11 top industry executives collectively has worked at more than 50 casinos and gaming companies worldwide, and has an extensive background in the development, design, opening and operation of gaming facilities.

"We are very pleased to have assembled a first-class team that has a tremendous record of achievement in the gaming industry," said Louis A. DeNaples, the northeastern Pennsylvania businessman who owns Mount Airy and is seeking a gaming license for the site. "Their expertise will be invaluable as we work to obtain a gaming license that will provide a tremendous economic boost to the Pocono region. These are the gaming professionals who can help us create the very best gaming facility in Pennsylvania."

The casino is the anchor for the spectacular $360 million redevelopment of the former Mount Airy Lodge in Paradise Township, long recognized nationwide as a signature Pocono resort. The new Mount Airy Resort & Casino will include a 200-room luxury resort hotel, a gaming and entertainment complex that would house 3,000 slot machines, four restaurants, two live entertainment lounges, an 18-hole championship golf course (already in operation), an indoor pool, spa, retail shops, and a covered parking facility. Phase I construction is estimated at $300 million, which would be followed in Phase II with an expanded casino to accommodate a total of 5,000 slot machines, an additional 200 luxury hotel rooms, and additional conference, entertainment and parking facilities. Plans envision the resort and casino as the centerpiece of the 890-acre site that also features 550 acres of permanently preserved open space.

Henderson will serve as Chief Operating Officer at the new Mount Airy. His 30-year gaming career includes service as former President, COO, and a member of the team that opened Caesars Atlantic City casino. Henderson also is a former President and COO of the Atlantic City Hilton; and former President and COO of Trump Marina Hotel and Casino. In addition, Henderson also was the President of Marketing for Caesars World, Inc. and the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Bally's Las Vegas.

"From the beginning, I have been impressed by Louis DeNaples' vision for Mount Airy, which he intends as a premier gaming venue that also will help attract new visitors and further improve the economy of the Pocono region," said Henderson. "We have an excellent site and a great project, and it is a privilege to work with such a first-class team that has the experience to implement his vision. I am really looking forward to opening the new Mount Airy, and working with local business and community leaders to ensure that our facility benefits the entire Pocono community."

The redevelopment of the Mount Airy site will create 300 construction jobs and 650 full-time jobs when complete. During its first year of operation, Mount Airy Resort & Casino will generate $83 million in state and local tax assessments. That figure is expected to grow to $161 million by the resort's fifth year in operation. Spending during the resort's first year of operation is estimated at $57 million, which will in turn generate $69.3 in additional economic activity, much of it throughout the region. Those numbers are projected to grow to $104 million in spending by Year Five, which will generate $134 million in economic output.

The planned Mount Airy Resort & Casino already is well ahead of its competitors in seeking a gaming license for the region. No major zoning or building variances will be needed to construct the facility and 88 buildings on the site have already been demolished, including the former Mount Airy Lodge.

The project team has also made substantial progress in obtaining the necessary utility, land use, and permit approvals. That includes the complete rehabilitation of an existing Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection permitted wastewater treatment plant with the capacity to treat 220,000 gallons per day, well above the projected needs of the resort in its first phase. Other key milestones include the completion of environment stormwater infiltration tests, test borings, and comprehensive traffic analysis, as well as the approval of the sewage planning module for the site by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Other members of the Mount Airy gaming management team include:

Victor Weclew, Director of Casino Operations / Slots Manager

Weclew, who has more than 28 years of experience in the gaming industry and has been involved in the startup of 20 successful casino operations, will serve as the Director of Slots Design for the project. In this role, Weclew will be directly responsible for all aspects of slots operations, will supervise technicians and other employees who work in the slot area, and will be responsible for player programs on the casino floor. Weclew is the former head of the Norwegian Cruise Line's Casino Department, former Vice President of Casino Operations at Players International, and the former President and COO of Tiber Trading United States Division, a Swiss gaming company.

Steve Murphy, Director of Information Technology

Murphy, the Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology for Hyatt Gaming Management, will serve as the Chief Technology Officer for the project. Murphy will be responsible for coordinating the technology needed to implement and operate slot machines and meet the other needs of casino operations. This will include the responsibility of ensuring proper reporting of data and information to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the development of systems to assure compliance with slot reporting requirement and the Commonwealth's central computer system for gaming. Murphy's other experience includes working as the Director of Systems Management and Applications Support for MGM Mirage. He was also instrumental in the opening of the Bellagio Casino & Resort, the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort and the Fallsview Casino & Resort.

Tonia Ribble-Lewis, Casino Marketing Director

Ribble-Lewis will head up casino marketing efforts for the Mount Airy Resort & Casino. She has 11 years of experience in gaming marketing, most recently as the Manager of Casino Marketing & Co-Op Branding for Norwegian Cruise Line. She also is the former Special Events Manager for Trump Marina Hotel and Casino, the former Promotions Manager for Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, and the former Coordinator of Special Events and Promotions at Harrah's Atlantic City.

John Donnelly, Director of Compliance

Donnelly will serve as Chief of Compliance for the project and will be responsible for complying with Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regulations, currency transaction reporting, employment law and other regulatory aspects of the operations of the proposed Mount Airy Resort & Casino. Donnelly has represented casinos or casino-related matters since 1978 and has served as the casino representative to the United States Treasury's Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group. He also has served as chief legal officer to Resort International, Inc. and Gambling International, two publicly traded gaming corporations. He has represented the Casino Association of New Jersey and its Central Credit System as well as more than 30 multi-casino wide area progressive slot system trusts.

Mary E. Burruss, Human Resources

Mary E. Burruss will serve as the head of human resources and will be responsible for assuring that the company has well developed human relations and diversity practices and procedures. Burruss has extensive background in the gaming industry in this capacity, with more than 20 years of experience. She served as Vice President Human Resources for Caesars Entertainment, Vice President Human Resources for Park Place Entertainment, Director of Human Resources for Bally's Grand, and Director of Human Resources for Bally's Park Place.

N.D. "Butch" Witcher, Slots Layout and Design

Witcher will be responsible for slot machine floor design and layout, including the placement and floor layout of slots by brand, style, denomination, and the purchase of the resort's initial complement of slot machines. His expertise has been put to use by some of the leading companies in the gaming industry, including Lakes Entertainment, Harrah's of New Orleans, Isle of Capri, Foxwoods Resort and others. Witcher is the former Vice President of Gaming at Grand Casinos and serves on the Board of Directors of Spectre Gaming. His other executive-level experience includes work with the Flamingo, Frontier, Tropicana, Dunes, Resorts International, and Bally's Park Place.

Beryl Tweedle and Berniena Fiore, Diversity Outreach / Training Education Coordinators

Tweedle and Fiore will be responsible for developing and implementing an outreach program designed to identify and recruit women and minorities as employees for Mount Airy Resort & Casino. They also will be responsible for working with local educational institutions in the Pocono region to develop a gaming training school that will train potential employees. In addition, they will oversee the planned development and implementation of an employee retention program designed to retain employees of Mount Airy, with an emphasis on minorities and women. Tweedle and Fiore will bring more than 50 years of combined experience in the gaming industry to the project team, including their expertise in operating one of the largest gaming schools in New Jersey.

William Callnin and George Carmona, Gaming Advisors

Callnin and Carmona, through Cayuga Hospitality Advisors, will serve as overall gaming advisors to the project, providing consultation on the conceptual design, planning, building, furnishing, licensing and preparation for operation of Mount Airy. Callnin has been a member of the resort-casino development teams for Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort; Wyndham Old San Juan; Four Seasons Resort at Emerald Bay, The Bahamas; Fairmont Coco Beach Resort; Bally's Park Place; and many other gaming projects and companies. Carmona has served as casino controller, financial planner and audit director for several casino hotels in Atlantic City; the casino administrator and casino director for the El San Juan Hotel and Casino, Puerto Rico; and has developed casino revenue audit policies, procedures and controls for numerous casinos on a consulting basis.

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