Featured Speaker:
Virginia McDowell
President and CEO, Isle of Capris Casinos

"Challenges of Doing Business in a Highly Regulated Environment"

Views from the Gaming Industry

Named Gaming Executive of the Year for 2009 by Casino Journal Magazine, Virginia McDowell has always performed at the top of her game. Among the top ten publicly-traded gaming corporations, she is the only female chief executive officer. Virginia's achievements include combining nearly thirty years of casino experience with strong business skills and a demonstrated ability to communicate at every level.

Over the past ten years, Virginia has analyzed corporate strategy, researched customer trends and studied competitive markets resulting in a unique perspective among gaming operators. Prior to her current role as chief executive officer, Virginia served as president and chief operating officer for Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. since July 2007. Her proven leadership experience in both regional and destination markets are coupled with success in the areas of operations, information technology, business development, and marketing, including sales, corporate communications and branding. She spent sixteen years working in the Atlantic City market before joining Argosy Gaming Company in Alton, Ill. as a member of the turnaround management team. From 2005 through 2007, Virginia served as executive vice president and chief information officer for Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc.

Community service has long been a part of Virginia's life and her leadership extends outside the office. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at Haven House St. Louis. She was the founding board chair and president of Gilda's Club St. Louis, and previously served as president of AMC Cancer Research. She was also a founding member of Winning Women, a partnership with the St. Louis County Economic Council.

A 1980 graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia with a bachelor's degree in communications, Virginia is a former member of Temple's Presidents Advisory Board, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Saint Louis University. She is also a member of the Regional Business Council in St. Louis; a board member at Churchill Center & School, and an advisory board member of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery.

Within the gaming industry, Virginia sits on the Board of Directors for the American Gaming Association and the board of trustees of the National Center for Responsible Gaming. She previously served as a member of the Conference Advisory Board for the Global Gaming Expo, and has served as a featured speaker of several major industry conferences.

Her hard work has been recognized with several prestigious awards. In 2011, the St. Louis Business Journal named her one of the Most Influential St. Louisans. In 2010, she was named by the YWCA as a Leader of Distinction; honored with the Community Service Award by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and presented with a "Lifetime Achievement Award in Marketing" at the Casino Marketing industry conference. She was honored as one of the 2008 Winning Women Regional Economic Development Award winners, and in 2007 named one of Casino Enterprise Management magazine's "Great Women of Gaming."

- Biography taken from http://www.islecorp.com/management-mcdowell.aspx