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Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | 7:51 a.m.
Attorney and retired gaming executive Burton Cohen has been elected to the MGM Mirage board of directors.
Cohen, former chief executive of the Desert Inn Hotel & Country Club, retired in 1995 and the same year was elected to the American Gaming Association Hall of Fame.
During Cohen's career he served as co-owner and general manager of the New Frontier, helped developer Jay Sarno open Circus Circus and was an executive at Caesars Palace, the Flamingo and the Dunes.
With his support of the filming of the television show “Vegas$” at the Desert Inn, the resort achieved national fame.
Cohen is an active member of the Las Vegas community, currently serving as chairman of the board of trustees of Sunrise Hospital.
He has served on the board of the Southern Nevada Drug Abuse Council, led a Las Vegas Valley United Way campaign and served on the boards of the Boys’ Club of Clark County and the Nevada division of the American Cancer Society. Cohen has also been an active member in the Anti-Defamation League.
“We are deeply honored that Burton Cohen, a man with such a tremendous range of resort experience and knowledge, has accepted an invitation to join the MGM Mirage Board of Directors,” MGM Mirage Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said today in a statement. “We extend a warm welcome to Mr. Cohen, and we look forward to his guidance and leadership.”
This is the fifth change on the MGM Mirage board since October.
Former gaming regulator and Nevada Resort Association president Bill Bible joined the board last month.
Dr. Joseph H. Sugerman resigned effective Feb. 25 to concentrate on his medical practice.
MGM Mirage general counsel and board member Gary Jacobs resigned his executive and board positions Dec. 15 for reasons that were not disclosed.
Former secretary of state Alexander M. Haig Jr. resigned from the board effective Oct. 7. He died Feb. 20 at the age of 85.
Burt Cohen is a good man! he has been in vegas since the early days, and actually was able to survive Howard Hughes at the Desert Inn which gives him good credibility wherever he is. Welcome back Burton! Please get MGM Grands house in order! especially the crummy gambling situation! :)
Burton Cohen is a fine gentleman, with loads of experience in the gaming, hospitality, and tourism industries and will be a valuable asset to MGM Mirage. He will be focused and should concentrate on growing the revenues of the company, selling some of the under performing assets, and move the total reliance away from Nevada.
Is the BOD turnover a little high?
I can still hear the PBX operator on the TV show Vega$ "paging Mr. Cohen, Mr. Burton Cohen please..." It was one of those little wrinkles that made the show seem more 'real' which was maybe to make up for the running down an alley behind the Golden Nugget and winding up on Industrial Road behind the Stardust... lol
Burt ! it's me! Binzer!!!
I hope this is not a paid position. The stock holders need to take in more than they doll out. -Just Sayin'