After 17 years as the President and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA) Frank Fahrenkopf will step down as of June 30.
The former Chairman of the Republican Party has held the position since the AGA first formed back in 1995. According to a statement released by the AGA, Fahrenkopf’s departure has been in the works since December of 2011.
In that same statement, Fahrenkopf had high praise for his time with the AGA:
I have enjoyed my time at the helm of this incredible organization and am proud to have represented an industry that provides tens of millions of men and women with the best entertainment value in the world. It has been a true honor to work with so many passionate and innovative leaders as we have moved the industry forward during the past 17 ½ years.
During his time with AGA, Fahrenkopf spearheaded a number of influential initiatives including the National Center for Responsible Gaming and the popular Global Gaming Expo trade show. He also pushed to codify an industry-wide code of conduct and pushed for more diversity in the gaming industry as a whole.
It’s to overstate Fahrenkopf’s imprint on the modern gambling industry and his colleagues at the AGA said as much in their own statements released by the organization. Here’s what Bally Technologies Chairman, and AGA Chairman, Richard Haddrill had to say about his colleague:
He has been a steady, thoughtful leader through a period of great change for our industry and has steered us through some of its most difficult challenges. The fact that today our industry is recognized as a vital part of the global economy is in no small part due to his tireless efforts and leadership.
Before joining up with the AGA, Fahrenkopf worked as a gaming lawyer in Nevada and was a founding member of the International Association of Gaming Attorneys.
The AGA has retained an executive search firm to help fill Fahrenkopf’s position, and he’ll be staying on for a time to help ease the transition.