Casino Control Commission elects Joyce Molineux vice chair, approves multiple key-employee licenses and denies early self‑exclusion removal

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission elected Commissioner Joyce Molineux as vice chair and handled a series of licensing and administrative matters at its public meeting. Commissioners unanimously ratified the January 14, 2026 minutes, moved to elect Molineux to satisfy a statutory requirement for a vice chair, and congratulated her after the vote.

The meeting focused largely on casino key‑employee licensure. Staff recommended approval of multiple initial and resubmitted casino key‑employee applications; the commission granted a set of initial licenses (including Anna L. Contreras Rocco and Jared B. Schwartz) and approved 13 resubmitted applications that staff had recommended. Several resubmitted matters that drew division objections were remanded to the contested‑case process for hearing (including Jody Hendry, also identified as Jody Eichler, and Michael R. Reynolds; and separately Rebecca L. Butler Nesbitt and Rakim D. Stewart). Several other resubmissions — including Vincent A. Alfieri Sr., William M. Fritz, Patrick D. Martin (with a waiver of residency pursuant to NJSA 5:12‑89(b)), Edmund J. Quatman Jr. (with a residency waiver), and Edward A. Taylor — were approved by roll call votes.

Senior counsel Teresa Pippinelli presented stipulations of settlement for individual initial applications. The commission approved a stipulation for Ryan Peters (docket 250200CK), which counsel said would license Peters through February 2031; the division of gaming enforcement supported the stipulation. The commission likewise approved a stipulation for Deshona Moses (docket 250163CK).

The commission denied the initial application of Courtney Boone (docket 250192CK) after the division recommended denial and the record showed the applicant did not complete the contested‑case process after the matter was remanded. Commissioners moved to find Boone disqualified under the Casino Control Act provisions cited in the division's report and voted to deny her application.

On an appeal involving a request to be removed early from the self‑exclusion list (docket 250152AP), the commission reviewed the hearing examiner’s initial decision (filed Dec. 31, 2025) denying the appellant’s request. The division later submitted correspondence asserting the appellant enrolled in an additional self‑exclusion term on Aug. 24, 2025. The hearing examiner told the commission that an appellate decision must be grounded on the record presented at the appeal and declined to alter the initial decision based on materials outside the appellate record; the examiner moved only to correct a clerical error in the written opinion (changing an account‑creation date to Jan. 8, 2025). The commission adopted the initial decision as modified and denied the appellant’s request to be removed before the January 8, 2026 expiration date.

The division requested that the contested‑case initial application of Kalevia (Kaelidia/Kailedia in transcript variants) Macon be returned to the division for additional investigation after the underlying criminal matter was resolved; the commission granted the division’s request and referred the matter back to investigative staff.

The commission adopted a contested‑case initial decision finding Travis Truong qualified for plenary casino key‑employee licensure as vice president, Asian marketing for Marina District Development Company LLC (Borgata). The commission also granted plenary qualification for Albert L. Forkner to serve as a director of Pioneer Fiduciary Company LLC and temporarily authorized Karen M. Wells (to serve on MGM Resorts International’s compliance committee) and Joseph Hassan (to serve as manager and president of MGA Holding NJ LLC), in each case subject to the statutory and regulatory conditions cited in the draft resolutions.

Commissioners adopted several delegations of authority: amendments to the chairman’s delegation (including limited multi‑casino-endorsement authority in extraordinary circumstances), readoption of general counsel and executive secretary delegations, and an amended delegation to the director of regulatory affairs allowing withdrawal of temporary or plenary license applications containing negative information after consultation with the chairman. Manager Harry Gevis summarized delegated approvals issued under authority in January 2026 (temporary licenses at multiple casino properties); no further action was required on those delegated approvals.

There were no public commenters in the meeting’s public participation portion. The commission announced the next closed session for March 11, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned.

"An appellate decision is grounded solely on the testimony, evidence, and record presented to the appellate judge or panel at the time of the appeal," the hearing examiner said when explaining why extrarecord correspondence could not be used to change the December 31 initial decision. Teresa Pippinelli, senior counsel for the commission, told commissioners the Peters stipulation would license him through February 2031, and Jocelyn Fedowitz, deputy attorney general for the division, said the division “respectfully request[ed] that the stipulation be approved as submitted.”

The meeting produced routine administrative outcomes — approvals, remands to hearings, a denial for procedural noncompliance, a corrected clerical date in an initial decision, and two temporary corporate qualifications — and concluded with unanimous or near‑unanimous votes on the recorded actions.