BY TYREL LINKHORN
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
Four years after coming to Toledo to help Penn National Gaming launch its first casino in Ohio, Richard St. Jean is moving on to his next job.
As general manager of Hollywood Casino Toledo, Mr. St. Jean has drawn praise for his work integrating the facility into the community.
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“He’s just been absolutely wonderful,” Rossford Mayor Neil MacKinnon said Friday. “He’s part of the fabric of our community. He’s very well-liked and respected here in the city of Rossford.”
The person who answered the phone Friday at Mr. St. Jean’s office said he wasn’t available.
A Penn National spokesman told The Blade the company had no announcement about any leaderships changes.
However, Rossford City Council plans to recognize Mr. St. Jean at its Tuesday meeting with a proclamation.
Mr. MacKinnon said the city felt it was important to show its appreciation to Mr. St Jean and the company before he leaves at the end of the month
“Hollywood Casino has been a big provider of jobs, they’ve been a big financial contributor to our safety services, and they’ve been a huge sponsor and financial contributor to the Rossford Business Association the Rossford Convention and Visitors Bureau,” Mr. MacKinnon said.
Mr. St. Jean arrived in Toledo in May, 2011, having most recently overseen a string of properties for another gaming company.
When he got here, construction of Penn National’s $300 million project was less than half finished. He was tasked with overseeing the completion of construction, furnishing the casino, bringing together an executive team, and hiring about 1,300 employees.
Mr. MacKinnon said Mr. St. Jean will be going to California to repeat all of that at a new property Penn National is opening.
Penn National officials had no comment, though the company does have plans to open a Hollywood-branded casino near San Diego in mid-2016.
Mr. MacKinnon said Penn National has tapped Frank Quigley to take Mr. St. Jean’s place in Toledo.
Mr. Quigley has had a long and varied career in the gaming industry. He retired from Penn National in 2013 after more than a decade with the company, but was back in its employ a little more than a year later as the interim chief executive officer of Casino Rama in Ontario.
He left that position earlier this month.
Mr. MacKinnon said he has met the incoming boss and looks forward to working with him as he did Mr. St. Jean.
“They’re just great people and they do a lot for our community,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better corporate neighbor.”
Though Hollywood Casino Toledo is officially in the city of Toledo, it’s a mere stone’s throw from downtown Rossford. Mr. MacKinnon said Penn National has been a good neighbor to both. For example, Penn National gave Rossford $200,000 to go toward its police and fire services and paid for a police dog unit.
Though some had worried about in increase in crime around Ohio’s casinos, Mr. MacKinnon said it’s been just the opposite.
“We actually are safer because of the Hollywood Casino,” he said.
Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 419-724-6134 or on Twitter @BladeAutoWriter.
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