Gary Palmer, President and CEO, joined Prairie Meadows in 1998. Gary has lived in eastern Polk County, Iowa all his life. A graduate of Bondurant-Farrar High School, Gary earned an associate's degree from Grand View College (Des Moines) and a bachelor's degree in business management from Drake University (Des Moines). Gary served on the board of Racing Association of Central Iowa (RACI) from 1994-1998 before he became a full-time staff member at Prairie Meadows.

Gary serves as treasurer of the Iowa Gaming Association's executive board, he is a cabinet member of the United Way of Central Iowa, he serves on the Grand View University board of trustees and he is a member of the Grand View Planning committee. In addition, he serves on the boards of directors of Greater Des Moines Partnership, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, East Polk Development, and Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. Gary is also active in Altoona Chamber of Commerce, East Polk Rotary Club, King David Masonic Lodge, Za Ga Zig Shrine, and he is a member of the Royal Order of Jesters.

His previous community involvement included service on the board of the Des Moines Sports Authority, and he was a member of the Northeast Polk Development Group and Polk County Aviation Authority. In addition, Gary served two consecutive 3-year terms as an elected director on the Bondurant-Farrar School Board.

Gary honorably served in the United States Air Force from 1965-1969, which included a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam. Gary and his wife Ginger have two daughters, Wendy (Bill) Murphy and Amanda (Kyle) Mertz, and three grandchildren-Sophia, Palmer, and Madi.

Ann Atkin, Vice President of Operations, began her career in gaming in 1985 with Harrah's in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. A native of Oregon, Ann completed her studies in gaming and casino operations at the University of Nevada-Reno while working in slot and table games management roles. In 1992 during the height of the riverboat openings, Ann was selected to the opening team at Harrah's Shreveport, where they opened two riverboats in three years. She coordinated the approval process with the Louisiana State Police for slots and assisted the table games department with their approval. In 1996, Ann moved to St. Louis to open Player's Island Casino. As director of casino operations, Ann was a member of the executive management team including a six-month assignment as director of security. In 2000, Players Island was sold and Ann moved to Altoona to join Prairie Meadows.

Ann was Prairie Meadows’ Director of Slots until 2004 when she was promoted to Director of Casino Operations and was assigned to administer the inclusion of table games operations. Because of her extensive experience in table games, the new addition of table games and poker went smoothly. In 2006, Ann was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Ann's areas of responsibility include Slots, Table Games, Food and Beverage, Racing, Special Events, Security, and Community Relations.

In 2007, Ann was invited to be a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program to discuss the synergy of racing and casinos due to the implementation of racinos across the United States.

During the years that Ann lived in Louisiana, she was a volunteer for "Paint Your Heart Out-Shreveport," a non-profit organization that restored houses for the City's fixed income residents. After Ann joined Prairie Meadows, she served on the board of directors for Prevent Blindness Iowa, Altoona Chamber of Commerce, East Polk Regional Development, Altoona Community Foundation, and the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ann currently serves as alternate director of the Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Brian Wessels joined Prairie Meadows in October 2008 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Brian graduated from the school of business accounting at the University of Northern Iowa, and he attended the graduate program in business administration at the University of South Dakota. Brian brings vital experience as the former chief financial officer and director of finance at Argosy Casino Sioux City. There, he led seven departments - accounting, compliance, purchasing, cage operations, information technology, receiving, and risk management. He also served that organization as acting general manager and transition team leader during Argosy Gaming Company's changeover ownership to Penn National Gaming. Before that, Brian was director of finance for two gaming properties, the Admiral Saint Louis (President Casinos) and Meskwaki Bingo and Casino (Tama). At the beginning of his career, Brian gained foundational working experience at public accounting firms. Brian formerly served on the board of Habitat for Humanity (Sioux City) and he was board chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland. He initially became involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters in January 2002, serving as a board member of the Southern Illinois chapter.

Dan Byers, a lifelong resident of Polk County, joined Prairie Meadows in 1998. After graduation from Bondurant-Farrar Community High School, Dan earned a bachelor of science degree in distributive studies from Iowa State University. He began working in human resources at the Firestone-Des Moines plant in 1972 and retired from that organization in 1998.

In addition, Dan completed a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam and attained the Sergeant's E-5 ranking while he honorably served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967. His hobbies include farming and raising horses. Dan and his wife, Betty, have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

Elaine Castelline joined Prairie Meadows in 1998 as an accounting supervisor and has recently been promoted to Director of Accounting. Elaine's 20 years of tax and accounting experience include previous employment as a staff accountant for a certified public accounting firm in South Carolina. In addition, Elaine is a recipient of Who's Who Among Students in America's Junior Colleges.

She is active in Junior Achievement and is a Stephen Minister, one who provides Christian outreach through formalized one-on-one caregiving. Elaine is married and has two sons.

Tony Guzman, Director of Information Technology, joined Prairie Meadows in September 2001. A Des Moines, Iowa native and a graduate of Lincoln High School, he also has training from Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny. Before coming to Prairie Meadows, he was technical supervisor at RR Donnelley Printing. Tony and his wife Ann currently live in Pleasant Hill. Tony has three daughters, Dana, Miranda, and Cassandra and a son, Tony.

Derron Heldt, Director of Racing, has been with Prairie Meadows since 1997. Derron previously worked in numerous capacities as a racing official at Oaklawn Park, Aksarben, Canterbury Downs, Lincoln State Fair, and Columbus Race Course. Derron is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, with a BA degree in agriculture. He has been active in the racing industry since early childhood, working with race horses on his parents' ranch in Nebraska.

Derron is a participating member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and serves on the board of the Prairie Meadows Track Chaplaincy. Derron and his wife, Chris, have three children.

Paul Johnson joined Prairie Meadows in 1995 and was promoted to Director of Slots in 2006. He graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and he attended State College in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Paul is a veteran of the United States Military, having honorably served in the Air National Guard and Army Reserves. Before he joined Prairie Meadows, Paul worked for Keebler Company, Merit Baking Company [Archway], and CPS Corporation.

Paul is a 2003 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Transformational Leadership Institute. He previously coached the Bondurant Soccer Club and Bondurant Little League, having served as president and vice president, respectively, of those two organizations. He formerly chaired the Bondurant Parks and Recreation Board and is a past vice president of the Bondurant-Farrar Athletic Booster Club. Paul is a past member of the Bondurant Men's Club. Paul and Janis Johnson have a daughter Tiffany (PJ), a son, Mike (Tisa); and three grandchildren.

Kevin McDonald joined Prairie Meadows in August 2006 as the first Director of Special Events to launch The Meadows Events and Conference Center and oversee casino entertainment and events. In February 2011, he assumed duties for the opening and operation of the property's latest addition, a 168-room hotel.

A Des Moines native, Kevin graduated from Valley High School and earned a scholarship to Utah State University working for their football program. He later studied sports management at the University of Iowa, gaining hands-on industry experience working as clubhouse manager for the Iowa Cubs minor league baseball team and undertaking various positions in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

In 1996, he began a 10-year career with the original Arena Football League (AFL) when he joined the Minnesota Fighting Pike. He went on to become the director of operations for the Iowa Barnstormers, Chicago Rush, and Kansas City Brigade AFL franchises, eventually directing events for three ArenaBowl league championships and serving as an expansion operations consultant to the Philadelphia Soul. During that time, through AFL events production and the seizing of outside opportunities, he continued to strengthen his background in the hospitality and live entertainment industries.

Kevin's current community involvement encompasses his church; the teaching of business curriculum to elementary school students through Junior Achievement of Central Iowa; and serving on the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Des Moines Area Sports Commission. He is also a member of the Greater Des Moines Business Exchange and the International Association of Venue Managers.

Kevin and wife Leilani reside in Altoona with their two children, Jared and Ava.

Renee Montgomery, a native of Ames, joined Prairie Meadows in 2002 and is now the Director of Casino Finance. She graduated from Gilbert High School, attended Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado, and Iowa State University. Renee entered the casino industry in 1991. Prior to Prairie Meadows, she worked in various state-regulated Colorado casinos, two tribal casinos in Kansas (Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas and the Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas), along with three Iowa Riverboat Casinos. Renee has been certified in cash operations protection, security and risk management, pit games asset protection, slot ops asset protection, table games training, and casino management.

During the time she lived in Colorado, Renee volunteered as an EMT-B-IV/Firefighter I serving two fire departments in addition to working at St. Francis/Penrose, Woodland Park and Cripple Creek Ambulance Services. Prior to the casino industry, Renee worked for the United States Olympic Committee sports medicine division. She previously participated in the Ames Minor Hockey Association, Pikes Peak Amateur Hockey Association, Gilbert Adult Coed Softball Association, Gilbert Little League and Gilbert Days Committee. She is active in Junior Achievement and 4-H and has previously been involved with Hospice of Central Iowa/Israel House in Ames. Renee has a daughter, a son, and four grandchildren.

With more than 34 years in the casino industry, Hector Morales joined Prairie Meadows in November 2006 as director of table games. During his youth, the native of New York State moved with his family to Puerto Rico where he graduated from high school and received an associate degree in accounting in 1973 from the University of Puerto Rico. His first employer was the El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico where he was a junior accountant, cage supervisor, and table games dealer. Through 1989, Hector's employment as a gaming consultant and member of upper management in the gaming industry led him across the Southern Hemisphere to The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Argentina. In 1989, Hector became vice president of marketing for Carnival Cruise Line's Crystal Palace in Nassau, Bahamas. From 1992-2003, he was executive vice president of Latin America Operations at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and was at MGM's New York, New York from 2004 to 2006 immediately before coming to Prairie Meadows. He is a graduate of PSI Life Success programs and he has completed numerous men's leadership studies. Together, Hector and Lisa Morales have two daughters, Michelle and Betty; two sons, Hector Luis and Stefan; and two grandchildren, Ivan and Jasselyn. His hobbies include golfing and playing the guitar.

Pam Nash, Assistant Director of Facilities, spent her youth in Marion, Iowa. She began working at Prairie Meadows in January 1989, prior to the completion of the facility's original construction. A graduate of Linn-Mar High School, Pam attended Iowa State University where she majored in agricultural education. In 2004, Pam graduated from the Transformational Leadership program hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership Leadership Institute. She is a member of the International Facility Management Association and the International Executive Housekeepers Association.

Jeff Nelson joined the Prairie Meadows team as Director of Marketing in January 2007. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Jeff earned a degree in advertising from the University of Missouri in 1991 and he entered the casino industry in 1996 to facilitate the opening of Station Casino Kansas City. In 1998, Jeff transferred to Las Vegas where he was marketing director for three casinos-Station Casinos Inc., the Tropicana Resort and Casino, and the Sahara Hotel and Casino. Jeff currently serves on the YMCA Board of Directors and the board of directors for JAG (Iowa's Jobs for America's Graduates). He was previously an advisory board member for the School of Finance at the University of Kansas, a volunteer for Special Olympics, and a coach for Pop Warner Football. Jeff lives with his wife, Melissa, sons Trey and Tanner, and daughter Sadie.

Clint Pursley, Director of Security and Interim Director of Facilities, joined Prairie Meadows in 1995. He has 18 years' experience in the casino industry, having worked in Illinois before coming to Iowa. In addition, Clint has completed courses in Casino Operations, Games Protection, Surveillance Operations & Management and Fraud Detection & Prevention at the University of Nevada, Reno; Hazardous Materials Operation at ISU; Emergency Response to Terrorism, Emergency Program Manager, and EOC Management & Operations through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In 2006 Clint received his certification in Gaming Management from the University of Nevada, Reno. Clint is also a 2004 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. In 2011, Clint was a guest speaker at the G2E Conference in Las Vegas. In addition, he was appointed to the ASIS International Gaming and Wagering Protection Council. The Council promotes the practices, processes and procedures of security and surveillance management to professionals in venues where gaming and wagering is legalized and regulated.

Clint has been instrumental in fostering relationships between Prairie Meadows and all facets of emergency services including local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Clint is a member of the National Chiefs of Police Association, American Society of Industrial Security, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, King David Masonic Lodge, and Za Ga Zig Shrine. He also served two years on the board of directors of the Polk County Crime Stoppers and is a past co-chair of the ASIS Central Iowa Chapter's Legislative Committee. In 2007 Clint was a featured speaker at the Las Vegas Gaming Conference (G2E). Clint is married to Beverly and has two sons, Nick and Dustin.

Jerrell Royal joined Prairie Meadows as Assistant Director of Marketing in June 2010. The marketing expertise he brings to Prairie Meadows includes marketing operations, casino marketing, brand management, social media, offer and direct mail management, project management, and sales. Jerrell embarked on a career in gaming at age 18, starting out with the Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 2000, he joined Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., where his endeavors as casino marketing leader and executive host at Harrah's properties located in Kansas City, New Orleans, and Las Vegas led to projects and program development focused on building and retaining VIP relationships. In 2007, Jerrell graduated from the MBA program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Jerrell and Abby have two children, Jackson and Savannah. The Royals are excited to be back in the Midwest.

Julie Stewart joined Prairie Meadows in 1989 during the organization's first year of operation. She became assistant director of marketing in 1996, was appointed interim director of marketing in 2006, and a short time later was named director of community relations. Julie earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She is an honorary member of 40 Under 40, and she is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute's TLP\CLP programs and Leadership Iowa.

Julie currently serves on the boards of Variety-The Children's Charity, Blank Park Zoo Foundation, Better Business Bureau, and United Way Campaign Cabinet. She is also a member of Altoona Elementary PTA, Lutheran Church of the Cross, Altoona Chamber of Commerce, and Polk County Democrats. Julie is a past board member of Greater Des Moines Leadership, Des Moines Arts Festival, Generations Inc., and Altoona Area Chamber of Commerce.

Julie and her husband Mark have three children.

Tony Stork, Assistant Director of Information Technology, joined Prairie Meadows in 1999. Tony has held positions as a Network Analyst, Help Desk Specialist and System Analyst for Prairie Meadows. He worked for 12 years in the health care industry as an Administrator and Regional Director covering Indiana and Michigan. In 1983, Tony received a Bachelor's degree from Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa) and in 1986 earned a Master's degree from Miami (Oxford) University in Oxford, Ohio. At Hamilton College in Des Moines he earned certifications as a Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Tony and his wife, Sandra, have five children.

Dustin VandeWeerd joined Prairie Meadows as Facilities Project Specialist in 2004, and he was promoted a short time thereafter to the position of Facilities Project Manager. Today, as Assistant Director of Facilities, Dustin oversees the design and construction of capital improvement projects at Prairie Meadows. Dustin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Iowa State University. There, he also completed graduate coursework in construction engineering and management. In 2007, he received Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institution.

Food and Beverage Director Clay Willey, a lifelong resident of eastern Polk County, joined Prairie Meadows in May 2008. A past president and board member of the Iowa Restaurant Association, Clay is a certified Foodservice Management Professional® having won multiple menu design awards. He is a graduate of Southeast Polk High School and he attended the University of Houston College of Restaurant and Hotel Management. Previous to Prairie Meadows, Clay was general manager of the Heart of America Restaurants and Inns, owner of Clay's Restaurant, and part owner of the local Union 76 Auto/Truckstop. He is a member of the East Polk Rotary Club and he has been active in Junior Achievement. Clay and Connie Willey have a daughter, two sons, and four grandchildren. His hobbies include music, playing the drums, home remodeling, golf, and spending time with his grandchildren