WASHINGTON—The American Gaming Association (AGA) today announced Jan L. Jones, senior vice president of communications and government relations for Caesars Entertainment Corporation, will be the recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaming Communications. Each year, the AGA recognizes an individual for their significant career achievements in gaming industry communications as part of the AGA Communications Awards ceremony.  The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas during Global Gaming Expo.

“For several decades, Jan has been a key figure in the gaming community, and she is certainly well-deserving of this honor,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the AGA. “Throughout her career, she has made substantial contributions to the growth and development of the gaming industry, such as advancing the industry’s focus on corporate social responsibility and communicating the positive impact of the gaming industry in communities across the country and around the world.”

In her current position with Caesars Entertainment, Jones oversees all worldwide government affairs, corporate communications, community relations and corporate social responsibility programs for the $9 billion corporation – the world’s largest gaming company. Prior to joining the company in November 1999, Jones served two terms as mayor of the City of Las Vegas. She was the city’s first woman chief executive and often is credited with accelerating the growth of Las Vegas in the 1990’s. She also sits on the board of directors of Nevada Public Radio and the Women’s Campaign Fund and is regional vice chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Committee.

Jones, the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaming Communications, has been a proactive figure in supporting women in the industry and is a member of the steering committee for the AGA’s newly formed Global Gaming Women (GGW) initiative. In addition to addressing Communications Awards luncheon attendees, she also will be sitting on the State of the Industry panel at G2E, taking place the same day at 10:30 a.m.

The AGA Communications Awards are made possible by support from Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern (PBTK) and Global Gaming Expo (G2E).

If you are interested in purchasing tickets to the Communications Awards ceremony or covering the event, contact Brian Lehman at blehman@americangaming.org [1] or 202-552-2680.

The AGA represents the commercial casino-entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern. To follow the AGA on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/americangaming [2]; for Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/AGAupdate [3].