2024 Hall of Fame
DUNCAN MCKENZIE - INDUSTRY PIONEER
Duncan McKenzie has spent almost 30 years in key leadership roles in the casino industry, with more than 20 of those years here in Mississippi. Before arriving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1999, McKenzie was general manager of the Flamingo Casino New Orleans (1992-1997) and later worked at the Flamingo Casino in Kansas City (1997-1999).
In 1999, McKenzie, along with his wife Margaret and daughters Kelly and Jamie, arrived in Gulfport joined the Grand Casino team, first as executive vice president and general manager of Grand Casino Gulfport, then as president and general manager of Grand Casino Biloxi, a position he held until 2005.
In 2005, McKenzie became regional vice president of Isle of Capri Casinos overseeing four properties in Mississippi and one in Louisiana. McKenzie held this role until 2008, when he followed the beat and became president and general manager of Biloxi’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Among his highlights at the property was managing the construction of the second hotel tower.
In 2014, McKenzie moved to IP Casino Resort Spa, where he served as vice president and general manager until 2020. Currently, McKenzie works as a gaming consultant.
Throughout his career, McKenzie has opened several properties and turned around multiple others from an EBITDA loss to targeted returns. He has served as president of gaming associations in three jurisdictions: Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri. He has also been active on a variety of community boards, including serving as chairman of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Foundation Chairman and the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce.
McKenzie has been a member of several other boards and organizations as well, and he currently sits on the board of directors of the Mississippi Aquarium. He is an active volunteer for community events, including serving holiday meals for those in need through the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. McKenzie earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Michigan State University in 1975. He received a Certification of Hospitality Accountant (CHAE) from the International Association of Hospitality Accountants. McKenzie completed the Executive Development Program with Hilton Hotels Corporation and the Gaming Development Program at the University of Nevada/Reno. Furthermore, he attended the Marketing Management Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. A grandfather of three, McKenzie continues to reside along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with his wife, Margaret, of nearly 43 years.
HUGH KEATING - INDUSTRY INFLUENCER
Hugh Keating, mayor-elect of Gulfport and an AV-rated preeminent attorney with 45 years of legal practice in Mississippi, is a pivotal figure in the state’s gaming industry. His instrumental contributions began in 1988, supporting the passage of the Cruise Vessel Gaming Act, which enabled dockside gaming, and the Mississippi Gaming Control Act, which established the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Keating worked with gaming industry leaders Sy Redd, Rick Carter and Terry Green in 1988 and handled all legal aspects in the formation of Pride Cruise Lines, Ltd. and Gulfside Casino Partnership, operator for the gaming vessel known as the M/V Pride of Mississippi. He closed the transaction for the acquisition of the Pride of Mississippi, which was purchased by Gulfside Casino Partnership, and placed into service in 1989 as a gambling vessel in what was called “cruises to nowhere,” traveling through the Mississippi Sound into international waters.
Keating drafted and negotiated the first gaming vessel lease with the Mississippi State Port Authority, allowing the Pride of Mississippi to operate out of the Port of Gulfport. He also assisted Redd in obtaining the first Foreign Gaming License approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which allowed Redd an ownership interest in Pride of Mississippi’s gaming operations.
Additionally, Keating represented and assisted Redd, Carter and Green in drafting and lobbying for passage of the Cruise Vessel Gaming Act in March 1989. This allowed for gaming to commence once the vessel was underway and 1,500 yards from the dock. The Act ultimately paved the way for dockside gaming. (The Mississippi Legislature acted in 1990 and the Mississippi Gaming Control Act and its regulatory agency, the Mississippi Gaming Commission, were born.)
Keating was also one of the community leaders involved in the efforts that led to dockside gaming in Harrison County. Among his contributions to the industry, he has:
Represented Lady Luck Casino and Andrew Thompkins in property transactions;
Secured approvals for Gulfside Casino Partnership’s Copa Casino and Grand Casino Gulfport acquisition;
Negotiated land acquisitions and leases for Grand Casino Gulfport and Biloxi;
Represented Aristocrat Leisure Limited for licensing and served on its Gaming Compliance Committee; and
Advised casino leaders, municipalities, and stakeholders on development, zoning, and regulatory matters.
Keating has served as general counsel for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, better known as Coastal Mississippi, and its predecessor, the Harrison County Tourism Commission, since 1987. During the 35-year period, tourism in Coastal Mississippi has grown and flourish exponentially.
Keating’s law firm has been an associate member of the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association for years and is member of the Gaming Law Section of the Mississippi Bar. Keating resides in Gulfport with his wife, Donna, of nearly 43 years.
KIRK FORDICE - INDUSTRY REGULATORY/GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
Daniel Kirkwood Fordice was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 10, 1934. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1956 and a master’s degree in industrial administration in 1957 at Purdue University. After graduate school, the Governor served two years active duty in the U.S. Army, followed by service in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel in 1977. He was also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
In 1991, Fordice was elected Mississippi’s first Republican governor in 118 years. In his successful campaign for re-election in 1995, he became the first Mississippi governor to be re-elected in more than a century.
At the time of his election, Fordice was the chief executive officer of Fordice Construction Company, a heavy-construction general contracting firm in Vicksburg. He also served as president of the Associated General Contractors of America and was named the association’s Man of the Year in 1992. For many years, he worked tirelessly at the local level to promote Republican candidates and causes before he decided to run for governor. He won on his first attempt at public office.
Gov. Fordice advocated conservative and pro-business policies and succeeded in eliminating the capital-gains taxes for Mississippi-based companies. The state enjoyed unprecedented prosperity during his two terms in office.
In 1993, Gov. Fordice played a key role in the formation of the Mississippi Gaming Commission by appointing its first three Commissioners: Stuart C. Irby (Chairman), Robert C. Engram, and Bill Gresham in 1993, laying the foundation for what the industry has become today.
While in office, Gov. Fordice served as chairman of the Southern Governors Association and the Southern Growth Policies Board and was instrumental in bringing the annual meetings of both organizations to Biloxi.
Patricia Owens “Pat” Fordice served her state tirelessly as first lady during the Fordice years, promoting literacy, the arts, health issues, strong families, and volunteerism. Together, the couple raised four children: Angie, Hunter, Jim, and Dan.
An avid sportsman, outdoorsman, and horseman, Gov. Fordice held lifelong memberships in the National Rifle Association, Nature Conservancy, the American Quarter Horse Association, and the National Cutting Horse Association. He died Sept. 7, 2004, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.