Kieckhefer, Togliatti Appointed To Gaming Commission

By Dana Gentry, Nevada Current

October 9, 2021

Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday appointed retired Clark County Judge Jennifer Togliatti as the first woman to chair the Nevada Gaming Commission. She’ll be joined on the commission by state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, a Republican, who announced Friday morning that he would be resigning from the state Senate.

Togliatti and Kieckhefer “are highly qualified appointments to these positions, and I am glad to have them continue their service to the Silver State by serving on the Nevada Gaming Commission,” Sisolak said in a release. “This commission is the gold standard of gaming regulation, and these appointments will continue to honor that.”

Togliatti retired from Clark County District Court in 2019. She was nominated in 2020 by then-Pres. Donald Trump to the federal bench, but the Senate never voted on her nomination.

She is the second member of her family to serve in the Sisolak administration. Her father, George Togliatti, is the director of Public Safety. He previously served as Vice President of Security of MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment.

Kieckhefer, a former journalist and longtime lawmaker, is the director of client relations at the McDonald Carano law and government relations firm. He is known in the Legislature for his ability to bridge partisan divides.

The Gaming Commission acts on recommendations from the Gaming Control Board and is the final authority on licensing matters. It also adopts regulations.

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