Class Notes
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rom the pit bosses to the winning percentage on the slots, John Barron ’01 knows every casino in the Ohio like the back of his hand. He can tell you about the type of felt used on the roulette tables and knows every passage, back staircase, and security camera. He knows the procedures that are followed when you hit it big — and those if you try to cheat the house. But, he’s never placed a bet. Nor will he anytime soon. He is the deputy executive director and general counsel for the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC). When Barron started in the position just over a year ago, the agency was new and tasked with implementing the legislation that allowed casinos to open in the state for the first time. “I joke a lot now about my first day on the job,” Barron said. “It was basically an empty floor with two people. No computers, no copiers, no email, no coffee. … I answered the phones. We didn’t even know where to pick up the mail. It was a bit overwhelming coming from the Ohio Senate, which has decades of resources at its fingertips.” Since that time, Barron has helped build the agency from the ground up. He has written and implemented more than 200 new casino regulations, which oversee everything from who can be hired in gaming positions to the type of dice used by the house, licensing requirements, security, the transfer of money, and advertising. “We can look at other states for guidance, but at the end of the day, this is Ohio – our law, our constitution, and our culture are different than, say, New Jersey,” Barron said. “There really wasn’t any magic solution for getting this done. We had to learn on the job, and we did a lot of research and homework.”
“I joke a lot now about my first day on the job. It was basically an empty floor with two people. No computers, no copiers, no email, no coffee.” Following the regulations drafted by Barron, casinos are now open in Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus. As a law enforcement agency, OCCC employees, including Barron, can flash a badge and gain access to any part of any casino. When they do, it is a safe bet that all eyes are on them as they walk the floor and the underbelly of the casino operations. But, Barron and other OCCC employees are not allowed to step foot in any Ohio casino, or any casino owned by an Ohio casino operator, unless on official business. While Barron did not have any previous gaming experience, he did have a decade of experience working in public service for the state of Ohio. For nearly four years before >>
The Rev. Bob Abrams ’93 has been ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and called to serve the Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hilliard, Ohio. Michael A. Womack ’93 is the senior vice president of human resources and customer satisfaction at AutoZone Inc. He also will serve on the company’s executive committee. Prior to joining AutoZone, he worked at Cintas Corp., where he was vice president of human resources. For election news on Peter Stautberg ’93 and Marie Corazon Moraleja Hoover ’94, see Page 87. John P. Maxwell ’94 was elected to the board of directors of the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation, a community endowment fund that accepts bequests and monetary donations of any size. Maxwell is a director of the New Philadelphia, Ohio law firm Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths, & Dougherty Co., LPA. For election news on Elizabeth Welch Lykins ’95 and Christopher Berhalter ’96, see Page 87. Latonya Dilligard Edwards ’96 is pleased to announce the formation of her law practice, Dilligard Edwards, LLC, in Columbia, S.C. To learn more about the firm, visit www.dilligardedwards.com.
David Groshoff ’96 published three law review articles early this year on corporate finance, the so-called reparative “therapy” for GLBT youth, and applying recent Second Amendment jurisprudence to deter school bullying. Following these articles, Western State University College of Law in Orange County, Calif. promoted Groshoff to associate professor of law and director of the Business Law Center. Timothy Lambrecht ’96 has joined Brown & Palumbo, PLLC in Syracuse, New York as co-chair of the firm’s litigation group. His practice includes environmental, commercial, and federal civil litigation. As a former federal law clerk, he often acts as local counsel for firms with matters pending in the northern and western districts of New York. Amanda Masters ’96 has been appointed deputy executive director of the City of New York Board of Correction, an agency with oversight of all New York City jails. Masters also had a baby, Erin Claire Masters, on Nov. 17, 2011. Jill S. Tangeman ’96, a partner with the Columbus office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, was included in the 2013 Best Lawyers in America List, which entails an exhaustive peer-review survey. Tangeman’s practice focuses on land use and zoning law.
Moritz College of Law | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3
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