Patrick Hughes, the general manager of the Cannery hotel-casino in North Las Vegas, is the new president and CEO of the Fremont Street Experience, the organization’s board announced today.
Hughes starts Feb. 29 at the organization that manages the downtown Las Vegas pedestrian mall. He replaces former president Jeff Victor, who left the Fremont Street Experience last year to become vice president of operations for the properties controlled by downtown casino executive Derek Stevens.
The Fremont Street board said in a statement that Hughes brings “an extensive career in gaming, hospitality and entertainment” to the table. An Ireland native, Hughes moved to Las Vegas when he was 25 and has worked for several hotel-casinos, including Boulder Station, New York-New York and the Resort at Summerlin, which he helped open.
Hughes has been general manager of the Cannery for the last four years.
Mark Brandenburg, the interim chairman of the Fremont Street Experience board, said in a statement that the board believed Hughes was the right person to lead the organization “into its next decade of growth and innovation.”
Hughes said he had “bittersweet emotions” about leaving the Cannery but was excited to help make the Fremont Street Experience a global destination and the centerpiece of Las Vegas.