Governance

Edward M. Nigro, the Executive Chairman/CEO of GBank Financial Holdings Inc. (GBFH) and GBank, has been prominent in the financial and banking industry since 1994 when he became a member of the founding Board of BankWest of Nevada. BankWest became Western Alliance Bank in 2002 and listed on the NYSE in 2004 (WAL). Mr. Nigro served as Chairman of the Audit Committee for Bankwest of Nevada and WAL from their inception until 2006, when he departed to found Bank of George, now GBank.

Mr. Nigro's career in the hotel and gaming industry in Las Vegas began with Howard Hughes, followed by nine years with Del Webb Hotels International, where he rose to the positions of CEO of the Sahara Hotel and Chief Operations Officer and Director for Del Webb’s six Nevada hotel-casino properties. In 1984, he licensed Nigro Associates, a construction firm, and successfully developed and constructed commercial, medical, and residential projects across Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, Oregon, and California. Additionally, he co-founded and served as CEO of Prime Health of Nevada, which became the largest privately held PPO and primary care clinic operator in Nevada until he sold the company to Columbia/HCA.

In 2014, after Sightline Payments received its Nevada gaming license to provide Play+ gaming payments solutions, Mr. Nigro founded BankCard Services LLC to enable GBank to become a Sponsor Bank for Sightline and creating the Gaming/Fintech Division of GBank.

Mr. Nigro is also deeply committed to philanthropy, actively participating in various organizations in Monterey County. His roles have included Chairman of the Audit Committee for the Monterey Peninsula Foundation (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am Tournament), Vice Chairman of the Future Citizens Foundation (First Tee of Monterey County), and Chairman of the Pay it Forward College Scholarship Committee. His community service in Las Vegas has included positions on the Advisory Board of Habitat for Humanity, the Boy Scouts of America Annual Campaign Director, Chairman of United Way Casino Campaign Division, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Vice President and Board of Directors member, the Nevada Resort Association Director and Executive Committee member, the Variety Club of Las Vegas Chairman and Chief Barker, and the National Board of Directors for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Director.

Mr. Nigro graduated from Holy Cross College. He also served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force, earning the Air Medal for Combat Missions in Vietnam, two Commendation Medals for Meritorious Service, the Vietnam Campaign Medal (for four campaigns), and the Vietnam Service Medal.

Todd A. Nigro owns and operates companies in the development, construction, asset management, and gaming and hospitality businesses. As President of Nigro Development LLC, Todd focuses his energy on providing a comprehensive solution to the development, construction, leasing, and management of many different types of commercial real estate assets ranging from master-planned business parks, neighborhood shopping centers, boutique hotels, specialized medical buildings, and neighborhood taverns with both restaurant and gaming operations.

Todd maintains contractors, real estate brokerage, property management, and liquor and gaming licenses in the State of Nevada. He has served as both Chairman and a Board Member of Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides home ownership opportunities for low-income families.

He also has served as both Chairman and a Member of the City of Las Vegas Planning Commission and has developed affordable housing in the Downtown Redevelopment Area through a public/private partnership with the City of Las Vegas. Prior to returning to Las Vegas in 1991, Todd worked in the investment banking industry for Salomon Brothers Inc. as a financial analyst in the Corporate Finance Department.

Todd graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science with a dual emphasis in both Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California School of Business.

Timothy P. Herbst serves as President of Terrible Herbst Inc., with tenure since 1985. Terrible Herbst Inc. operates over 200 gas station and convenience store locations in Nevada, California, Utah, and Arizona. Mr. Herbst also serves as President of Terribles Gaming since March 2009.

Terribles Gaming operates 3000 gaming machines in restricted and non-restricted Casinos in Nevada. Mr. Herbst serves as a Board Director of GBank, and formerly served as Director of Nevada First Bank from 1999-2006. Mr. Herbst also served as State President of Nevada Petroleum Marketers Association, and Nevada Director of Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) Nevada. He is also active in philanthropic organizations and campaigns.

Mr. Herbst received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from University of Southern California in 1985.

William (Bill) J. Hornbuckle is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), an S&P 500® global entertainment company featuring iconic hotels and casinos, meeting and conference spaces, live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an array of restaurant, nightlife, and retail offerings across the globe. MGM Resorts’ portfolio includes some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry, such as Bellagio, MGM Grand, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, and Borgata. As CEO, Mr. Hornbuckle oversees all aspects of MGM Resorts’ strategy, operations, and hospitality and gaming development projects.

He leads the company’s global development efforts and its digital gaming strategy. He also successfully steered the company through the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming numerous challenges including the closure of operations, tightly restricted re-openings, and new health and safety measures.

Mr. Hornbuckle let the strategy and execution of the company’s sale of MGM Growth Properties to Vici Properties, and the acquisition of the remaining share of CityCenter and of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Mr. Hornbuckle has served as President of MGM Resorts since 2012 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2019. He led MGM Resorts’ domestic and international expansion efforts, including the development of resorts in National Harbor, MD, and Macau, and of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. More recently, Mr. Hornbuckle oversaw MGM Resorts’ expansion of entertainment and sports betting through the creation of BetMGM. Additionally, he held the roles of Chief Design and Construction officer and Chief Customer Development Officer.

Mr. Hornbuckle has been with MGM Resorts for more than two decades, including time as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, where he led the creation and launch of the M Life Rewards customer loyalty program. Mr. Hornbuckle’s previous positions with MGM Resorts include: President and Chief Operating Officer of Mandalay Bay, Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts International-Europe, and President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Grand Las Vegas. He has played a key role in expanding Las Vegas’ entertainment and attractions.

Mr. Hornbuckle is a board member and President of T-Mobile Arena (a joint venture with AEG) and helped bring Las Vegas its first professional sports team through the establishment of the NHL’s Golden Knights. In 2016, he was appointed to the Clark County Stadium Authority Board, which developed the Las Vegas NFL Stadium Project as part of a successful effort to attract an NFL team, the Raiders, to Las Vegas. He served on this board through 2021, and, during that time, he also helped bring the WNBA team, the Aces, to Las Vegas in 2017.

An experienced industry executive, Mr. Hornbuckle started working in Las Vegas as a room service attendant and busboy at the Jockey Club and grew his career through a range of senior management positions at Mirage Resorts. He was President and Chief Operating Officer for Caesars Palace, Las Vegas; President and Chief Operating Officer of the Golden Nugget in Laughlin; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Treasure Island; and Vice President of Hotel Operations for The Mirage, which he opened in 1989.

Mr. Hornbuckle is a member of MGM Resorts’ Board of Directors and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MGM China Holdings, which operates resorts in Macau. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors for CityCenter JV (a joint venture with Dubai World), and currently serves as Chairman of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on policy, regulation, programs, and issues that impact the travel and tourism industry in the United States. A long-time resident of Southern Nevada, Mr. Hornbuckle is active in community service. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Three Square Food Bank and the Board of Directors for the Fulfillment Fund.

Mr. Hornbuckle endowed a scholarship for students pursuing hospitality degrees at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from UNLV.

Charles W. Griege, Jr. is the founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of Blue Lion Capital (BLC). He has over thirty years of experience in the capital markets and has been investing in bank stocks since 1986. Chuck launched Blue Lion Capital’s Bank Consolidation Fund in April 2011 to capitalize on the significant change in the banking industry following the financial crisis. In addition, Chuck was a founding partner of the CLO Opportunity Fund in 2009. Prior to founding BLC in 2005, Chuck was a partner at Atlas Capital Management, a long/short equity fund. During his four years at Atlas, Chuck helped grow the firm from approximately $50 million in assets to $650 million.

Prior to joining Atlas, Chuck spent six years in investment banking, most recently as a Managing Director at SoundView Technology Group. Prior to attending business school, Chuck spent three years working at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas.

It was during this period that Chuck worked closely with savings banks in the most troubled region of the U.S. and witnessed the creation of the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) to dispose of the assets of failed banks and thrifts.

Chuck received an M.B.A. with honors from Columbia Business School in 1990 and a B.A degree from Vanderbilt University in 1985.

James K. Sims is a seasoned operator, entrepreneur, and investor with 30+ years of experience in building successful companies and creating shareholder value. He has served as Airgain, Inc.’s Chairman of the Board of directors since November 2003 and previously served as their interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2018 to March 2019, and as their Executive Chairman from October 2018 to March 2019.

Mr. Sims accomplishments as an investor and entrepreneur include:

In 2012, Mr. Sims founded Silicon Valley Data Science, a “big data” solutions provider and technology firm.

In 2005, Mr. Sims founded GEN3 Capital, a private equity fund to invest in technology-rich opportunities.

Since 2005, through GEN3 Capital and other initiatives, Mr. Sims was also instrumental in founding or expanding numerous start-up enterprises, including; Airgain, Specialists On Call (telemedicine) and EPAY Systems (distributed labor time and management solution).

Mr. Sims also serves or has served on the Boards of public companies such as CTP, EDS, and RSA Securities, and as Chairman of numerous private firms including GEN3 Partners, Silicon Valley Data Bank, Airgain, EPAY Systems, Specialists On Call, Thru, nScaled, Leveler, Black Light Power.

Mr. Sims accomplishments as an operator include:

In 1999, Mr. Sims founded GEN3 Partners to focus on the business of corporate innovation. Leveraging his expertise in consulting, intellectual property and extensive background in the venture community.

Mr. Sims also launched several subsidiaries of GEN3 Partners based on technologies developed through its proprietary innovation methodology.

Before GEN3, Mr. Sims founded Cambridge Technology Partners in 1991 and led the firm to $625 million in annual revenue, 4,500 employees and international prominence as a leading systems-integration company. CTP pioneered the fixed-price, fixed-time custom application development model for enterprise clients. CTP, then a publicly traded company, was purchased by Novell, Inc. in 2001.

Prior to CTP, Mr. Sims founded Concurrent Computer Corp. and as Chairman, President and CEO built CCC to $340 million in annual revenue and 3,500 employees. Concurrent Computer Corp. was the market leader in real-time information systems.

Kathryn S. Lever serves as General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer and Corporate Secretary to Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, a portfolio company of Apollo Global Management and the largest casino enterprise in Canada.

She has held pivotal positions as Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel to some of the gaming industry's most dominant entities, including Scientific Games (NASDAQ:SGMS) and its acquired entities, Bally Technology (NYSE:BYI) and SFHL Entertainment (NASDAQ:SHFL), where she spearheaded the legal strategy for more than $6.4B in strategic mergers and acquisition. In her capacity as General Counsel & EVP at the $4.3 billion Baha Mar luxury resort and casino, Ms. Lever established the foundational structure for legal, regulatory, compliance, and surveillance functions.

Ms. Lever was previously the first general counsel of Everi Payments Inc. (NYSE:EVRI), guiding the organization through its initial listing on the NYSE, as well as partner in the Las Vegas office of Shreck Brignone Godfrey, prior to its merger as Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck.

Beyond the gaming industry, she has applied her multifaceted expertise in FinTech, corporate law, and risk management as a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at GBank Financial Holdings Inc., and as an independent Director of GeoComply Solutions, an international leader in geolocation compliance, fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions.

Ms. Lever is committed to philanthropic engagement within with her industry and community and has been an Adjunct Professor and member of the Gaming Law Advisory Board at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, a Board Member and Advisory Member of Global Gaming Women, a Counsellor and former President of the International Association of Gaming Advisors, a committee member of the William Hill USA Charitable Foundation, and Chair of the Executive Committee of the Southern Nevada Chapter of Go Red for Women.

Michael C. Voinovich is Executive Vice President of ECHO Health, Inc. where he oversees the Company’s venture capital and corporate investment portfolios.

ECHO Health, Inc. is one of America’s leading payment processing companies. Mr. Voinovich joined ECHO Health, Inc. in 2019 after a 20-year career in financial services, most recently as Managing Director of Investment Banking of Boenning & Scattergood, Inc., specializing in capital raising and in providing merger advisory services for financial services companies.

Mr. Voinovich has served as a Director of GBank since 2015 and a Director of GBank Financial Holdings Inc. since its formation in December 2017.

Since November 2019, Mr. Voinovich has been a director of RSI, LLC, a highly specialized employment search firm focused on placing neurologists and neurosurgeons across the United States.

In May 2020, Mr. Voinovich became a director of Middlefield Banc Corp. (NASDAQ: MBCN) and its wholly owned subsidiary, The Middlefield Banking Company.

In August 2020, Mr. Voinovich became a director, and is now chairman, of Anchor Bancorporation, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Anchor State Bank. Since February 2023, Mr. Voinovich has been a member of the Board of Managers of DPX Payments, LLC, which offers digital payment solutions. Mr. Voinovich is a graduate of John Carroll University with a B.S. in Business Administration.