Joelle Shearin, a 15-year casino hotel and finance executive, has been appointed general manager and president for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nev.
Hard Rock International
Shearin will oversee all operations for the gaming resort. Her most recent role was VP and general manager at the Argosy Casino Alton in Alton, Ill., as the first female GM for Penn National Gaming. There she facilitated day-to-day gaming operations with more than 800 slot machines and 12 table games, as well as multiple restaurants. She oversaw and completed an interior remodel and redesign. Shearin refined her skills in crisis management by reopening the property on multiple occasions after record flooding forced two closures within 16 months.
The two years before that she served as the assistant GM at Hollywood Casino in St. Louis as the company transitioned the property after acquiring it from Caesars Casino. Shearin started her casino industry career in 2005 with Harrah’s Entertainment in Memphis, Tenn. She has held senior management positions with Harrah’s and several Penn National properties, including the Argosy Casino in Sioux City, Iowa, and the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa.
“Joelle Shearin brings an enviable record of managerial expertise and industry leadership to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino team,” Rob Oseland, COO of Paragon Gaming, said in a statement. “Her innovative ideas and knowledge will enhance the overall experience for our visitors and local customers as well as staff.”
“Our patrons want an experience beyond slot machines and tables, and with the Hard Rock International brand we’re uniquely positioned to offer many benefits,” Shearin said in a statement. “We’ll find out what’s important to our customers and package those elements along with Lake Tahoe’s many attractions into a Hard Rock visit for a memorable experience.”
Shearin, a native of Toledo, Ohio, is a 1996 graduate of The University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio, where she also received her MBA in 2002. Joelle, her husband, Bobby, two children, and their Goldendoodle, Wrigley, will relocate from O’Fallon, Mo.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe has 450 employees, includes 539 rooms, a 25,000 square foot casino, multiple stores, restaurants, bars and live entertainment.