Our People

Fredric Gushin founded Spectrum Gaming Group in 1993 after working 13 years for the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, where he was promoted to Assistant Director and Assistant Attorney General. At the DGE, Gushin oversaw for the State the openings of 12 Atlantic City casino hotels and managed civil and administrative litigation before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. He has personally argued more than 50 cases before the Commission.

Gushin has worked with a variety of private-sector and governmental clients since founding Spectrum. He has advised private casino developers on operational and management issues and provided gaming expertise to a number of gaming jurisdictions over the years. He also served as a Commissioner with the Oneida Indian Nation Gaming Commission that regulates the Turning Stone Resort Casino near Syracuse, NY.

Gushin has worked with private sector clients throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Europe on a wide range of issues. As Assistant Director and Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, he oversaw all compliance related issues regarding New Jersey’s multibillion-dollar gaming industry including security and surveillance, development and compliance with accounting and internal control procedures and development of emergency plans to respond to incidents occurring in casino.

With Spectrum, Gushin has led engagements evaluating casino operations for compliance for private sector and governmental clients. He is a member of the Gerson Lehrman Group Council of Advisors, a global network of experts and industry professionals.

Gushin received his BA from the American University School of Government and Public Administration in 1970, his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University in 1973, and his Masters from American University in 1979.

Michael Pollock oversees all economic studies performed by Spectrum Gaming Group, including broad-scale impact studies for country, state and local governments, and feasibility studies for private-sector clients. His international work includes projects in Guam and Korea.

Pollock began analyzing the casino industry in New Jersey at its inception in 1978 and served as spokesman for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission from 1991 through 1996. During this period of rapid deregulation, his charge was to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the regulatory system.

Pollock is the author of the award-winning book, Hostage to Fortune: Atlantic City and Casino Gambling, published by the Center for Analysis of Public Issues in Princeton. This book, which is presently being updated, examines the impact of casinos on Atlantic City and New Jersey.

Pollock publishes Gaming Industry Observer, a nationally recognized, award-winning newsletter that focuses on trends that impact the gaming industry. Pollock founded and is a producer of the prestigious East Coast Gaming Congress, held each spring in Atlantic City.

He has testified on regulatory issues before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Gaming, and has been a featured speaker at the Congressional Gaming Caucus, a group of U.S. House of Representatives members from gaming jurisdictions. He has also testified numerous times before New Jersey legislative committees on gaming matters.

Pollock has won 20 journalism awards, and is the former editorial page editor of The Press of Atlantic City. Pollock is often cited by national media outlets, including the New York Times, Star-Ledger, BBC, ABC News and National Public Radio.

He earned his MBA, with high honors, from Rutgers University, and is a member of the adjunct faculty of both Rutgers University and Richard Stockton College.

Harvey Perkins has thirty years of casino gaming industry experience and has held high-level positions at major gaming properties in Atlantic City and New Orleans.

Perkins has held the positions of Director Casino Administration with Resorts International in Atlantic City; Director Casino Administration, Director of Planning, Quality and Analysis, Assistant to the President, and Vice President of Gaming Operations with Showboat in Atlantic City; and Assistant General Manager with Harrah's New Orleans.

Perkins has extensive experience in strategic planning, market research, financial analysis, business planning, metric evaluation, regulation preparation, internal control preparation, operation audits, service audits, creation and implementation of customer service programs, labor analysis, casino unit profitability analysis, market analysis, and competitive marketing and operational analysis.

Perkins has been retained by several major corporations and investment banks to act as a gaming advisor and quantify prospective acquisitions for the clients. He has conducted feasibility studies for casino hotel construction projects and casino expansions; and conducted economic impact studies of proposed casino projects in new jurisdictions. Internationally, Perkins has led Spectrum projects in Aruba, the Bahamas, Canada, Macau, the Philippines, Vietnam and Russia.

He has been licensed as a casino key employee and qualifier in New Jersey and a key employee in Louisiana.

Perkins attended the University of Arizona and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno-Casino Executive Development Program.

Joseph Weinert has been analyzing the gaming industry for more than 12 years. He researches and writes economic, international and regulatory studies and has led Spectrum projects in numerous domestic jurisdictions as well as in the Czech Republic, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Weinert is a member of the Gerson Lehrman Group Council of Advisors, a global network of experts and industry professionals. He founded and directs the Pennsylvania Gaming Congress and helps organize Spectrum’s two other nationally recognized conferences, the East Coast Gaming Congress and the Florida Gaming Summit. In addition, he is Editor of Spectrum’s widely acclaimed newsletter, Gaming Industry Observer, and the newsletter’s premium service, GIO².

Weinert came to Spectrum after 18 years at The Press of Atlantic City, where for his last eight years he was responsible for the newspaper’s intensive coverage of the casino industry. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences throughout the country and has been quoted in prominent media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN. In addition, he has testified before legislative committees in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Weinert graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in Journalism and completed the Wharton Seminars for Business Writers at The Wharton School.

Tina LoBiondo has worked in the casino resort industry since 1988, having held various analytical, operational and developmental roles in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, and was instrumental in the opening of three major gaming resorts. LoBiondo most recently spent nine years at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, where she played a leading role in the development and opening of the property.

At Borgata, LoBiondo was responsible for the development, creation, opening and operation of Spa Toccare. Additionally, she was responsible for the operation of all retail outlets, which included 13 retail stores and an e-commerce web store, as well as six new stores at the Water Club signature hotel.

LoBiondo began her career with Mirage Resorts, where she held several positions including Internal Audit and Senior Financial Analyst. She created the first property-owned wedding chapels at Treasure Island. LoBiondo has extensive experience in analysis, budget development and execution.

LoBiondo is a graduate of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, earning a BSBA in accounting and Finance and a Masters of Business Administration.

Bill LaPenta, Director of Financial Analysis, is a casino and hotel industry professional with more than 20 years of operations management and analysis experience, providing critical business decision support, planning, analysis, and performance management tools to casino hotel and resort operators.

Prior to Spectrum, LaPenta served as Strategic Performance Manager for the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, where he led development of its statistical database, competitive and performance metrics reporting, and variable daily budgeting systems. He is additionally well versed in ROI and profitability studies, as well as labor analysis and controls for all aspects of casino and hotel resort operations.

LaPenta has held gaming licenses in Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey and Washington.

LaPenta holds a BA in Psychology with honors from West Chester University, and has continued graduate study in sociology, economics, and finance.

Norman MacKillop has 23 years experience as a senior police officer in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, mainly in the field of organized crime and triads and international narcotic trafficking. His police experience culminated in serving as the Commander of the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, leading police, customs and military personnel investigating and combating Hong Kong-China cross-border smuggling.

MacKillop is a law graduate of Manchester University and a Barrister of Grays Inn London and has been called to the Bar in Hong Kong. After leaving the police in 1996, prior to the handover of Hong Kong sovereignty to China, he spent five years practicing law in England as a Barrister, where he prosecuted and defended in the civil and criminal courts at all levels, including murder, proceeds of crime, international credit card fraud and civil litigation.

MacKillop was appointed Senior Regulatory Inspector of the Alderney Gambling Control Board in 2002, where he was engaged in conducting due diligence investigations of major gaming corporations, assisting in drafting legislation and compliance regulations and providing legal advice to the CEO. He devised an audit program for internet gaming licensees and conducted the first series of compliance audits of that type. He was appointed Director of Investigations for Venetian Macau Ltd. in 2005 and joined Spectrum in July 2007.

MacKillop has resided in Asia for much of the past 30 years and speaks fluent Cantonese. He holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Exeter University in England, specializing in the study of Chinese Secret Societies and Terrorism.

Ian Manning is the Spectrum Vice President of Global Due Diligence Investigations and is also responsible for business development for Australia and Asia. He was an executive regulator of casinos in Australia for 20 years and was instrumental in the development of casinos on behalf of Governments in Tasmania, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

Manning’s positions included Director of Casino Surveillance for the Victorian Gaming Authority, Chief Casino Inspector for the Australian Capital Territory Casino Surveillance Authority, Senior Casino Inspector for the South Australia Consumer Affairs Department, and Senior Casino Inspector for the Tasmanian Gaming Commission.

Manning also has extensive experience in the commercial sector, becoming founding chief executive officer of gaming-product testing companies in South Africa and the United States. More recently, he provided consulting services to governments interested in the development of casinos, and to gaming operators for the development and implementation of compliance processes.

Manning graduated from Hobart Matriculation College in Tasmania, Australia.

Allison McCoy, Vice President of Business Development, is a seasoned marketing professional experienced in all facets of branding, promotion, and event management. Her diverse background features significant international experience that includes extensive work with high-budget, high-profile international events such as the Seoul Olympic Games, the Atlanta Olympic Games, and the Turner Goodwill Games.

Most recently, McCoy served as conference director for Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the pre-eminent conference and tradeshow for the casino and gaming industry, produced by Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association. Prior to that, she was international relations director for Peppers and Rogers Group, visionary consultants and inventors of 1to1 strategy for customer relationship management.

McCoy holds a B.S. degree in International Business from Villanova University.

Michael Diamond has extensive investigative research experience, both in journalism and in government. He joined Spectrum after a 33-year career at The Press of Atlantic City, where he served as a special projects writer, editorial page editor, statehouse correspondent and bureau chief, all while frequently covering gaming-industry issues. He won 23 state and national journalism awards and was an active member in such organizations as the Legislative Correspondents Club, National Conference of Editorial Writers and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Diamond left the newspaper in 2005 to become an investigator with the New Jersey Office of Inspector General. He was responsible for reviewing allegations of waste, fraud and corruption. He participated in developing a number of reports for the office.

At Spectrum, Diamond also serves as Associate Editor of the company’s widely acclaimed newsletter, Gaming Industry Observer, and is editor of the firm’s National Regulatory Digest, which provides premium subscribers with a semimonthly national compendium of gaming regulatory activity.

Diamond graduated from Rider University with a BA degree in Political Science.

Laura Westheimer manages the Spectrum Gaming Group office in Las Vegas, where she oversees the company’s Nevada services, including feasibility studies, market analyses, regulatory and due diligence services, and litigation support.

Westheimer has experience in construction project management, developing financial projections and budgets, gaming floor analysis, retail administration, public relations, compliance and regulatory affairs. She began her gaming industry in casino marketing at the Desert Inn in 1989. She then joined the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, IL, in 1999, where she held several positions as part of the executive management team, including Internal Audit, Training, Compliance Analyst and Compliance Officer. As Compliance Officer, she served as liaison with the Illinois Gaming Board.

Westheimer became Corporate Manager - Special Projects at Cannery Casino Resorts, where among other tasks she oversaw due diligence efforts and capital and operating budgets. Most recently, she served as Director of Special Projects for the Cosmopolitan Resort Casino in Las Vegas, where she prepared budgets and pro-forma analyses, analyzed floor plans, and oversaw tenant lease administration.

Westheimer has a BA in Business Administration from Lake Forest College and an MBA, with an emphasis in finance and accounting, from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

Joan Danko, Director of Governmental Affairs, has extensive experience dealing with the public sector. As IBM executive for IBM Government Systems for Pennsylvania, she directed the company’s marketing organization in achieving the corporation’s revenue growth objectives for Commonwealth sales and services.

Danko in 2002 founded Danko Consulting, a lobbying and business development firm that provides services to companies aspiring to do business with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

She was previously Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, where she focused on special projects in the area of business taxes, workforce development and education. She also lead in the development of customized products and services to meet the needs of Fortune 500 member companies. Her other responsibilities included spearheading the Keystone Consortium designed to engage business leadership in the political process.

In 2000, Danko served as Director, Office of Corporate Alliances, for State System of Higher Education. Then Governor Tom Ridge and Chancellor McCormick supported her efforts in developing the concept and deploying the Office of Corporate Alliances for the State System. She further initiated procurements designed to develop university corporate outreach programs with companies such as IBM, UNISYS, SAIC Inc., PNC, Nabisco, Bayer Corp., Highmark, Adelphia, and Marconi.

Danko has a BA in Advertising and Public Relations from Pennsylvania State University.