Gaming and Leisure Properties Appoints Debra Martin Chase to Board of Directors

WYOMISSING, Pa., April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ: GLPI) (the “Company”), announced today that Debra Martin Chase has been appointed to the Board of Directors as a new independent director, effective immediately, to fill the vacancy created by the previously disclosed passing of JoAnne A. Epps. The appointment of Ms. Chase to the Board of Directors brings the total number of directors to eight, seven of whom are considered independent according to the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Ms. Chase has also been appointed as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Ms. Chase will hold her directorship until the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders or until her successor is duly elected and qualified or until her earlier death, disqualification, resignation or removal.

Ms. Chase is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of an entertainment production company doing business as Martin Chase Productions. She is a two-time Tony Award winning, a Peabody Award winning, and three-time Emmy nominated television, motion picture, and Broadway producer. Ms. Chase is an entertainment industry trailblazer, being the first female African American producer to have a deal with a major motion picture studio. Her films have grossed over $500 million at the box office. She brings to the Company over 30 years of experience in motion picture and television production as well as a corporate legal background.

Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Debra to our Board as we believe her extensive entertainment industry experience, impressive legal background and broad board experience across public companies and the arts will serve GLPI well as we continue to drive growth in shareholder value. She brings a wealth of knowledge to GLPI, which we believe is a perfect complement to the existing strengths of the Board. I am confident that she will help expand the diverse set of viewpoints that ultimately shape our mission.”

Ms. Chase currently serves on the board of B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS), where she chairs the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, and the board of Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BRDG), where she serves on the Audit Committee. She also serves on the board of the Second Stage Theater in Manhattan, where she chairs the Artistic Committee. She previously served on the board of the New York City Ballet for a decade, where she founded and chaired its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the board of trustees for Mount Holyoke College. She is a member of the Motion Picture Academy, where she serves on the Producers Executive Committee; the Television Academy; the Broadway League, where she is a member of the Tony Management Committee; and the board of the Producers Guild Foundation. Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Ms. Chase practiced law at Houston’s Mayor, Day, and Caldwell from 1981 to 1983. After serving as a lawyer for Tenneco from 1983 to 1985, Ms. Chase moved to New York City where she worked for the Stroock, Stroock & Lavan, and eventually became in-house counsel for Avon Products.