MGM appoints its Springfield GM to lead Circus Circus Las Vegas

MGM Springfield General Manager Alex Dixon, a key member of the executive team that launched the casino last August, is leaving Springfield and heading for Las Vegas. He will become the President of Circus Circus, an MGM hotel, casino and family-friendly entertainment venue on the Las Vegas strip, an MGM Springfield spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

“We are incredibly proud of the work that Alex has accomplished for MGM Springfield,” MGM Springfield President and COO Michael Mathis said in a statement. “This is a wonderful opportunity for him and a bittersweet moment for us. Alex was instrumental in guiding us to grand opening and transitioning us from construction to operations. He is an amazing leader and skilled communicator. We wish him well, and look forward to seeing him prosper, especially in his hometown of Las Vegas.”

No replacement general manager has yet been named. Dixon, who oversaw day-to-day operations at the USD 960 million resort casino, was also a public face and voice for the project. In 2018 he was Honorary Chairman of the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast -- a title previously bestowed to Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, and State Sens. Eric Lesser and Jim Welch.

Before joining MGM, Dixon worked for nine years for Caesars Entertainment, serving in several executive roles and as the Assistant General Manager of the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. He worked in the finance industry earlier in his career, working on mergers and acquisitions with Goldman Sachs and Silver Pacific Advisors. Dixon also served on the boards of a number of Las Vegas and Baltimore nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Urban League Young Professionals.