Faye Todd
Mid-level hotel-casino manager
Date of Birth: 1940
Place of Birth: San Antonio, TX
Arrival in Las Vegas: 1964
Work/Contribution: Hotel-Casino Manager
Date of Interview: October 15, 1996
Interviewed by: Claytee D. White
Faye Todd represents a small group of African American women who achieved executive status in the Las Vegas gaming industry. Arriving in Las Vegas from San Antonio in 1964 with her three children and husband James, Todd settled down to care for her children. Her career path began when she enrolled in adult education classes to acquire business administration and clerical skills. By 1975 her career took off when she was named Special Events Coordinator at the Desert Inn Hotel & Casino. In 1976 she left the Desert Inn to take up the duties of what she termed “the perfect job” at the Landmark Hotel & Casino as Entertainment Director/Corporate Executive Assistant. The job ended abruptly six years later when the Landmark was forced into receivership
Faye Todd’s story was collected as part of the series on women working in the gaming industry. It offers a unique perspective from inside the executive offices of the gaming industry, one based on the reflections of a black woman. It sheds light on the opportunities accorded to African Americans following the 1971 consent decree and the different strategies employed by blacks to access those opportunities. Todd also provides insight into class relations within the black community both in Las Vegas and San Antonio, Texas.
Faye Todd’s story was collected as part of the series on women working in the gaming industry. It offers a unique perspective from inside the executive offices of the gaming industry, one based on the reflections of a black woman. It sheds light on the opportunities accorded to African Americans following the 1971 consent decree and the different strategies employed by blacks to access those opportunities. Todd also provides insight into class relations within the black community both in Las Vegas and San Antonio, Texas.