Cynthia Kiser Murphey

Longtime MGM Resorts International executive Cynthia Kiser Murphey is the new general manager of the off-Strip resort, the Palms’ new ownership group announced Wednesday. Kiser Murphey began working at MGM in 1992 and was the president and chief operating officer at New York-New York from 2008 until last spring. She will oversee operations at the Palms as the property transitions to its new ownership group, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The Palms has been closed since March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in casino closures across the state for 78 days. The sale is expected to close at the end of 2021 and is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. The Palms underwent $690 million in renovations and had held a grand reopening in April 2019. Prior to overseeing New York-New York, Kiser Murphey held leadership roles at MGM Resorts including senior vice president of MGM Mirage Human Resources. She became chief executive officer at a large benefits fund after leaving MGM. Kiser Murphey holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management and a master’s in hotel administration, both from UNLV. She was previously a part-time faculty and adjunct professor at the university, where she was also a former classmate of MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle.