Wynn Resorts shakeup continues with departure of longtime board member

Wynn Resorts continues to make executive and board changes ahead of a key meeting next month with Massachusetts regulators in a bid to save its $2.5 billion Boston project.

Alvin Shoemaker, the last of the long-serving Wynn Resorts board members, announced he will leave on Dec. 31, the company said in a statement. Shoemaker earlier this year said he would leave the board when his term ended in mid-2019.

Shoemaker is the seventh Wynn director to step down this year following reports that founder and former CEO Steve Wynn sexually harassed employees for decades.

Investors have said the board should have known about the allegations and heavily criticized it for being too loyal to Steve Wynn, who also served as its chairman.

Phil Satre, the new Wynn Resorts chairman, said earlier this week that the company may bring its entire board of directors to Massachusetts to present why it should be found suitable for a gaming license. Wynn Resorts plans to open its Boston casino in June.

Shoemaker could have potentially faced the most heat from regulators as he has served on the board since 2002, a period during which Steve Wynn paid $7.5 million to settle a case with a former female employee.

His departure also enables Wynn Resorts to further demonstrate to Massachusetts regulators that it has acted swiftly to clean up its board and management in the wake of the scandal. The nine-member Wynn Resorts board now includes six new members.

Shoemaker’s departure comes a week after Wynn Las Vegas President Maurice Wooden announced he would retire early next year. Wooden has served as president since 2013.

At least one lawsuit filed by a former female employee against Steve Wynn and Wynn Resorts alleges the sexual harassment happened during Wooden’s tenure.

Contact Todd Prince at 702-383-0386 or tprince@reviewjournal.com. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.