UPDATE: The Mississippi Senate confirmed Nicaud on Tuesday.
Governor Tate Reeves has appointed Kent Nicaud to the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Nicaud, the chief executive officer at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, would replace the late Al Hopkins if confirmed by the Mississippi Senate prior to sine die. His term would last until September 2025.
The Pass Christian resident has more than 25 years of healthcare experience from the private sector and non-profit arena. Nicaud began working with Memorial Hospital on a consulting basis in 1996 before becoming a full-time employee in 2008.
In 2010, Nicaud was named chief operating offer. In 2018, the hospital’s board of directors voted him as the new president and CEO. Nicaud attended Tulane University for undergraduate and graduate studies through their executive MBA program.
Nicaud’s wife, Jenny, is also a Reeves appointee. She was appointed to the Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission in 2021. Prior to that, she worked as an attorney at Copeland, Cook, Taylor, and Bush’s Gulfport location.
Members of the Mississippi Gaming Commission receive $40 per day along with travel reimbursements. The commission is in charge of providing regulations for the casino industry, which brings in hundreds of millions in tax revenue each year for the state.
At this time, it is unknown if the Senate plans to confirm Nicaud. Earlier this week, the chamber rejected Reeves’ nomination of Carra Powell to the Mississippi Board of Education.
