PETE GUSTAFSON AND AAMA PART WAYS

Pete Gustafson is out as executive vice president of the American Amusement Machine Association, a position he held since June 1, 2016.

The surprising announcement came on June 24 when the AAMA issued a media release stating that Gustafson had “voluntarily resigned his position, effective June 28, in collaboration with the AAMA Board of Directors.”

When Gustafson was hired, he had already spent 30 years in the coin-op entertainment sector, including stints with Sega Amusements International Ltd. and Stern Pinball. He volunteered countless hours to the AAMA on various committees and was elected the association’s president in 2013. In 2015, he received AAMA’s highest honor, the Joe Robbins Award.

But the current board, headed by President Beth Standlee of TrainerTainment, felt Gustafson wasn’t the right person at this time in AAMA’s history.

“As we look to the future, AAMA is positioning itself to be the leading trade association for the amusement industry,” Standlee said in the release. “The next chapter calls for an association executive with a proven track record of scaling trade organizations.”

Standlee added: “We are grateful to Pete for the solid foundation he has helped build.”