Rick Santoro

Director, Special Improvement Division

Santoro’s responsibilities as Director of the CRDA’s Special Improvement Division include overseeing the landscape, environmental services, ambassador, and general maintenance operations within the Tourism District and serving as the authority’s liaison and overseer of the CRDA funded Atlantic City Police Department Tourism District Patrol Unit, consisting of 60 Class II Officers, Seven Sergeants and Captain.

Santoro began his casino security career in 1980. From the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, to the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Santoro’s responsibilities included armed executive protection for the Wynn family, property-wide security functions, investigations, emergency management, safety and evacuation plans. He returned to Atlantic City in 1991, first as Chief Investigator at Resorts, before joining the Trump Organization in May of 1991. He was responsible for the 350 member security team at Trump Taj Mahal, armed executive protection of the Trump family, as well as contracted athletes, entertainers and other famous personalities. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2005, overseeing the safety and protection of human, financial and physical assets at five casino properties, warehouses, risk management program, aircraft operations, and 900 employees. In 2010, Santoro left the Trump Organization and became a managing partner/owner at Interbrief.Org, LLC, a security risk management consulting firm.

His affiliations within the local, county, state, and federal law enforcement communities are numerous, including the being a past committee member of the United Stated Department of Homeland Security’s Commercial Sector Coordinating Council, the NJ Homeland Security and Preparedness NIPP Committee, the Cape/Atlantic 200 Club, and Board Member of the Atlantic County Crime Stoppers. Santoro is presently a board member of the Metropolitan Business and Citizen’s Association (MBCA), a Co-chair of MBCA’s scholarship foundation, Operations/Planning Committee Member of the Atlantic City Air Show, Advisor to, and Planning Committee Member of the Miss America Pageant and Committee Member of the Atlantic City Beach Concert Working Group, Santoro is a New Jersey O.H.S.P,/NJSP Regional Intelligence Academy Instructor, a tactical O.C. (Pepper Spray) Instructor, UNLV/DHS Soft Target Terrorism Awareness Instructor, and a 2011 FBI Citizen’s Academy Graduate. He currently holds an ASIS International Certified Protection Professional (CPP) credential which he has held since 2008, and is the highest form of security certification in the United States in addition to possessing a Bachelor’s Degree from Fairleigh Dickenson University.